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INSTALLATION_STEPS.md

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ComputerInfo - Step-by-Step Installation Guide

This guide provides a visual, step-by-step walkthrough for setting up the ComputerInfo project.

Overview

The main challenge with this project is obtaining two custom UI libraries:

  • GChartLib.dll
  • MetroSuite 2.0.dll

Follow these steps carefully to get the project running.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/SalkCoding/ComputerInfo.git
cd ComputerInfo

Result: You should now have a folder structure like this:

ComputerInfo/
├── ComputerInfo/        (Project files)
├── packages/            (NuGet packages)
├── screenshot/          (Screenshots)
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
└── DEPENDENCY_GUIDE.md

Step 2: Check Current Dependencies

Run the dependency checker to see what's missing:

Windows:

check-dependencies.bat

PowerShell:

.\check-dependencies.ps1

Expected Output:

1. GChartLib.dll [✗ MISSING]
2. MetroSuite 2.0.dll [✗ MISSING]
3. MetroModernUI.1.4.0.0 [✓ FOUND]
4. MaterialSkin.0.2.1 [✓ FOUND]
5. System.Management.4.7.0 [✓ FOUND]

Step 3: Obtain the Required DLLs

Option A: Download from VB Paradise Forum

  1. Visit the forums (German language - use browser translation):

  2. Create a free account (if required to download attachments)

  3. Download the DLL files:

    • Look for download links or attachments in the first post
    • Download GChartLib.dll
    • Download MetroSuite 2.0.dll

Option B: Request from Repository Owner

If the forum links don't work or you can't access them:

  1. Go to: https://github.com/SalkCoding/ComputerInfo/issues
  2. Create a new issue titled: "Request for GChartLib and MetroSuite 2.0 DLLs"
  3. Explain that you need these files to build the project
  4. Wait for the maintainer to respond

Step 4: Create the Library Folder Structure

Create the following folder structure in your project root:

ComputerInfo/
├── lib/                     (CREATE THIS FOLDER)
│   ├── GChartLib/           (CREATE THIS FOLDER)
│   │   └── GChartLib.dll    (PLACE DLL HERE)
│   └── MetroSuite/          (CREATE THIS FOLDER)
│       └── MetroSuite 2.0.dll  (PLACE DLL HERE)
├── ComputerInfo/
├── packages/
└── ...

Commands to create folders:

Windows Command Prompt:

mkdir lib
mkdir lib\GChartLib
mkdir lib\MetroSuite

PowerShell:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "lib\GChartLib"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "lib\MetroSuite"

Step 5: Place the DLL Files

  1. Copy GChartLib.dll → lib/GChartLib/GChartLib.dll
  2. Copy MetroSuite 2.0.dll → lib/MetroSuite/MetroSuite 2.0.dll

Important: Make sure the files are not blocked by Windows:

  1. Right-click each DLL file
  2. Select "Properties"
  3. If you see an "Unblock" checkbox at the bottom, check it
  4. Click "Apply" and "OK"

Step 6: Update Project References

Open ComputerInfo/ComputerInfo.csproj in a text editor and update the reference paths:

Find these lines:

<Reference Include="GChartLib">
  <HintPath>..\..\..\Form Skins\GChartLib\GChartLib.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>

Replace with:

<Reference Include="GChartLib">
  <HintPath>..\lib\GChartLib\GChartLib.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>

Find these lines:

<Reference Include="MetroSuite 2.0">
  <HintPath>..\..\..\Form Skins\MetroSuite\MetroSuite 2.0.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>

Replace with:

<Reference Include="MetroSuite 2.0">
  <HintPath>..\lib\MetroSuite\MetroSuite 2.0.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>

Step 7: Restore NuGet Packages

Using Visual Studio:

  1. Open ComputerInfo.sln in Visual Studio
  2. Right-click on the solution in Solution Explorer
  3. Select "Restore NuGet Packages"
  4. Wait for the packages to download

Using Command Line:

nuget restore ComputerInfo.sln

Step 8: Build the Project

Using Visual Studio:

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+B or go to Build → Build Solution
  2. Check the Output window for any errors
  3. If successful, you'll see: "Build succeeded"

Using MSBuild:

msbuild ComputerInfo.sln /p:Configuration=Release

Step 9: Run the Application

From Visual Studio:

  • Press F5 to run with debugging
  • Press Ctrl+F5 to run without debugging

From File Explorer:

Navigate to:

ComputerInfo/ComputerInfo/bin/Debug/ComputerInfo.exe
or
ComputerInfo/ComputerInfo/bin/Release/ComputerInfo.exe

Double-click ComputerInfo.exe

Step 10: Verify Installation

Run the dependency checker again to confirm everything is set up:

check-dependencies.bat

Expected Output:

1. GChartLib.dll [✓ FOUND]
2. MetroSuite 2.0.dll [✓ FOUND]
3. MetroModernUI.1.4.0.0 [✓ FOUND]
4. MaterialSkin.0.2.1 [✓ FOUND]
5. System.Management.4.7.0 [✓ FOUND]

✓ All dependencies are satisfied!

Troubleshooting

Problem: "Could not load file or assembly 'GChartLib'"

Solution:

  1. Verify the DLL is in the correct location: lib/GChartLib/GChartLib.dll
  2. Check that the .csproj file has the correct <HintPath>
  3. Make sure the DLL is unblocked (Properties → Unblock)
  4. Clean and rebuild the solution

Problem: "Build failed" with reference errors

Solution:

  1. Close Visual Studio
  2. Delete bin and obj folders in the ComputerInfo/ComputerInfo/ directory
  3. Reopen Visual Studio
  4. Restore NuGet packages
  5. Rebuild the solution

Problem: Application crashes on startup

Solution:

  1. Run as Administrator (some hardware info requires elevated privileges)
  2. Check Windows Event Viewer for detailed error messages
  3. Ensure .NET Framework 4.8 is installed
  4. Verify all DLLs are present and unblocked

Problem: Forum links don't work

Solution:

  1. Try using a VPN (some regions may block access)
  2. Use web.archive.org to find cached versions of the forum pages
  3. Create a GitHub issue requesting the DLL files from the repository owner
  4. Consider using alternative libraries (requires code changes)

Next Steps

Once the application is running:

  1. Explore the tabs: CPU, Memory, Storage, GPU, Motherboard, OS
  2. Adjust refresh rate: Use the dropdown to change update frequency
  3. View detailed storage info: Click the "Detail" button on Storage tab
  4. Monitor in real-time: Enable auto-refresh for live updates

Need Help?

Thank you for using ComputerInfo! 🎉