InstallAware Studio

InstallAware Studio for PC is the only software installation solution for Windows that provides you with the latest features and technology support, with the advantages of true rapid-Windows Installer development productivity. InstallAware Studio for Windows Installer now includes advanced service configuration options, including service failure actions - run programs, display messages, reboot the PC, and restart your service when it fails repeatedly after your installation has completed - increasing the resiliency of your apps in the field.

Install Aware founded in 2003 by InstallShield alumni, is a software development company focused solely on the state of the art software installation tools that offer the highest compression ratios and bullet-proof installations. The company produces software installation and compression technologies for the Windows Installer (MSI) platform on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. It is supported by thousands of users worldwide and is a Borland Technology Partner.

Features and Highlights

Hybrid Installation Technology
Install Aware’s unique Hybrid Installation Technology helps you break through the Windows Installer barrier! Your setups are now faster, immune to corrupted Windows Installer stacks on target systems (which would cause your setups to fail through no fault of your own), and best of all, you get to switch between Native Code and Windows Installer setup engines at runtime, as often as you need! You have a choice.

Simplified Windows Installer Development
InstallAware’s powerful MSIcode simplifies setup development by transparently managing all of your Windows Installer conditions, installation sequences and parameters using a concise and human-readable setup language. Drop-in setup actions are configured using dialogs, without requiring programming skills. MSIcode builds a standard Windows Installer database package that fully supports advertising, install-on-demand, elevated privilege installation, and resiliency.

Out-of-the-Box Windows 7 Support
From displaying installation progress on the new Windows 7 Taskbar to pinning your applications directly on the Windows 7 Taskbar or the new Start Menu in Windows XP and higher, InstallAware Studio 2022 latest gives you the best exposure for your applications through smart use of the latest technology.

Set up 64 Bit and 32 Bit Systems with the Same Installer
Detect and support ia64 and x64 systems including Itanium, AMD64, and EM64T. Only It allows you to ship a single hybrid MSI for both your 32 bit and 64-bit customers.

Detect and Manage Setups on Virtual Machines
Now It can check your target system and detect whether the operating system is running on a virtual machine. A simple checkbox lets you limit distributions to physical machines.

Mirrored Code and Visual Development
The app's advanced development tools include wizards, templates, drag-and-drop editing, and refined task views — with the added benefit of immediate MSIcode generation. Start a project in seconds in with visual tools, then switch to the Code View to add branching logic, variables, and advanced configuration options. Unlike InstallShield's isolated script and visual environments, when you modify settings in one view, the other view changes instantly.

Only to Support Vista Glass
The app is the only installer that lets you create custom glass surfaces on your installation wizards.

Dialog Designer
The tool's powerful dialog editor lets you customize the 15 pre-built setup themes, or design your own themes. A full range of visual controls is available, including Explorer-style browse functionality, and HTML/Flash containers.

One-Click Technology Preinstalls
Deploy technology modules and runtimes, such as Microsoft SQL Express 2008 R2, from your setup in a single step. Any related preinstalls are added to your project automatically. Plus, the preinstall sequence branches by platform.

Customization without Complexity
InstallAware setups launch without having to install dependencies or script engines. Still, you can completely customize your setup even if you don't have a computer science degree or advanced Windows Installer knowledge.

1-Click Patching
Select your old and new setups, click Build Patch, and the program automatically generates a native MSP-file that is packaged using advanced compression.

Extend Setups with DLLs
Run any DLL as part of your setup, without requiring a particular function format or Windows Installer sequencing. MSIcode allows you to pass parameters from your setup to a DLL and integrate the return values.

Extend Setups with Plug-Ins
Build your own setup plug-ins that natively interact with InstallAware MSIcode. Use your favorite programming language to perform complex setup tasks, without being encumbered by MSI constraints or a foreign development environment.

Integrated Product Configuration Management
All the code necessary to build different configurations of your product is included in your project, plus compiler variables allow you to specify different output media, product names, compression settings, even different feature sets from the same source.

Reusable Scripts
Reference separate blocks of MSIcode using the Include Scripts command, which allows you to build a collection of setup functions that can be used in many different setup projects.

Integrated Debugging
Debug your setups visually with the integrated debugger. Set variable watches, step through the code line by line, override variable values.

Dynamic Scanning Tool
Automatically add the file dependencies for your application to any selected directory or feature in your project.

Automated Translations
Use InstallAware's Localization Wizard to automatically translate your user interface and MSIcode script. Switch languages at compile time or runtime. Existing translations are preserved when making changes to your MSIcode and user interface.

Legacy Project Converters
Automatically import or convert project files from Wise, Inno Setup, or NSIS.

Import .REG Files
Directly import Registry Keys and Values stored in .REG files or COM servers. Simply click Import from the Registry View, then browse to the file.

Auto-Correcting Fields
Now with the auto-correcting IDE, you are spared from common authoring mistakes and pitfalls. Dismissible help hints have also been added to guide you through certain processes.

