Advanced Installer Architect

Advanced Installer Architect

 

Features

1. Installation Repackager

Legacy installation packages not using the industry standard Windows Installer engine can be easily converted into reliable MSI packages and benefit from the advantages of the latest Windows Installer technologies.

 

Among the many advantages of using Windows Installer, some of the most important are GPO deployment, application patching and seamless UAC integration on Windows 10.

 

Easy Repackaging

The installation capture is done by comparing system snapshots taken before and after the package installation.

 

2. Control VMware instances from Repackager

Choose between performing the capture on your development machine or on VMware or Hyper-V virtual machines.

 

You can use an existing saved system snapshot as a starting point for the capture, or a new system snapshot will be created based on your selected profile. Exclude resources dynamically from the Advanced Installer project by using the repackager settings from the context menu.

 

Optionally, you can simplify your work even more by using the Installer UI Automation feature.

 

Make the repackaging process easy to understand for others working on your project by using the Repackager Assistant.

 

 

Repackager Assistant

Inside the Repackager you can record settings, take notes and capture screenshots of the installation. Useful for IT professionals, it simplifies the documentation process so anyone working on the project can understand or pick up existing work.

 

Accurately Capture Installations

Fine tune the accuracy of the repackaging process using the powerful filtering mechanism through customizable profiles. You can capture and repackage existing installations into MSI packages and personalize them.

 

A smart scanning algorithm will detect and preserve high-level constructs like:

 

·Services

·Drivers

·File Associations

·Environment Variables

·Assemblies

·Scheduled tasks

·Windows Firewall Settings

 

Record unwanted system changes due to background running applications by taking file and registry snapshots without installing any software. You can use this noise recording later to filter a new system capture.

 

Custom Repackaging

After an installation capture is completed the results will automatically be imported into a new Advanced Installer project, that you can review and personalize to your new package deployment needs.

 

All the necessary files and resources for the project are automatically imported to your selected output folder, so the new project will not have any dependencies to the installation you have just captured.

 

You can also configure multiple applications to be repackaged at once.

 

Installer Repackager

·Capture multiple installations into a single package

·Install application updates or slipstream service packs into the new setup

 

The Repackager can also be used via its command-line interface.

 

Build Virtualized Applications

The project created by the repackager can be used to also create virtualized packages. Advanced Installer supports building App-V 4.x/5.x and ThinApp packages. So you don't have to resequence your application everytime you need to change something in it.

 

Detect embedded MSI installs during EXE repackaging

This repackager option automatically detects any embedded MSIs, extracts them for you and stops the repackaging process. It's an effortless way to avoid repackaging MSI wrappers.

 

Compare the output with the original package

Verify what resources were added, modified or removed in the repackaged installation by comparing the results with the original installation.

 

3. System Center Configuration Manager Deployment Support (SCCM)

System Center Configuration Manager is the standard application deployment solution from Microsoft. It simplifies the complex task of distributing applications to servers, desktops, laptops and mobile devices across large or complex networks. The software can be installed silently and automatically to the specifically targeted users or computers.

 

The new Advanced Installer SCCM 2016 support further simplifies this task.

 

Streamlined deployment

If you are using SCCM 2007/2012/2016, you can save time by deploying your applications (MSI, MST, and EXE) directly from Advanced Installer's GUI or by creating a simple script that calls our tool from the command line.

 

Easy deployment

Our SCCM deployment wizard allows adding packages into SCCM directly from your packaging/development machine, as long as you have the credentials to connect to your SCCM server.

 

Software packages are automatically configured for the most common deployment scenarios.

 

Support for the latest deployment models

·Deploy setups as SCCM applications for SCCM 2012

·Deploy App-V packages with SCCM

·Deploy AppX packages with SCCM

·Deploy MSIX packages with SCCM

 

4. Application Virtualization

More and more companies choose to implement virtual applications because they offer fast and easy deployment, reduced security risks and the possibility to run multiple versions of the same application, just to name a few benefits.

 

Advanced Installer comes to your aid with the latest support for Microsoft's App-V and VMware ThinApp technology which enables you to create packages for virtual applications in minutes.

 

With no external tools required you don't have to keep track of third party prerequisites. A very useful advantage is the GUI driven environment which allows you to focus on what's important rather than paying attention to the details of an abstract interaction. Multiple outputs from the same project with per-build content can shorten development time when maintaining delivery for several related App-V packages.

 

Virtualization Compatibility and Automatic Fixes

Assess and plan your packaging process easily by validating your existent, MSI/EXE generating, project against the compatibility rules for App-V and ThinApp.

 

Get automated fixes (e.g. store drivers in a separate MSI) applied by Advanced Installer, on demand, this will save you time and help adopting industry wide practices, streamlining your packaging process.

 

5. Direct App-V GUI/CLI Editor

Advanced Installer's App-V Editor exclusively enables you to open, edit and save App-V 5.x packages from an easy to use GUI. Using our high level interface you will be able to configure diverse elements in the App-V package. Resequencing is not required, saving you lots of time.

 

As a scripting alternative to the graphical interface editor you can use the TweakAppV.exe command line interface tool. New command options are available allowing you to include fully automated edit scripts into your build system.

 

MSI to App-V Converter

Use scripts or GUI to directly convert MSI installers to App-V packages. Just as with the App-V Editor, no sequencing is required, saving huge amounts of time on packaging.

