After a full year of R&D, InstallAware X7 is finally launching this month! InstallShield have now fallen two major version releases behind InstallAware:

o Suite Installer Wizard: Merge any number of setups into one global suite installer, with feature binding support.

o Dialog Editor with Undo/Redo: Instantly recover from mistakes while experimenting with your own setup themes.

o Large Memory Model: Never run out of memory during setup extractions, or while packing your installations.

o Download and Run Wizard: Link to third party servers when downloading application runtimes from the web.

o Windows Component Installer: 100% visual configuration for all Windows and Server operating system built-in features.

o Command Line VM Testing: Fully scriptable, unattended VM unit-testing to scale your build automation/continuous integration.

o Code Completion and Search: Accelerate your scripting and find the commands you need quickly in the revamped InstallAware IDE.

o VBScript, JavaScript: Call COM objects to exponentially grow your setup capabilities, leverage millions of online scripts.

In providing the best of service to our customers, we thank you for your understanding that:

– InstallAware Technical Support will no longer be offered on peer support forums.

– Phone support is now only available for users with a current Gold Support plan.

– Email support replies are guaranteed only for users with a current Gold Support plan.

Our team continues to monitor the peer support forums to ensure a professional experience, and our revised support policy is now available at www.installaware.com/support-service-options.htm.

All versions of InstallAware prior to InstallAware X2 are now ineligible for the following benefits:

– Bug fixes, including security patches and stability issues.

– Technical support, including forum, email and phone access.

– 50% discounted upgrade pricing over full new user prices.

While we have never cut off old version users in 13 years, we thank you for your understanding with this policy change, helping us provide the best of service to our customers.

InstallAware X6 Creators Update/APPX Builder 2.0 launched in June 2017 to great critical acclaim:

o NEW! APPX Builder 2.0: Target Windows Store submissions, Nano Server Installers, or Sideloading.

o Visual Studio Extension: Build an APPX, App-V, MSI, or EXE with a single click on the InstallAware Toolbar.

o Unit Testing: Run simultaneous installation tests on as many virtual machines as your hardware can handle.

o 64-bit Compression: Reduce runtimes such as SQL Server Express to half of their already-compressed size.

o NEW! The Latest Runtimes: Safely deploy .NET Framework 4.7, SQL Server 2016 SP1, Visual C++ Runtimes 14.x/15.x.

InstallAware X6 Creators Update has launched and is available for immediate download, together with version 2.0 of InstallAware’s APPX Builder!

o Creators Update: The APPX Builder now lets you customize your APPX logo, and has its own project file.

o Nano Server: Build Windows Server Applications (WSA) Installer packages using the new APPX Builder 2.0.

o Windows Store: Submit your Win32, Win64, and .NET apps to the Windows Store right after building your APPX.

o Sideloading: InstallAware navigates the different APPX requirements for Sideloading vs. Windows Store builds.

o .NET 4.7 Runtime: Avoid pitfalls with automatic certificate registration and update installation where needed.

InstallAware X6 is the first installer to launch with a subscription model!

InstallAware Express X6 is now only $49/month:

www.installaware.com/express-subscription.asp

InstallAware Developer X6 is now only $99/month:

www.installaware.com/developer-subscription.asp

InstallAware Studio X6 is now only $199/month:

www.installaware.com/studio-subscription.asp

InstallAware Studio Admin X6 is now only $399/month:

www.installaware.com/studio-admin-subscription.asp

An InstallAware Subscription gives you world-class installers at 2% the price of InstallShield:

o Works with all your existing projects, no changes needed – guaranteed!

o Updated for Windows 10 Creator’s Edition, and Visual Studio 2017.

o Easily log-in when launching the InstallAware IDE with your subscription ID.

o InstallAware automatically authenticates your subscription any time you do a build.

o Identical to a perpetual InstallAware license, as long as you’re connected to the Internet.

o Cancel your subscription any time – all your built setups continue to work just as before, perpetually.

o Always have access to the latest major version of InstallAware for as long as your subscription is active.

Enjoy one-click APPX, App-V, MSI, and EXE setup builds directly from Visual Studio 2017!

Build world-class installers starting at only $49/month, while taking advantage of the latest InstallAware features.

Rob Mensching today issued his second apology to InstallAware Software, after his first apology about a decade ago.

It is quite extensive, so we’ll leave you to it without further ado:

“I regret having published my so-called apology about a decade ago, which was a thinly veiled hit-job against your company. While it sounded like an apology, it really wasn’t; as illustrated by the comments which followed my so-called apology.

I had been quite forceful in letting InstallAware Software know that I found it incredible they were trying make money selling installers, something which I strongly felt must be free at the time.

I have not been employed by Microsoft since 2013, and now I understand how hard it can be to actually make a living.

Moreover, I have become aware that my own behavior in charging WiX users for the WiX APPX Desktop Bridge, which is neither free nor open source, and certainly costs an `incredible` sum of money by my earlier standards applied against InstallAware Software, may come across as hypocritical to some.