Complete MSI Support
All InstallAware for desktop setups fully supports industry-standard Windows Installer technology and Group Policy management features. No proprietary runtime packages or dependencies are ever required. All packages are built to comply with Microsoft's Designed for Windows Logo certification specifications for application setup.

Self Healing Applications
Create self-healing applications by choosing the Advertised File Types option in the InstallAware IDE. No changes to your own program files are required.

Installation on Demand
The Advertised Shortcuts option in the InstallAware IDE activates installation on demand for your application. The source files can be placed in a Web Media Block — which accepts any URL or network file path — for remote download and installation.

Elevated Privilege Installations
The app setups fully support installation onto secured or locked-down systems with the proper Group Policy settings.

Windows Driver Install Frameworks (DIFx) Support
Install drivers on x86, x64, and ia64 platforms. Optionally check for the presence of the device, manage signature warnings and Add/Remove Program entries. Complete sample project included.

Completely Scriptable Web Updates
Make it easy for your users to update their software, by automating the notification, download, and setup process. Deliver unlimited updates without additional usage fees. Plus the update client source code is provided within your project for complete customizability.

WebAware Installation Technology
Reduce download size by removing technology dependencies (such as the .NET Framework) or rarely used features from your main setup file. The main setup will download them seamlessly from the web as needed. Files required by the minimum configuration are included in the main package, which installs without a web connection.

Superior Compression
Reduce the size of your setups and download packages by up to 5x with the LZMA compression algorithm and BCJ2 compression pre-processors. Only InstallAware provides advanced compression for Windows Installer setups, and Merge Modules.

Run Nested MSI Setups and Capture Progress
Deploy any MSI setup seamlessly within your InstallAware Wizard — even capture progress from the nested MSI. Install any feature set that the MSI offers, fully customizing the setup from the command line.

Multi-Instance Support on All Windows Platforms
Allow users to install multiple copies of your application on the same system, without requiring instance transforms or adding an MSI 3.0 dependency. Supports Windows 95 through Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit.

IIS Support
Its setup makes it easy to start, stop, and install IIS websites. Set up virtual folders and application servers. Configure permissions, logging, default pages, and MIME types. Support for IIS 7.5 is now included.

Dependency Decompressor
Unpack third-party MSIs and Merge Modules you wish to include with your project and leverage InstallAware's superior compression on your application's dependencies during the build process to further reduce the size of your installation package.

.NET 4.0 Support
Create .NET installations and distribute the .NET Framework, including .NET 4.0. Advanced compression reduces the size of the .NET Framework by up to 67%, simply by deploying the Framework with Install Aware.

Universal Database Support
Run SQL scripts on Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, and My SQL platforms. Absolutely no client software is required on the target system to connect to the databases. SQL Server instances are now detected automatically on the network.

Java Installation Support
Build Java application installations, with support for preinstalling Java Virtual Machines and runtime environments on Windows systems. Complete project sample included.

Serial Number Generation
A new sample project provides MSIcode to build a unique 25 digit serial number generator and perform serial number validation in your wizard based on variables such as username, company, and/or other criteria. Serial numbers are not restricted to a simple range of numbers.

Multi-Core Compression
Dual-core, hyperthreaded processors, and multi-core systems are automatically detected, allowing compression tasks to be spread across multiple (logical) CPUs to linearly reduce build times.

Dynamic Feature Lists
Use MSIcode and variables to define product features based on target conditions or user entitlements. Only InstallAware provides feature-level customizations at runtime.

System Tray Minimized Setups
The new System Tray MSIcode command allows you to minimize your setup as an icon in the system tray. Use the MessageBalloon command to prompt users when a process needs their attention.

Schedule Windows Tasks
The new Schedule Task MSIcode command lets you set up jobs to run on a local machine. Check for internet connections, launch programs, and pass command line parameters.

Refined User Interface
Deliver setups that display the latest visual themes. 15 unique dialog themes, non-rectangular setup windows, plus Flash and HTML billboards, make your setups more interesting and more interactive.

Collect User Feedback and Product Registrations
An easily edited sample project demonstrates how to perform online user registration as part of the installation process. When uninstalling, the project asks the user for product feedback and submits it to your website.

Dynamic User Validation
Use the included Authentication sample project to pass parameters or credentials to your website and save the results in a local file, which you search for the required authentication. Open access to certain features or to the entire setup.

Automatic Removal of Prior Versions
When a previous version is detected, Install Aware will provide the option to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation — automatically. Other Windows Installer tools simply allow the setup to fail and exit.

Autorun CD Browsers
Create a simple and completely customizable wizard that appears automatically when your product CD is inserted, enabling users to launch setups, view documentation, launch a web browser, and view resources on your website. All MSIcode functions are available for use in the CD Browser.

Active Directory and Corporate Deployment Support
It setups are easily distributed through Group Policy Objects and other software distribution systems.

Set Access Permissions
Restrict or grant permission to system resources with a single script command. Manage groups and named account privileges.

Note: 30 days trial version.