MSI installers
Windows 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, including x64 editions (MSI)
Confused? Have a look at the side-by-side features comparison between our installer products.
The completed package was compact, the software was well thought out and easy to use. [...] There should be more software like it [Roger D.]
| QuickInstall 2 | ExpertInstall 3 | Installer 5 | |
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| Price | US$99 (per developer) | US$249 (per developer) | US$149 (per developer) |
| Audience | Casual developers | Professional developers | Professional developers |
| Approach | Ready-made installer | Full-featured and fully authorable | Full-featured and fully authorable |
| Trial period | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Royalty-free | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Technical support | Free | Free | Free |
| Installer types | Tarma native v2 installers | Tarma native v3 installers MSI installers |
Tarma native v5 installers |
| MSI support | n/a | Yes | Only merge module import |
| .Net support | n/a | Yes (ExpertInstall 3.1 and later) | Yes |
| Windows SxS support | n/a | n/a | Yes (Installer 5.1 and later) |
| Installation platforms | Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, and later | Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista,
and later including x64 editions (Tarma) Windows 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, including x64 editions (MSI) |
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, and later, including x64 editions and Windows Server 2008 Core (both GUI and non-interactive modes are supported). |
| Development platforms | Windows 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, and later | Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, and later | Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, and later (including x64 editions) |
| Development environment | ...combines the benefits of a wizard approach with instantaneous access to each part of your project, full drag & drop support, fill-in-the-blanks editing, more than 200 different preflight checks, and extensive context-sensitive online help | Same (more than 450 preflight checks) | Same (more than 500 preflight checks) |
| Installs and removes | ...programs, documents, images, multi-media files, TrueType® and OpenType® fonts, ActiveX controls, COM servers, type libraries, WinHelp files, device drivers, services, registry updates, INI files, environment variables, program groups, shortcuts, and third-party tools | Same, with many new options and additional support for .Net assemblies | Same, with many new options and additional support for .Net assemblies, automatic .Net and MSI prerequisite installation, and Windows side-by-side assemblies with automatic fallback on older systems. |
| Platform-dependent installations | ...allow you to specify the exact Windows versions for each installation item | ...allow you to specify the exact Windows versions for each component | Same, with additional processor options (x86, x64, ia64) |
| Multilingual support | ...in 27 languages, including localized Readme and License texts and language-dependent file installation | ...in any language supported by Windows, for any text and screen in the installer. Translations into 12 languages included. | ...in any language supported by Windows, for any text and screen in the installer. Translations into 7 languages included. |
| Single-file distributions | ...with Authenticode® signatures for secure Internet downloads, CD-ROM distribution, or any other channel | Same | Same |
| Password-protected | ...installation packages for greater security | Same | Same |
As I said, this package is wonderful. I downloaded several install constructors and tested them and this was the only one with an interface and flow that I actually liked to work with. [Joe B.]
| QuickInstall 2 | ExpertInstall 3 | Installer 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Ready-made installer | Full-featured and fully authorable | Full-featured and fully authorable |
| User interface style | Explorer-style with direct-access project pages | Same, with many enhancements | Same, with many enhancements |
| Editing style | In-place editing of all installation items | Same, with many enhancements | Same, with many enhancements |
| Dialog editor | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Localization editor | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Action sequence editor | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Development environment | |||
| Smart defaults | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preflight checks | More than 200 | More than 450 | More than 500 |
| File and project import | Tarma Setup 1.x Visual Basic 5/6 projects REGEDIT4 files |
Tarma Installer 2.x MSI databases MSI merge modules Visual Basic 5/6 projects REGEDIT4 and RegEdit 5.00 files |
Tarma Installer 2.x Tarma ExpertInstall 3.x MSI merge modules Visual Basic 5/6 projects REGEDIT4 and RegEdit 5.00 files |
| Dynamic file inclusion | n/a | Yes, per-folder watch lists allow you to specify wildcard patterns of files for automatic inclusion in the project. | Yes, with enhanced recursive per-folder watch lists. |
| Multiple build configurations | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Build-time variables | n/a | Yes, you can define configuration-specific variables for use in build-time conditions and as regular variables. | Same |
