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InstallAware Developer Features

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InstallAware Developer is a powerful software installation solution for Windows Installer that enables MSIcode scripting for rapid setup development without the high cost and steep learning curve of other setup solutions.

Lower Setup Development Costs

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! Out-of-the-Box Vista Certification Support

No matter how you build your setup, InstallAware always creates a Vista-logo certifiable package for you, with full, out-of-the-box support for all of Vista's new and updated MSI technology requirements.

Exclusive! 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 InstallAware allows you to ship a single hybrid MSI for both your 32 bit and 64 bit customers.

Exclusive! Detect and Manage Setups on Virtual Machines

Now InstallAware 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.

Exclusive! First to Support Windows Vista

InstallAware version 6, released June 2006, is the first setup solution to market with full Windows Vista support. Detect and target setups for Vista systems, and install into restricted user accounts.

Exclusive! Mirrored Code and Visual Development

InstallAware'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.

Exclusive! One-Click Technology Preinstalls

Deploy technology modules and runtimes, such as Microsoft SQL Express 2005, from your setup in a single step. Any related preinstalls are added to your project automatically. Plus, the preinstall sequence branches by platform.

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 1-Click Patching

Select your old and new setups, click Build Patch, and InstallAware 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.

Exclusive! 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.

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.

Dynamic Scanning Tool

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

Enhanced! Simplified Translation Tools

Use InstallAware's visual localization tool to translate your user interface and MSIcode text, or send the freely-redistributable localization tool to an off-site service so they can perform the localization for you. 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.

New! 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.

Fully Support Installation Standards

Complete MSI Support

All InstallAware setups fully support 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

InstallAware 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 presence of the device, manage signature warnings and Add/Remove Program entries. Complete sample project included.

Improved Download Success Rates

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Industry Leading Installation Technology

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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 Vista.

Enhanced! IIS Support

InstallAware 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 is now included.

Exclusive! 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.

Install .NET applications, the .NET framework, and .NET assemblies.

.NET 3.0 Support

Create .NET installations and distribute the .NET Framework, including .NET 3.0. Advanced compression reduces the size of the .NET Framework by up to 67%, simply by deploying the Framework with InstallAware.

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Enhanced! 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.

NEW! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! 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.

Superior User Experience

Exclusive! 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.

Exclusive! Automatic Removal of Prior Versions

When a previous version is detected, InstallAware 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.

Enterprise Software Deployment Support

Active Directory and Corporate Deployment Support

InstallAware 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.