How to update a Windows Mobile application automatically from server using wi-fi?

Question

I`m developing a Windows Mobile (CE and 6.5) application with C# and the .NET Framework 2.0 that will need sporadic upgrades. This application will talk with a WCF service built in the .NET Framework 4.0.

The customer wants the application to check for new upgrades every time it starts. If there is a new upgrade, it must be downloaded and replace the old one (don`t want do use ActiveSync or do it via cable/usb).

I`m thinking in build a app to check for the status and replace the old files for the new ones (and to start the real .exe file).

There`s some restriction to delete the old .exe file and replace for a new one?

Answer 1

I've done something similar. I had to create 2 application in order to accomplish this task. There was the main application, and then a separate Updater application.

When the main application starts, it will check the server for updates. If an update was found, the main application would launch the updater application. The updater application would kill/close the main application, download the new exe for the main application, and then execute it.

Once the main application was loaded again, it would check for any open instances of the Updater application and kill them. We had to implement modal "loading" screens to prevent the user from clicking anything while that was going on.