Deploying Excel Add-In using NSIS - Registry issue

Question

I created a test project in VS 2012

file -> new -> project -> Other Languages -> Visual C# -> Office -> 2010

which builds fine. I would like to deploy this on client machines, looking on the MSDN website I have 2 options, clickonce or installshield

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb386179(v=vs.110).aspx

I can't use clickonce, and I have been asked not to use installshield but NSIS. I have made progress with NSIS but it fails to register the dll. If I try and manually register it using Regsvr32, I will get an error message

"The module "[filepath]TestAddin.dll" was loaded but the entry-point DLLRegisterServer was not found. Make sure that "[filepath]TestAddin.dll" is a valid DLL or OCX file and then try again.

here is how I try and register within the NSIS script, taken from an old forum page which I don't fully understand.

  Exec 'regsvr32.exe /s "$INSTDIR\MyExcelAddin.dll"'

  WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin.Connect" "FriendlyName" "MyExcelAddin"
  WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin.Connect" "Description" "MyExcelAddin"
  WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin.Connect" "LoadBehavior" "00000003"
  WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin.Connect" "CommandLineSafe" "00000000"

Update: I can now create registry entries doing the following but the add-in still won't show up in excel

  SetRegView 64
  Exec '"%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\RegAsm.exe" "$INSTDIR\MyExcelAddin.dll"'

  WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "FriendlyName" "MyExcelAddin"
  WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Description" "MyExcelAddin"
  WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Manifest" "Manifest file:///$INSTDIR\MyExcelAddin.vsto|vstolocal"
  WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "LoadBehavior" "00000003"
  WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "CommandLineSafe" "00000000"

update 2: This actually worked eventually, I had done other things in the wrong order in the NSIS script. I hadn't copied the .dll to the folder I was attempting to register from using Regasm.exe

Evers

DLLRegisterServer is the normal entry-point function export for registration, if your addin does not export it then only you would know how to register it... – Hardecanute

Installshield and visual studio can both register the DLL without DLLRegisterServer implemented, surely they must be using the command line to do so. – Evers

Don't know if this would be an issue, but for my Excel plugins, the "Manifest" value is just "file:///$INSTDIR/MyExcelAddin.vsto|vstolocal" as opposed to having "Manifest " on the front. – August

@coolmrcroc. i am sorry but i am stuck and can't seems to fine any way to install my developed add in. can you please help me by any mean? please? – Amoritta

Answer 1

In case you are using a 64-bit installation of Office and are sure this is appropriate to be installed for "all users", your registry paths would need to be adjusted as follows:

WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "FriendlyName" "MyExcelAddin"
WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Description" "MyExcelAddin"
WriteRegStr HKLM "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Manifest" "Manifest file:///$INSTDIR\MyExcelAddin.vsto|vstolocal"
WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "LoadBehavior" "00000003"
WriteRegDWORD HKLM "Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "CommandLineSafe" "00000000"

Otherwise, you might have better luck installing the add-in for the "current user", in which case you'd need to adjust as follows:

WriteRegStr HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "FriendlyName" "MyExcelAddin"
WriteRegStr HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Description" "MyExcelAddin"
WriteRegStr HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "Manifest" "Manifest file:///$INSTDIR\MyExcelAddin.vsto|vstolocal"
WriteRegDWORD HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "LoadBehavior" "00000003"
WriteRegDWORD HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\MyExcelAddin" "CommandLineSafe" "00000000"

Rightwards

even if you are installing for 32 bit excel and are on a 64 bit machine, writing the registry keys will go to Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft automatically, using SetRegView 64 will set them to Software\Microsoft. – Evers

Ah, that simplifies things such that you won't have to worry about branching your script on the detected installation. However, all my add-ons on located under HKCU, and Microsoft says that HKLM can only be used in "certain scenarios", whatever that means: msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb386106(v=vs.110).aspx – Rightwards