| Build-time conditions | n/a | Yes, components and features can be selectively included or excluded from a build based on build-time conditions | Same |
| One-keystroke project builds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preflight checks only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GUI build mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Batch build mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom build actions | Pre-and post-build | Pre-all, pre-check, pre-build, post-build, post-all | Same |
| Build log | Yes | Yes, plus separate build manifest | Same |
| Installer screens | |||
| Predefined screens | 8 | 11 (Tarma) + 28 (MSI), all editable | 13, all editable |
| Custom screens | n/a | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
| Built-in dialog editor | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Installer actions | |||
| Predefined actions | 12 | 40 (Tarma) + 75 (MSI) | More than 40 |
| Custom action types | 1 | 14 (Tarma) + 9 (MSI, with many subtypes) | More than 15 |
| Custom action sequences | n/a | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
| Localization | |||
| Localizable elements | Readme and License text | All installation items and resources | All installation items and resources |
| Languages included | 27 | 10 | 6 |
| Built-in localization editor | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Per-language installers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual installers | Yes | Yes (Tarma) | Yes |
| Project variables and symbolic expressions | |||
| Predefined | 80+ | 290+ | 250+ |
| Custom variables | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Platform dependent | Yes (9x and NT) | Yes (Tarma only; 9x and NT) | Yes (9x, NT, x64) |
| Recursive | Yes (max 15 deep) | Yes (max 32 deep; Tarma only) | Yes (max 32 deep) |
| Localizable | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Runtime access | Registry values, INI files, environment variables | Registry values, INI files, environment variables
(Tarma) Environment variables (MSI) |
Registry values, INI files, environment variables |
| Runtime functions | n/a | 15 (Tarma only) | 24 |
| Miscellaneous | |||
| Digital signatures | Yes, Authenticode® digital signatures | Yes, Authenticode® digital signatures | Yes, Authenticode® digital signatures |
| Context-sensitive help | Yes (WinHelp) | Yes (HTML Help) | Yes (HTML Help) |
| Project file format | Based on Windows .ini files; uses current ANSI code page. | XML format; full Unicode support (UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoded) | XML format; full Unicode support (UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoded) |
Anyway, we haven't spoken before, but I just wanted to drop you a note and say that I love your installer product! Small and to-the-point! With code bloat at amazing levels these days, it's cool to see that people know how to make things tiny and powerful still. [Brian M.]
| QuickInstall 2 | ExpertInstall 3 | Installer 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Ready-made installer | Full-featured and fully authorable | Full-featured and fully authorable |
| Setup stubs | 32-bit ANSI | Tarma: 32-bit ANSI, 32-bit Unicode MSI: System-provided |
32-bit ANSI, 32-bit Unicode, x64 Unicode |
| Compression method | Deflate | Deflate or LZMA (Tarma), Cab/LZX (MSI) | Deflate or LZMA |
| System requirements | Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, Vista, 2003 | Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000,
XP, 2003, Vista, and later (Tarma) Windows 98, Me, NT4, 200, XP, Vista, 2003 (MSI) |
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, and later, including x64 editions |
| Installation package | |||
| Package styles | Self-extracting installer, Plain file installer |
Self-extracting Installer (Tarma) Standard .msi package (MSI) Self-extracting bootstrap loader with optional MSI download and updates (MSI) |
Self-extracting Installer |
| Package identification | VERSIONINFO resource reflects product name, version, copyright, etc. (self-extracting installers only) | VERSIONINFO resource reflects
product name, version, copyright, etc. (self-extracting installers); Summary info reflects product name, version, copyright, etc. (standard .msi packages) |
VERSIONINFO resource reflects product name, version, copyright, etc. |
| Custom icon | Yes | Yes (not on standard .msi packages) | Yes |
| Password protection | Yes (self-extracting installers only) | Yes (not on standard .msi packages) | Yes |
| Digital signatures | Yes (Authenticode), self-extracting installers only | Yes (Authenticode) on all package styles | Yes (Authenticode) |
| User interface | |||
| User interface style | Setup wizard (predefined) | Setup wizard (fully authorable) | Setup wizard (fully authorable) |
| Interactive install | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quiet install | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hidden install | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customization | Customizable graphics | Everything can be customized | Everything can be customized |
| Installation features | |||
| Platform-dependent installation | Yes | Yes (Tarma only) | Yes |
| Language-dependent installation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Component-based installation | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Feature-based installation | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| .Net assembly installation | n/a | Yes (3.1 and later) | Yes |
