InstallAware

I have a project with many features and many files. The compilation requires 10 min to complete.

Do anyone know what might cause slow compiles?

Compiling builds the MSI database. Therefore, if your setup contains a lot of files, it will take a while.

What is a typical number for "a lot of files" in this context?

I also found that if the same project is compiled on another computer, it is significantly faster, although that computer is slower than mine.

However, I have defined a compiler variable that I use to reference the files I include in the project, and this was on the form '\\\\host\\directory'. This might lead to constant authentication against the other computer, that happens to be the very same running compilation faster than mine...

Another problem is that my project also loads extremely slow.

Are there any hidden logs that may be switched on to find out why it takes so long?

If you notice, IA compiler runs faster on dual core CPU. So you may investigate whether your primary computer is dual core.

Also, the debug build which enables debugging takes less time to compile while the release build really takes time especially when you specify good compression and require a lot of runtime packages.

Generally speaking, IA compiler tries its best to compile the smallest installer for you so it worths the time. My suggestion is that limit your compile frequency. Compile less can save your time.