Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2010 Unleashed

Introducing Windows Installer-Based Deployments

The Windows Installer is the traditional way to get a piece of software installed under Windows. The basic process looks like this:

1. You bundle your application and its resources within a “setup package.” This package is actually a .msi file, and is a cohesive unit of deployment that is understood by the Windows Installer runtime.

2. The .msi file is delivered to the end users.

3. Running the .msi file launches a wizard that guides the user through the install process. This typically includes querying for information such as where the software should be installed on the hard drive, and specifying various options that the software might support in terms of feature set selection.

With very few limitations, ...