Update application silently while running

Question

My App will be initially deployed with Windows Installer.

The key characteristics of the solution I am looking for include:

• Support silent update while app is running (or automatically restart client)

• Easy to maintain and manage packing process

• Avoid complex customizations or installation scripts

Do you have any ideas on how can I achieve this? Even if it means to modify the app code to support any idea.

Application is .net 2.0

Answer 1

Have you considered using ClickOnce for deployment? It has a facility to programatically check for updates and optionally force them to be installed - see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms404263.aspx