InstallAware

Hello,

I am using today IA 9 R2 to create our installation kits and I am pretty pleased.
I've read all about the new features in IA v10, and there are a few nice small new features, but them alone will not make me upgrade to the new version.
The main issue about V10 is of course the new setup engine.
My question is simple- why? what this new native setup engine is good for? what is wrong with the windows installer?
Except for all this immediate execution, which is nice, but - are there any known problems with windows installer that I am not aware of?
I am sure you guys did not put all that effort of building a whole new setup engine just to execute commands immediatly, so I really want to know - why?
and if there are known problems with windows installer, some references will be much of a help, so I will be able to see if they are relevant for our case.

Thanks,

Oren.

Hi Oren,

Thanks for your question.

Basically our Native engine gives you what the normal windows installer doesn't.

Primary key features:

* Install, repair, and uninstall applications in Windows Safe Mode
* Use loop constructs like while...wend and repeat...until
* Immediately execute setup actions without having to batch them all
* Increased runtime decision making capability and setup intelligence
* Complete immunity to any potential Windows Installer instability on target system
* Full control over file overwrites and error handling
* Much faster installation speeds

Please let me know if you have any further quesitons.

Thank you.

Hi Roy,

Thank you for your reply.
I now have a few more question on that subject:
1. Can the new engine work with installing microsoft components, such as .net framework, or is it limited only for "non-requirements" installations?
2. Can you point on some "potential Windows Installer instability on target system" problems for example?
3. Are there any differences with the installation file size (for better or worse), in different build modes (web install, compressed single file, etc)?

Regards,

Oren.

Dear Oren,

1. With a few exceptions, the Native Engine does not have specific commands. Hence, just like you were able to install Microsoft components with the Windows Installer engine (with the (Un)Install MSI Setup plugin for example), you are able to do the same with the Native Engine.
2. Windows Installer is a component that can be altered and/or removed from a machine quite easily. While Windows Installer setups rely on Windows Installer for operation, Native Engine setups do not require that Windows Installer be present or valid on the target machine.
3. Are you referring specifically to the Native Engine or is this a general question?

Hi Aviv,

3. Yes, I am asking specifically on the native engine: will a IA project compiled in with IA9 will result the same setup files size as IA10 ?

Oren.

Dear Oren,

There isn't a significant difference between the size of installation created with IA 10 compared to ones created with IA 9.