Is there any way to make an installer that is very user friendly?
I know it’s impossible for a Next Next Finished installer but what can I do to ease the process?
Windows platform.
Thanks in advance.
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Is there any way to make an installer that is very user friendly?
I know it’s impossible for a Next Next Finished installer but what can I do to ease the process?
Windows platform.
Thanks in advance.
If you’ve got a very simple application and basically just need to copy a few files, I’d suggest looking at NSIS. It’s very simple and you can probably have an installer done in a couple of days.
If you’re developing software for a corporate environment where network rollouts are a priority, then you’ll probably want to take a closer look at Windows Installer and Windows Installer XML (WiX). (Warning: a very steep learning curve – you’ll want to set aside a few weeks and probably read this book to help get started)
If you want the benefits of MSI, without the hassle of learning the underlying technology then a commercial tool such as Installshield is your best bet. It’s not cheap but you’ll get something out the door pretty quickly.
Long term I’d advise learning Windows Installer technology. It’s something overlooked by most developers, it’s often seen as crazy voodoo that is overly complicated and unnecessary, in reality it’s rather quite simple, just a database with a whole bunch of rules, conditions, and quirks that take a bit of getting used to 🙂