Introduction
It’s super easy to add this to your deployment project.
- Select your deployment project and go to the file system editor, user programs menu.
- Add an additional shortcut to your primary output project and name it Uninstall Application.
- Set the Arguments property to /u=[ProductCode].
- Add the following code to your project’s Main() sub or startup form’s New() sub just before the call to InitializeComponent().
Dim arguments As String() = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()
Dim argument As String
For Each argument In arguments
If argument.Split(“=”)(0).ToLower = “/u” Then
Dim guid As String = argument.Split(“=”)(1)
Dim path As String = _
Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System)
Dim si As New ProcessStartInfo(path & _
“\msiexec.exe”, “/i ” & guid)
Process.Start(si)
Close()
Application.Exit()
End
End If
Next
That’s is! The Deployment project will replace [ProductCode] in the Arguments property with the actual installer project’s ProductCode GUID value. Your program will see the /u={Actual ProductCode} argument and pass it to msiexec.exe before exiting.
The installer is run in repair/remove mode for your application. The user is allowed to select repair or remove, and continue. If you want the product to remove only, replace the “/i ” with “/x “.
Source: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/install/DeployUninstall.aspx