Important UI Change in Advanced Installer: Migration from HTML Layout to WinUI
Creating installers is a delicate and critical task. Since our first release over 20 years ago, we've focused on building a GUI that empowers you to easily create packages, while striving to increase the flexibility required by each of you.
For those already familiar with Advanced Installer, over the last years, you've probably seen our incremental updates introducing WinUI as a new alternative to our old HTMLayout components.
Over time, this HTML-based layout fell behind in terms of both capabilities and maintainability. This not only limited the improvements we could bring to the user interface, but it also raised potential concerns about relying on older technologies and third-party components that could introduce potential security risks.
Why We Migrated
Our primary goal is to provide a modern, consistent, and secure user experience. To achieve this, we have migrated the UI components from our old HTMLayout to Microsoft’s WinUI technology.
This migration involved significant development effort, covering most of the Advanced Installer interface – from the Start Page, left navigation, independent views, notification, and user prompts, to other tools in the Advanced Installer suite such as the Repackager.
With WinUI, the entire UI is now based on a modern, Microsoft-supported technology stack. This means:
- Better Security: Reduces dependency on 3rd-party or outdated web components.
- Consistency: Delivers a more native and seamless Windows experience.
- Long-Term Maintenance: Enables us to keep pace with new Windows capabilities and UI standards.
What This Means for You
Migrating to WinUI comes with necessary changes to system requirements. Starting with version 22.7, Advanced Installer will only support:
- Windows Server 2022 and above (GUI mode & CLI)
- Windows 10, version 19H2 and above (GUI mode & CLI)
- Windows Server 2019 (CLI mode only)
Support for Windows Server 2019 and earlier Windows 10 versions will be discontinued. For the complete and current list of system requirements, refer to our requirements page.
Looking Ahead
By moving away from legacy HTMLayouts and third-party dependencies, we gain full control over our UI stack. This enables us to provide a more reliable, secure, and modern interface to our users.
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please reach out to our support team. We’re happy to help!
Written by
Danut Ghiorghita
Dan has been part of the Advanced Installer's team for over seven years as a Solution Engineer. If you visit the Advanced Installer's forum , you will likely find him helping clients with product explanations and technical difficulties that they may be experiencing. In addition, he is the person to go to for demos and technical presentations to our current and prospective clients. And we are grateful for his contributions to our blog, which he does whenever he has the occasion.