The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer

When a company builds and ships software, the installation process is often the first opportunity for a customer to view the the product and the company and the installation experience can make or break a lasting impression. So this book is ideal for companies and developers who want to impress their clientele.

This book shows you how to build Set-up and Deployment projects using Visual Studio .NET and Visual Studio 2003, and then goes on to examine the details of MSI files and how to use them for CO interop. You'll learn about custom actions, Services, installer classes, COM registration, and .NET assemblies: how they're installed various types of .NET applications, including Web applications and Web services, as well as traditional Windows Forms applications. The book also show you how MSI files eliminate the need to use traditional installation tools such as Tegsvr32, Regasm, Cacutil, InstallUtil, and so on. You'll come to understand installations and MSI files so well that you'll be able to build applications that install in a robust manner and that you can update with upgrades and patches. There's also a section on designing set-ups, with some important dos and don'ts for you. If you want to know how Windows Installer works, no matter what software you use to build your installations, you'll find that the information in this book will make it easier for to you build MSI files and design installations that are reliable and do what you expect.