Adding insult to injury, I have also become aware that the WiX platform has some significant performance and scalability shortcomings, in comparison to some other more stable installer platforms (hint-hint). This has been yet a deeper blow to me, as I thought people used WiX for its technical merits and engineering ingenuity, albeit its steep learning curve. Now these core assumptions of mine have been put into question – maybe it was just a matter of whom I knew instead of what I knew all along?

Having recently turned 40, I have found time to reflect on these core questions, and what I find certainly merits a second apology.”

All of us at InstallAware Software accept Rob’s apology above, which does seem heart-felt and genuine this time round.

We thank Rob’s press secretary, Ms. First, for having liaised between Rob and InstallAware Software in issuing this apology. As Ms. First told us over the phone: “Rob called me and said he had to get this thing off his chest, but didn’t know how. When I offered to do the heavy lifting for him, he was so relieved! `April,` he said, `you’re a life-saver!` I’m just glad I could help.”

InstallAware X6 has launched with amazing new features:

o Visual Studio: 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017 enjoy one-click APPX builds directly from the Visual Studio Toolbar, even where Microsoft does not support it natively!

o Service Failure Actions: Amazing resiliency for your apps in the field with automatic restarts, reboots, messages, and more advanced Windows Service configuration.

o Team Foundation Server: Integrate with all versions 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017 – providing end-to-end source control directly with the InstallAware IDE.

o Open Source Desktop Bridge: Want to add Desktop Bridges to WiX, InnoSetup, NSIS, or your own custom installer? Use our Desktop Bridge to monetize the Windows Store!

o Application Runtime Wizard: Create your own application runtimes from MSI or EXE installers, apply MST transforms to runtimes during installation.

Build APPX Windows Store packages with a single click on the Visual Studio 2012-2017 toolbar using InstallAware X6!

InstallAware X6 is launching on Friday this week, first and only to extend Visual Studio 2017 with one-click APPX, App-V, and Windows Installer setup builds directly from the Visual Studio 2017 toolbar!

Take a look at some of the most exciting features in InstallAware X6:

MST Creator: Need to do some install tailoring? Use the new InstallAware Transformer and create MST files containing your updated properties, directories, and features after completing a visual setup interview, just as if you were normally installing the MSI.

Service Failure Actions: Run programs, reboot the PC, restart your service, and display desktop notifications during the successive failures of your service, bullet-proofing your deployments post the point of installation, cutting your support costs.

Filters for PackageAware: Use three new setup capture filters to eliminate various sources of repackaging noise. Combine existing filters, create your own filters. Setup captures are now fully Unicode and still the fastest in the industry.

Restart Manager: Use the dedicated new Restart Applications command to gracefully close and relaunch (with state preservation) apps locking resources you need to update during an installation. Windows Installer engine setups automatically leverage the Restart Manager.

Command Line Variable Locking: Lock variable values from the command line for user interactive setups, guaranteeing critical parameters and installation settings are preserved during complex deployments – and easily tailoring your installations.

InstallAware also publishes an Open Source Desktop Bridge, giving you toll-free access through the Microsoft Desktop Bridge to the Universal Windows Platform Highway:

www.installaware.com/gnu.asp

We know setup at InstallAware – where installs are at the speed of extraction!

InstallAware X5 contains years of continual improvements. For those of you on older versions, take a look at what you’re missing out on:

Version X5: The first version of InstallAware to support Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, featuring one-click APPX Build from all your setup projects, bridging you to the Universal Windows Platform Highway through Microsoft’s Desktop Bridge.

Version X4: The first version of InstallAware (and only installer in general) to support Facebook and Twitter social networks. Share and Tweet directly from your setups.

Version X3: The first InstallAware (and only installer) with fully automated virtual machine unit testing, including customizable tests.

Version X2: Doubled compression performance over previous versions of InstallAware. Programmatic shortcut pinning directly to the Windows 10 TaskBar or Start Menu without having to go through Windows Store. First and only installer with fading/sliding Setup Wizard Transition Effects.

InstallAware X5 is the best version of InstallAware in its 12 year history! Even if you won’t be upgrading to this latest and greatest version, please help yourself to not one but two free gifts from InstallAware, in the spirit of the Holiday Season:

Christmas Gift: Browse to www.installaware.com/gnu.asp and grab our Open Source APPX Builder, your toll-free gateway through Microsoft’s Desktop Bridge to the UWP Highway.

New Year Gift: Let’s face it, we all run out of disk space eventually. DiskZIP grows and accelerates your disks at the same time – and we’ve scored a special edition with free file compression, yours for the clicking at www.installaware.com/diskzip.msi – but make sure to check out the exciting disk compression, while you’re at it.

From all of us at InstallAware, thanks once again for all your support over the years, and Happy Holidays!