I’ve created my first setup project using Visual Studio 2010. I’ve noticed that when I build the setup project it generates an MSI installer file and a setup.exe executable. However, I seem to be able to just right click on the MSI file and choose install to install my application rather than running setup.exe.
Does the setup.exe file that is generated do anything other than just fire up the MSI file? When distributing my application can I just provide the MSI file rather than the MSI file and the setup.exe file?
Kristopher Johnson is correct about the older machines, but it also does something else. When you are setting up the installer you can set dependencies and locations to download those dependencies. The Setup.exe does those dependency checks and launches the other MSI files in to install them. This is most often used to make sure Windows has the correct version of .NET or the C++ runtime installed.
If you do not have dependencies and you can guarantee .NET or the C++ runtime is installed then you do not need to distribute the setup.exe file.