Windows Installer is becoming the "de facto"
software installation technology on Windows. Being preinstalled on the
latest Microsoft operating systems, and also bundled with the most
popular productivity packages (Office, etc.) this software installer
provides a significant number of power features that improve application
management and administration.
This power doesn't come without pitfalls, and the most
important of them all is the complexity. Creating an MSI file requires
careful planning and editing of dozens of database tables.
Hundreds of pages of documentation must be read, countless
lists of rules must be followed. Building a Windows Installer package
may take days or even weeks. This is where a MSI creation
tool comes to help.
Advanced
Installer makes MSI creation a snap
Our software installer simplifies the process of building
Windows Installer packages by providing a very easy to
use, high level interface to the underlying technology. The
program implements all the Windows Installer rules and follows all
the advised best practices.
With this simple, intuitive interface, building a Windows
Installer package will take just a few minutes. Start the program,
add a few files, change the name, hit the Build button and you are
done. No scripts to learn, no seminars to attend.
Read the Getting Started
Tutorial to see how easy it really is.
Advanced
Installer integrates in automated build tools
The Advanced Installer project files are stored in XML
format. This way, they can be easily checked into a version control
system. The software installer also operates at
command line, so you can build your release packages in a completely
automated script, like Make, Ant or NAnt.
Furthermore, the most common operations are also
implemented as command line actions, so you can modify your project
in an automated fashion.
Install and
register the resources composing your application
Using Advanced Installer's intuitive interface you can
easily add to your install package all the resources your software
requires:
- Files, Folders and Shortcuts (to installed files, existing
files or URLs)
- Registry keys and entries
- Environment Variables (which can be replace or be appended to
existing variable like PATH)
- INI file entries
- ODBC drivers, data sources and translators
If you have merge modules for your components, they can be
also added to the installation. Next you can register these
resources as necessary:
- .NET and Win32 assemblies
- Services
- File Associations, MIME types
- Permissions for files, folders, registry keys and
entries
If a previous version of your product is found already
installed on the target computer, Advanced Installer can upgrade it
and ensure that older version will not be installed over newer
ones.
Search,
download and install Prerequisites
If your application needs some other software to be
installed in order to run, you can easily specify them as Prerequisites. Advanced Installer will
search for them, then download and install as necessary. This is an
easy way to install frameworks like JRE or .NET, browsers or
database engines.
Searching for applications, files, folders, registry keys
and INI entries is also provided. Using this, installing additional
files, extensions and plugins to existing applications becomes
trivial.
Organize your
application in modules and components
Advanced Installer will organize your application in
Features and Components as per Windows Installer guidelines. This
way you can take advantage of advanced software
installer features like partial install and repair without
having to do anything.
Further customizing the organization is easy and
intuitive.
Secure and
choose your package's presentations
Advanced Installer can leave your software's files
unpacked, compress them into CAB files (split in multiple volumes as
needed), insert them into the MSI file and add a EXE bootstrapper
for backwards compatibility.
Digitally signing
the generated files will ensure that your customers will never have
to question the provenience of your software, and the user
registration with serial code validation hooks will ensure that only
legitimate users get to install your software.
Extend the
installation process with Custom Actions
Packed as native EXEs, DLLs or script files and written in
C, C++, VBS or JS, Custom Actions give you the full
power to add anything you want, anywhere you want to your
software installer.
Customize the
installation User Interface
From silent (unattended) installation, to adding dialogs
and changing the graphics, customizing the UI is
trivial.
More and suggest new features
Many more features are available. Just download Advanced
Installer and give it a try. And if you require some new ability that
is not already implemented, please let us
know. Almost every feature in our product today was requested
by someone just like you, someone who really needed it. With your
help, we are continuously improving Advanced Installer to be the best,
most useful and easiest to use product in its class.
View the complete Feature List
