How do you get users to install your application from a CD? Must they type Start/Run/e:setup etc? Or maybe they have to open Explorer, locate a subfolder of the CD and double click on a cryptic file name. Try this handy idea for a more professional look to your installations.

Overview
Use the autorun feature of your CD to automatically open a Windows help file which allows the user to select what to install by clicking on a link to start the setup process.

1. Create Help file
First create a Windows help file which describes the application on the CD. You can use any help authoring package you like; I use HELLLP! (available from Guy Software).

2. Create links to your setup file
In the help file, create a jump (or image hotspot) to run an external processes. This would link to the relevant installation file located on the CD, for example, e:\setup.exe. Because the help file won't know which drive letter is associated with the CD, include links for specific drive letters with the instruction "click on the drive letter for your CD drive to install the application". The user then simply clicks the D, E, F etc link to install the application.

3. Insert the autorun files
To get your CD to automatically open the help file when you insert it in the drive, you'll need the free Microsoft utility shelexec.exe (19K). This is available from http://www.i-data.com/support/download/. Put the file in the root directory of the CD along with a text file called autorun.inf. The text file should contain the following:

[autorun]
OPEN=3DShelExec <filename>

where <filename> is the name (including .hlp extension) of the help file to be opened.

4. Burn the CD and try it out
Create a CD with the application files, autorun.exe and autorun.inf files. Insert it into your standard CD drive and wait about 10 seconds. The help file should appear. Click on the relevant link to run your setup program. Voila! If you like, download this example help file (helpfulcd.hlp, 12k, right click and choose Save link as).

Tips

• You may have different versions of your application listed in the help file such as standard and runtime versions or even updates to existing versions. Just create appropriate links to install whatever version is appropriate.

• You can use this process to do things other than run setup programs. You may want a "front end" to any number of executable files on your CD. Or use it to open links to websites. And the help file format allows you to provide detailed explanations of what applications are on the CD and how to use them.

• The file to be opened does not have to be a help file. It can be any registered file such as a Word document, Access database or html file. The only requirement is that the application opening the file has to be installed on the computer. I use help files because virtually all computers will be able to read Windows help files.

• Call your help file "HowToInstall.hlp". Then, if it doesn't work for any reason, a user looking at your CD in Explorer will most likely find the file and open it.