| Conditional installation and actions | Limited | Yes, full conditional expression syntax | Yes, full conditional expression syntax with further enhancements |
| Nested installations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reboot management | Manual or automatic | Manual, automatic, or programmatic | Manual, automatic, or programmatic; interacts with Vista Restart Manager where required. |
| File and folder installation | |||
| General installation | Yes | Yes, with many new options | Yes, with many new options |
| Version checks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reference counting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows File Protection (WFP) compliance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rollback and restore | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Delayed file copying for in-use files | Yes | Yes, with additional protection | Yes, with additional protection |
| File registration and unregistration | |||
| DLL registration | Yes (DllRegisterServer) | Yes (DllRegisterServer and DllInstall) | Yes (DllRegisterServer and DllInstall) for both 32-bit and x64 DLLs |
| EXE registration | Yes (/regserver) | Yes (/regserver) | Yes (/regserver) |
| Typelib registration | Yes, embedded and stand-alone | Yes, embedded and stand-alone | Yes, embedded and stand-alone |
| WinHelp registration | Yes | Yes (Tarma only) | Yes |
| Font registration | Bitmap, TrueType®, OpenType®, TrueType collections | Bitmap, TrueType®, OpenType®, TrueType collections | Bitmap, TrueType®, OpenType®, TrueType collections |
| External registration | REGEDIT4 files | n/a | n/a |
| Post-boot registration after delayed file copying | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shortcut installation and removal | |||
| Program group creation and removal | Yes | Shortcut creation is fully configurable; shortcuts can be created anywhere on the target system. | Shortcut creation is fully configurable; shortcuts can be created anywhere on the target system. |
| Shortcuts in program group | Yes | ||
| Shortcuts on Desktop, Start menu, Programs menu | Yes | ||
| Shortcuts in arbitrary locations | Limited | ||
| Common (all users) or current user shortcuts | Limited | Automatic | Automatic |
| System editing | |||
| App Paths registration | Yes (main executable only) | Yes, any executable file (Tarma only) | Yes, any executable file |
| Registry keys and values | Yes, any type | Yes, any type; many new options | Yes, any type; many new options |
| INI files | Yes | Yes, with many new options | Yes, with many new options |
| Environment variables | Yes | Yes, with many new options | Yes, with many new options |
| File types (incl. extensions and shell verbs) | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| MIME types | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| COM classes and servers | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| DCOM servers | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| Typelibs | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| Services and drivers | (via registry editing) | Yes | Yes |
| Installer extensions | Extension DLL Custom actions (executable or ShellExecute) |
Extension DLL Custom actions (14 Tarma, 9 MSI) |
Extension DLL Custom actions (many) |
| Pre-installation features | |||
| Installation levels | Administrator or no check | Administrator, All Users, Current User, or no check | Administrator, All Users, Current User, or no check |
| Target system requirements | Yes | Yes | |
| Installation of prerequisites | n/a | n/a | .Net runtime MSI runtime |
| Readme information | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| License Agreement | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer registration with validation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Previous version uninstall | Yes | Yes (Tarma only) plus arbitrary product uninstalls | Yes plus arbitrary product uninstalls |
| Post-installation features | |||
| Start application | Yes, optional | Yes, optional | Yes, optional |
| Show Readme information | Yes, optional | Yes, optional | Yes, optional |
| Restart system if necessary | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Perform post-boot file registration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual support | |||
| Language selection | User or automatic | User or automatic (Tarma only) | User or automatic |
| Localized Readme and License Agreement texts | Yes | Yes (all installer resources are localizable) | Yes (all installer resources are localizable) |
| Language-dependent file installation | Yes | Yes (all components may be language-dependent) | Yes (all components may be language-dependent) |
| Language model | Multilingual or per-language installers | Multilingual or per-language installers (MSI only per-language) | Multilingual or per-language installers |
| Languages included | 27 languages included (Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Serbian, Spanish (Modern), Spanish (Mexico), Swedish, Turkish) | 12 languages included (Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish); you can add your own translations with the built-in localization editors | 7 languages included (Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish); you can add your own translations with the built-in localization editors |
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