Crystal Reports XI Runtime Installer

by Peter van Mil

The only supported way to deploy Crystal Reports XI applications using the Report Designer Component (RDC) is using merge modules. In this document is described how to make a Windows Installer based setup package, that does nothing more or less than installing the Crystal Reports XI runtime to run a VDF 11.1 sample report. I have used the following tools: Crystal Report XI Developer Edition, updated merge modules, Orca and Installer2Go.

Crystal Report XI Developer Edition

For developing RDC based applications you need Crystal Reports XI Developer Edition or Crystal Reports XI for DataFlex. Both versions copy the necessary deployment files on your PC. CR XI for DataFlex includes the Connectivity Kit for Crystal Reports, that supports native DataFlex files.

Merge Modules

Business Objects put all the necessary files and settings for the Crystal Reports XI runtime in merge modules. Merge modules are components, that can be included in Windows Installer based packes. Crystal Reports XI needs the license keycode to be included in the installer, so I isn't possible to convert somehow the four merge modules into one installer.
Updated merge modules are available at http://support.businessobjects.com/fix/merge_modules.asp. Copy these files to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Merge Modules.

Fixed - Autocom Delphi 2016 By Hex2stuff Activation

The first step is to download the Hex2Stuff patch from a reputable source. Make sure to download the patch from a trusted website to avoid any malware or viruses.

The 2016 version is particularly prized because it is the last version that runs smoothly on older Windows systems (Win 7/8/10 32-bit) without requiring cloud-based subscriptions or heavy anti-piracy checks like the newer 2020+ Delphi software.

Without proper activation, you would see errors like:

The first step is to download the Hex2Stuff patch from a reputable source. Make sure to download the patch from a trusted website to avoid any malware or viruses.

The 2016 version is particularly prized because it is the last version that runs smoothly on older Windows systems (Win 7/8/10 32-bit) without requiring cloud-based subscriptions or heavy anti-piracy checks like the newer 2020+ Delphi software.

Without proper activation, you would see errors like:

Crystal Reports Runtime

The end result is the installer Crystal Reports XI Runtime with a size of more than 70 Mb. Leaving away several option (export filters, etc) doesn't result in a smaller size. The installer doesn't include the Connectivity Kit for Crystal Reports. If you want to test a report, take the report "Crystal - Address Labels in the orderentry sample of Visual DataFlex 11.1.

Download

runtime installer ~ 135kB

related hyperlinks:
MSDN merge modules
DAW 2161-INFO: Running Reports from Crystal XI from Visual DataFlex Application