Clickonce redirect

Question

Is it possible to deploy an application (using an existing clickonce deployment URL, such that users update to that version) which changes the deployment URL of the deployed application?

The scenario is that I have a deployed client (A), which is stable and has been in use for over a year, and a new client (B), which is in development and will be used. However, B and A have different UIDs so that they can both be deployed on the same system together. At some point in the future, I'd like to automatically migrate users who have been using A to B, but I'd hope that Clickonce is well-designed enough to not upgrade A to B if I place B's install files in A's install directory (because it should be checking those UIDs).

I know that a C# application that's been deployed through clickonce has some access to its own deployment method, and I'm wondering whether I'm able to change the upgrade-location.

I'm hoping to do this quietly without much involvement of the user (and I understand that quiet redirects are heavily frowned upon, for good reasons) and am wondering whether anyone has any experience of trying to modify an installed clickonce's deployment/upgrade information with an update.

Answer 1

I don't know that you would be able to do it quietly, for obvious reasons, but you might be able to help a user along by assisting with an uninstall and providing directions to a new deployment URL. You can hook into the ApplicationDeployment and run your own custom installation code during a clickonce upgrade, so you may, with user permission, be able to automate the whole thing.

As far as simply redirecting to a separate deployment URL, I'm going to say that I've never tried, but I don't think it will work.