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.

Orca

Orca is a Windows Installer package editor provided as part of the Windows Installer SDK. You will find it by looking for PSDK-x86.exe in Google. The title of the download site is confusing: "Windows Server 2003 SP1 Platform SDK Web Install". When you install PSDK-x86.exe you will find Orca.Msi at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK\Bin. Install it and you will have a shortcut to Orca.exe.

With Orca you can open the file CrystalReports11_RDC_License.msm. It is tempting to change everything that is possible, but it might be better to change just one thing: the license keycode. In the left pane you can choose for property and in the right pane you can set the value of PIDKEY. This isn't the serial number, but the code with the format XXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXX. Orca saves the code in the merge module.

Lightroom Cc For Pc

Getting Lightroom CC for PC is straightforward, but you must have an active Adobe subscription.

Step 1: Visit the official Adobe website (do not download from third-party stores, as they often host older versions). Step 2: Sign up for the Photography Plan ($9.99/mo) which includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop. Step 3: Download the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app. Step 4: Inside the Creative Cloud app, search for "Lightroom" (avoid "Lightroom Classic"). Step 5: Click "Install." The app size is roughly 1.5GB. Step 6: Once installed, sign in with the same Adobe ID used for your subscription.

Lightroom CC is part of the Photography Plan. If a photo requires heavy retouching, object removal, or compositing, you can send it directly to Photoshop with one click. Once saved in Photoshop, the edited version automatically returns to your Lightroom CC library.

Lightroom CC for PC brings powerful, cloud-based photo editing to your desktop with a clean, fast interface and seamless sync across devices. lightroom cc for pc

Lightroom CC features a modern, cleaner interface compared to Classic. It is designed to be less intimidating for beginners while remaining efficient for pros. The editing sliders are large and responsive, and the learning curve is significantly reduced.

First, a quick clarification. On a PC, you’ll find two apps:

This post focuses on Lightroom CC for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Getting Lightroom CC for PC is straightforward, but

In the modern era of digital photography, the debate between power, portability, and storage has never been more intense. For decades, Adobe Lightroom was split into two identities: the "Classic" desktop behemoth and the mobile-friendly "CC." However, with Adobe’s streamlined ecosystem, Lightroom CC for PC (now simply branded as "Lightroom" in the Creative Cloud plan) has emerged as a formidable, cloud-native solution for Windows users.

If you are a photographer who hates being chained to a single hard drive, or a content creator who needs to edit on a desktop and then immediately post from an iPad, Lightroom for PC is your ideal workspace. This article dives deep into its features, system requirements, workflow advantages, and why it might replace the "Classic" version for your daily use.

Adobe is aggressively updating the PC version of Lightroom CC. In 2024 and 2025, we have seen the addition of AI Denoise (competing with DxO PureRAW) and Lens Blur (generative AI background blur). Microsoft’s investment in NPUs (Neural Processing Units) means future PCs will run Lightroom CC's AI features locally, drastically speeding up masking and denoising. This post focuses on Lightroom CC for Windows

Furthermore, the PC version now supports HDR Output for HDR monitors (HDR10 and Dolby Vision). If you have a high-end gaming or creator laptop, your photos can now display brighter highlights and deeper contrast than standard SDR displays.

Before we dive into menus and sliders, it is crucial to understand that Lightroom CC for PC is not the same as Lightroom Classic. Classic is a digital asset management (DAM) tool tethered to local storage. Lightroom CC (the modern app available via the Microsoft Store or Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app) is a cloud-first ecosystem.

When you install Lightroom CC on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, you are installing a powerful editing engine that syncs every single edit, album, and keyword to Adobe’s cloud. This means your original raw files are stored in the cloud, while smart previews live on your PC’s SSD. The result? You can start editing a 45-megapixel raw file on your gaming PC in your office, walk out the door, and continue that exact edit on your iPhone or Android device on the train.

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