Summary

This article will discuss how to create a compressed MSI release for your installer, where a single MSI file has all the installation data compressed within it.

In addition we will also discuss the limitations which may prevent this type of release from being created.

Discussion

This article discusses how to create a compressed MSI release using both the Release Wizard and the Installation Designer.

Using the Release Wizard

The first method we will discuss is using the Release Wizard, which can be accessed by selecting Build > Release Wizard from the InstallShield interface dropdown menu.

On the Release Configuration dialog, select Compress all files:

After clicking Next, you will presented with the Setup Launcher options dialog. Be sure that the checkbox to Create installation launcher (Setup.exe) is unselected:

Using the Installation Designer

An alternative method of controlling the release type is to work directly within the Installation Designer in the Releases view. After highlighting your release, you will be presented with an additional window on the right of the user interface with six tabs. Select the Build tab, and set the release to be a compressed build by setting the Compression option to Compressed:

Next, select the Setup.exe tab and set the Setup Launcher option to No:

After making these selections and building your project, a single compressed MSI will be built.

Additional Information

In certain circumstances it is not possible to build a single MSI release:

• If your project contains prerequisites: These must be included in a setup.exe. For this reason the Setup Launcher options shown above will be grayed out.
• If you are building an InstallScript MSI project: The InstallScript Engine for this installation type is delivered through the Setup Launcher, so it is not possible to omit a setup.exe from the build of this project type.