Installing programs from web browser

[bjkhan]

How do you install programs from web browser like the way being done by Yahoo Messenger installation

[jdavia]

Originally posted by bjkhan
How do you install programs from web browser like the way being done by Yahoo Messenger installation
This is the link they use to open a file from their server. Being an
EXE file it wants to install. Don't click it, it may start to install<A href="http://rd.yahoo.com/messenger/download/ymsgr_manual_start/
*http://download.yahoo.com/dl/installs/yahoo!_messenger_install.exe">
Click here to manually start installation</A>
and select run from its current location.

[bjkhan]

If you use that link it will straight away force you to save or run the exe. However if you go through the main page, it will go throught a status page before it reaches that part. How is that achieved?

[bjkhan]

Plus, I am also trying to figure out how to detect certain components or programs are installed in the client machine like the way done by flash. I want to minimize support issues, so if any of the client don't have the custom components, the web browser can go and install it. This is also achieved in Windows Update

[jdavia]

I am not into it that far, but I think you have to know PHP, VB, or some other program language besides HTML to make a program to do that.