 

No external tool required

App-V processing is completely handled by the application. This means there is no need to install other software like Microsoft Application Virtualization Sequencer. Steps in this latter case would be to first create the MSI package and from that configure the App-V package. Using Advanced Installer you shorten development time by directly building the App-V package from the same resources alongside the regular MSI.

 

GUI driven environment

There are no scripts, command line or any abstract interaction when developing App-V packages with Advanced Installer. Each resource is configured separately by its dedicated UI allowing you to easily keep track of changes and upgrades. Controls are intuitively easy to use and self explanatory delivering a refreshing user experience.

 

Multiple outputs from the same project

Advanced Installer supports building multiple installers from the same project, drastically reducing the amount of steps and time needed to author an App-V installer. All you have to do is to specify that you also want an App-V build, hit the Build button and an App-V package will be generated next to your regular installer.

 

Per-build content

One base project is enough. You can include or exclude resources for different scenarios (debug, release, etc.). The same flexibility can be used to build App-V 4.x or App-V 5.x packages.

6. MSI Editor

Performing MSI quick-edits from Advanced Installer's user interface is extremely easy and intuitive. Configure MSI installers on the fly and save changes as MST transform files, App-V or ThinApp package types.

User Friendly Interface

·Work with files and folders as you would in Windows Explorer.

·Configuring registry entries is based on the Registry Editor experience in Windows.

·Visually organize features and components within Windows Installer's guidelines.

·Choose from the many predefined custom actions or add your own.

·... and many more

The supported edit operations can also be performed from the Advanced Installer command line.

 

Output in Multiple Formats

You can save your changes as:

 

·MSI (with resources inside or outside and compression settings)

·MST transform files

·App-V (4.x or 5.x)

·ThinApp

 

Table Editor

Fine tuning and low level editing of the MSI can be performed from the Table Editor as well.

 

If you want to have access to more complex features you must migrate to an Advanced Installer project using MSI import.

 

7. MSIX Modification Package

Extend and update your MSIX packages by taking advantage of the power and functionality of modification packages.

 

Decouple your application updates from your packaging process. Now you can update your application without creating a new modification package for each new version, as you used to do with MST packages.

 

With this support you can continuously rollout Windows 10 updates, along with application updates without being forced to repackage your apps every time.

 

Creating modification packages

A modification package allows you to update and extend an application installed using an MSIX package. Consider it the modern equivalent of an MST package.

 

8. MSIX (AppX) Converter

Capture installations of any Win32/.NET desktop application, with full UI or silent, and convert it to MSIX (AppX) package.

 

9. Package Support Framework

Migrate your legacy application to the new MSIX packaging standard by using Advanced Installer’s built-in support for Microsoft’s Package Support Framework.

 

We offer the option to quickly debug, detect, and add fixups required for your application to run in the MSIX container, even if you do not have access to the source code of your application.

 

Working with fixups

Fixups are runtime fixes that hook into and redirect your application API calls, making sure they follow the best practices of the modern runtime environment required by the MSIX standard.

 

The issues are displayed in the log and depending on their type you can easily add predefined fixups to solve them. No code is required, everything can be done directly from the UI.

 

10. Installer Import

When creating MSI setups it is of great help if you can get a head start and don't have to start from scratch. Advanced Installer's powerful import capabilities allow you to leverage your existing installers and projects by importing or converting them into Advanced Installer projects.

 

App-V package import

Advanced Installer imports App-V 4.x, 5.x packages allowing further customization but also giving you the possibility to convert them to App-V 4.5, App-V 5.x or .MSI.

 

Visual Studio project import

Jump-start your product installer by importing your existing Microsoft Visual Studio project. Advanced Installer will auto-detect names, files and dependencies, instantly designing a setup tailored to your application, which you can then further customize.

 

Visual Studio Setup project import

Leverage the time and resources you may have already spent on your installer by quickly converting your existing Visual Studio Setup projects to Advanced Installer and within seconds take advantage of the countless additional features it offers.

 

InstallShield LE and WISE project import

Easily upgrade your existing InstallShield LE or WISE installer projects to Advanced Installer ensuring your package will be ready for deployment in just a few minutes.

 

WiX project import

Simplify your installer development by upgrading to Advanced Installer. Take your WiX projects and easily move them to a GUI-driven, fully-featured IDE.

 

Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA project import

Simply point Advanced Installer to your Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA workspace. It will automatically detect projects and their dependencies, instantaneously creating native installers for your Java applications, complete with native launchers.

 

MSI/MSM import

Import third party MSI installers and MSM merge modules into your own existing or newly created Advanced Installer projects. Complementing the Prerequisites capability, this feature allows you to:

 

Re-package external products and modules

·Customize the intimate details of their behavior

·Unify several installers into a single one

 

Visual Basic 6.0, RAD Studio and Real Studio application import

Set the basic installer configuration your application needs in a few seconds. Importing applications developed in Visual Basic 6.0, RAD Studio and Real Studio environments is clean white magic mastered by Advanced Installer's wizards.

 

Windows Store App import

Import, edit and digitally sign existing AppX packages using the friendly Advanced Installer GUI.

 

ThinApp Project Folder import

Import and configure ThinApp projects fast and easy.

 

Inno Setup and NSIS project import

Switch to Windows Installer easier than ever before by importing your Inno Setup or NSIS projects. Move to MSI setups without wasting the effort already spent.

 

Repackage

Advanced Installer's fully-featured Repackager allows you to capture any installation using any installer technology and repackage them as Windows Installer-based MSI setups.