[installation] How can I create an MSI setup?

I've created setups for all my Delphi tools with Inno Setup for years. Now some users rather want an MSI installation package, so they can deploy the setups from a central server to all workstations.

How do I create one? Do I have to buy Visual Studio or some other product?

This question is related to installation windows-installer

The answer is


If you don't understand Windows Installer then I highly recommend The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer. You can't really use WiX without understanding MSI. Also worth downloading is the Windows Installer 4.5 SDK.

If you don't want to learn the Windows Installer fundamentals, then you'll need some wizard type package to hide all the nitty gritty details and hold your hand. There are plenty of options, some more expensive than others.

  • InstallShield
  • Advanced Installer
  • MSI Factory
  • etc..

However still I'd suggest picking up the above book and taking some time to understand what's going on "under the hood", it'll really help you figure out what's going wrong when customers start complaining that something is broken with the setup :)


Look for Windows Installer XML (WiX)


You can purchase InstallShield, the market leader for creating installation packages. It offers many features beyond what you get with freeware solutions.

Warning: InstallShield is insanely expensive!


Google "Freeware MSI installer".

e.g. https://www.advancedinstaller.com/

Several options here:

http://rbytes.net/software/development_c/install-and-setup_s/

Though being Windows, most are "shareware" rather than truly free and open source.


In my opinion you should use Wix#, which nicely hides most of the complexity of building an MSI installation pacakge.

It allows you to perform all possible kinds of customization using a more easier language compared to WiX.


You can use Visual Studio - that's paid.

You can use https://www.advancedinstaller.com/ - that has a free edition.

You can use http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page - for example Winamp uses this installer - and is very configurable and is Open Source.


You can use "Visual studio installer project" and its free...

This is very easy to create installer and has GUI.(Most of the freeware MSI creation tool does not have a GUI part)

You will find many tutorials to create an installer easily on the internet

To install. just search Visual Studio Installer Project in your Visual Studio

Visual Studio-> Tools-> Extensions&updates ->search Visual Studio Installer Project. Download it and enjoy...