The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer

Installing new software is perhaps the most adrenalin-inducing experience you'll have on a computer, aside from whatever games you might play. It's not hard to see why. You give over control of the system to a program that often demands Administrator privilege and that then starts updating some of the most fragile parts of your system. You might know the actual product being installed quite well, but there's rarely any documentation about what the installation of it will do to your system. It might install kernel drivers or Services, it might alter your personal settings without your permission, and it might result in other applications on your system no longer working. For a company building and shipping software, the installation might be the first time the customer has seen your product or your company, and it's your opportunity to make a lasting impression one way or the other. An unreliable installation will affect the cus tomer's image of you for a long time. The goal of this book is to show you how to build safe and secure installa tions. Its focus is Windows Installer technology on the Windows NT series of operating systems for Windows 2000 and above, and you'll build example pro jects as Visual Studio Setup and Deployment Projects. Aside from the actual nuts and bolts of building Windows Installer-based installations, I'll offer advice on how to build a reliable installation and what you should and shouldn't do.