ClickOnce deployment to web server - available online only - vb.net

Question

PLATFORM VERSION INFO
Windows : 6.1.7601.65536 (Win32NT)
Common Language Runtime : 4.0.30319.296
System.Deployment.dll : 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)
clr.dll : 4.0.30319.296 (RTMGDR.030319-2900)
dfdll.dll : 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)
dfshim.dll : 4.0.31106.0 (Main.031106-0000)
SOURCES
Deployment url : http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest8 /snake.application
Server : Apache
IDENTITIES
Deployment Identity : snake.application, Version=1.0.0.6, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=5bd57d3abffa2377, processorArchitecture=x86
APPLICATION SUMMARY
* Online only application.
* Trust url parameter is set.
ERROR SUMMARY
Below is a summary of the errors, details of these errors are listed later in the log.
* Activation of http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest8/snake.application resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected:
+ Exception reading manifest from http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest8 /Application%20Files/snake_1_0_0_6/snake.exe.manifest: the manifest may not be valid or the file could not be opened.
+ Unexpected end of file has occurred. The following elements are not closed: br, br. Line 3, position 254.
COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION FAILURE SUMMARY
No transaction error was detected.
WARNINGS
There were no warnings during this operation.
OPERATION PROGRESS STATUS
* [15/04/2013 5:23:29 p.m.] : Activation of http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest8/snake.application has started.
* [15/04/2013 5:23:31 p.m.] : Processing of deployment manifest has successfully completed.
* [15/04/2013 5:23:31 p.m.] : Installation of the application has started.
ERROR DETAILS
Following errors were detected during this operation.
* [15/04/2013 5:23:31 p.m.] System.Deployment.Application.InvalidDeploymentException (ManifestParse)
- Exception reading manifest from http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest8/Application%20Files/snake_1_0_0_6/snake.exe.manifest: the manifest may not be valid or the file could not be opened.
- Source: System.Deployment
- Stack trace:
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestReader.FromDocument(String localPath, ManifestType manifestType, Uri sourceUri)
at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.DownloadApplicationManifest(AssemblyManifest deploymentManifest, String targetDir, Uri deploymentUri, IDownloadNotification notification, DownloadOptions options, Uri& appSourceUri, String& appManifestPath)
at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.DownloadApplicationManifest(AssemblyManifest deploymentManifest, String targetDir, Uri deploymentUri, Uri& appSourceUri, String& appManifestPath)
at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.DownloadApplication(SubscriptionState subState, ActivationDescription actDesc, Int64 transactionId, TempDirectory& downloadTemp)
at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.InstallApplication(SubscriptionState& subState, ActivationDescription actDesc)
at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivation(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)
at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.ActivateDeploymentWorker(Object state)
--- Inner Exception ---
System.Xml.XmlException
- Unexpected end of file has occurred. The following elements are not closed: br, br. Line 3, position 254.
- Source: System.Xml
- Stack trace:
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(String res, String arg)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestValidatingReader.XmlFilteredReader.Read()
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestValidatingReader.XmlFilteredReader.Read()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Skip()
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestValidatingReader.XmlFilteredReader.Read()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Skip()
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestValidatingReader.XmlFilteredReader.Read()
at System.Xml.XmlCharCheckingReader.Read()
at System.Xml.XsdValidatingReader.Read()
at System.Deployment.Application.ManifestReader.FromDocument(String localPath, ManifestType manifestType, Uri sourceUri)
COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION DETAILS
No transaction information is available.

Answer 1

Your deployment URL is wrong.
According to:
Activation of C:\Users\user\Downloads\snake.application resulted in
exception. Following failure messages were detected:
+ Deployment and application do not have matching security zones.
the URL
file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/snake.application
should be
http://apps4you.comyr.com/appTest7/
so the browser knows via the manifest that the application is deployed on the same location as the publisher intended and is not tampered. It is a security issue.
In the publish tab:
In the Installation URL field, enter the installation
location using a fully qualified URL using the format http://www.microsoft.com/ApplicationName, or a
UNC path using the format \\Server\ApplicationName.

Answer 2

Check Bring back the basic setup and deployment project type Visual Studio Installer.