VSTO: Install an add-in to Outlook Office 2003

StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1144492

Question

I posted an article here (How do I set permissions on my VSTO outlook add-in?) and I was able to build my installer. I thought that once the installer built itself, everything would work fine.

I was wrong. It works on about half of the PC's I've run the installer on. My problem is that the other half doesn't work. I'm trying to install an add-in to Outlook Office 2003.

I've even gone so far as to create the steps manually by using a batch file. Nothing seems to work on these PCs and I can't find a common denominator that I can rule out or in that will make the VSTO Addin work.

Here is the batch file I am using. What am I doing/not-doing wrong with this?

I could really use a VSTO expert's help. Thanks!!!!

EDIT I've changed the batch file and registry settings to reflect recent updates to them. I've also attached the error text that comes from the PCs that don't work. 

@echo off

echo Installing Visual Studio for Office Runtime (SE 2005)...
..\VSTO\vstor.exe

echo Creating Directories...
mkdir "c:\program files\Project Archiver"

echo Installying Add-In... 
echo Copying files...
xcopy /Y *.dll "c:\program files\Project Archiver"
xcopy /Y *.manifest "c:\program files\Project Archiver"

echo Setting Security...
"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\caspol.exe" -polchgprompt off
"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\caspol.exe" -u -ag All_Code -url "c:\program files\Project Archiver\ProjectArchiver.dll" FullTrust -n "Project Archiver" -d "Outlook plugin for archiving"
"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\caspol.exe" -u -ag All_Code -url "c:\program files\Project Archiver\Microsoft.Office.Interop.SmartTags.dll" FullTrust -n "Project Archiver" -d "Outlook plugin for archiving"
"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\caspol.exe" -polchgprompt on

echo Loading Registry Values...
"c:\program files\Project Archiver\VSTO_settings.reg"

echo "That should do it."
pause

I took the Registry settings (mentioned in the batch file above) straight from a PC that this application worked on. The VSTO Registry settings I am using are :

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ProjectArchiver\CLSID]
@="{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}]
@="ProjectArchiver -- an addin created with VSTO technology"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\InprocServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,43,00,6f,00,6d,00,6d,00,6f,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,4d,00,69,00,63,00,\
  72,00,6f,00,73,00,6f,00,66,00,74,00,20,00,53,00,68,00,61,00,72,00,65,00,64,\
  00,5c,00,56,00,53,00,54,00,4f,00,5c,00,38,00,2e,00,30,00,5c,00,41,00,64,00,\
  64,00,69,00,6e,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,00,00
"ManifestName"="ProjectArchiver.dll.manifest"
"ThreadingModel"="Both"
"ManifestLocation"="C:\\Program Files\\Project Archiver\\"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\ProgID]
@="ProjectArchiver"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\Programmable]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\VersionIndependentProgID]
@="ProjectArchiver"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ProjectArchiver]
@=""





[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}]
@="ProjectArchiver -- an addin created with VSTO technology"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\InprocServer32]
@=hex(2):25,00,43,00,6f,00,6d,00,6d,00,6f,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,\
  00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,4d,00,69,00,63,00,\
  72,00,6f,00,73,00,6f,00,66,00,74,00,20,00,53,00,68,00,61,00,72,00,65,00,64,\
  00,5c,00,56,00,53,00,54,00,4f,00,5c,00,38,00,2e,00,30,00,5c,00,41,00,64,00,\
  64,00,69,00,6e,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,00,00
"ManifestName"="ProjectArchiver.dll.manifest"
"ThreadingModel"="Both"
"ManifestLocation"="C:\\Program Files\\Project Archiver\\"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\ProgID]
@="ProjectArchiver"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\Programmable]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}\VersionIndependentProgID]
@="ProjectArchiver"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ProjectArchiver]
@=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ProjectArchiver\CLSID]
@="{27830B8D-F7A1-4945-AC4A-47661B9ED36D}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\ProjectArchiver]
"Manifest"="C:\\Program Files\\Project Archiver\\ProjectArchiver.dll.manifest"
"LoadBehavior"=dword:00000003
"FriendlyName"="ProjectArchiver"
"Description"="ProjectArchiver -- an addin created with VSTO technology"
"CommandLineSafe"=dword:00000001

The error I get is:

Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

************** Exception Text **************
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c'
   at ProjectArchiver.ThisAddIn.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.AppDomainManagerInternal.CreateStartupObject(EntryPoint entryPoint, Dependency dependency, Assembly objectAssembly)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.AppDomainManagerInternal.ConfigureAppDomain()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.AppDomainManagerInternal.LoadAssembliesAndConfigureAppDomain(IHostServiceProvider serviceProvider)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.AppDomainManagerInternal.LoadEntryPointsHelper(IHostServiceProvider serviceProvider)

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].



************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3082 (QFE.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///c:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime
    Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.816
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common
    Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.816
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
ProjectArchiver
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Callidus/Project%20Archiver/ProjectArchiver.DLL
----------------------------------------
Was it helpful?

Solution

Ok, so apparently the AddIn gets automatically disabled by Outlook. Another answer with a slightly different take:

Go to Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables -> System Variables, and add VSTO_SUPPRESSDISPLAYALERTS with a value of 0. This will display error messages on screen, as opposed to silently disabling the VSTO. If you'd rather have a log to disk, add VSTO_LOGALERTS and set it to 1.

Hopefully this will provide you with some extra detail that might help us solve your issue!

OTHER TIPS

To start with something trivial: on the PC's where things didn't work, did you check the registry to see if all the entries were properly added? For instance, did the .bat file get run under an account that is actually allowed writing to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT?

Are any of those PC's running Vista? Could it be they are running the Office suite without UAC, or with a full administrator account? In that case, the entries should be added to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Edit

Ok, if you are sure things are added to the registry properly, next up is RegMon (or procmon if you so prefer). Fire up regmon, start the office host application, and see where it is and isn't looking for the VSTO add-in. Start off with a filter based on your add-in name, then widen up or narrow down depending on the amount of data.

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