Talk:InstallShield

Update Manager

If you found the "Installshield Update Manager" a very annoying application read this: HOWTO: Uninstall Update Manager. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.182.175.55 (talk • contribs) 22:46, 14 May 2006 (UTC)

Alternatives

Could we get a listing of alternatives on this page? I was hoping for a link to an article on WISE. Mathiastck 17:14, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

As everybody knows NSIS is the best. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Frap (talk • contribs)

For my current needs I've found Inno is the best due to its brilliant scripting, while still being very simple. I've had horrible problems with IS, and I've noticed a lot of other developers have too (searching on the 'net for work arounds). Maybe a mention of its unreliability and bugginess maybe should be included. I'm not sure how to do that without risking being sued, but it is true. Also their expensive tech support (maybe could link to the page demanding money for them to help you, and another bunch of links to forums? or something? where people are having trouble...) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.39.163.153 (talk • contribs)

Ignoring the destructive comment, I have serious point to ask. I heard some negative feelings towards the usage of the industry standard InstallShield. I wanted to point this out here so someone can come along and add some discussion on that topic in here. That would be awesome. Nastajus 02:21, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

If you were refering to my comments I didn't mean to be destructive, but it does seem to be the consensus among users. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.39.163.153 (talk • contribs)

I guess after all it's a matter of preferences: I personally use InstallAnywhere. --Vlad|-> 16:14, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

Automated Installations

You can automate Install Shield Deployments in GPO's using .ZAP files. (applied to a User Configuration) (not Computer Configuration)

Using the switches:

Setup.exe /S /v "/qn OPTION=value"

Will install without prompting the user.

There are other options that can be applied, such as:

REBOOT=Suppress
ADDLOCAL=ALL

to Log the install:

/L C:\<path>setup.log

There are others. Anyone know of any help documentation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.183.241.105 (talk • contribs)

Version history

Could anyone list key version history for the product and what dates/years. I think this would be useful to see the develepment stages of the software as well as core concepts possibly introduced at stages along the way. Thanks --203.122.234.30 (talk) 05:02, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

This could be arranged. InstallShield3 was around in 1994-1996, InstallShield Express 1.0 for Delphi was first released with Borland Delphi 1.0, InstallShield Express Professional 1.0 followed in 1996. InstallShield Professional 5.0 was released around the same time, followed up with 5.1 (minor upgrade) and 5.5 ("new" version). InstallShield Professional 6.0 was released in the late 90's ('98 or '99 I think), then followed up with InstallShield Professional 6.1 and 6.2 (both were major improvements on the original version 6.0). InstallShield Express 2.0 was released in 1997 or 1998. InstallShield InstallFromTheWeb 1.0 was released around the same time, as was PackageForTheWeb 1.0.

InstallShield was never "overtaken" by Windows Installer. InstallShield was the first major partner for Microsoft to support the new ZAW (Zero Administration Windows) initiative and was the first to support Windows Installer 1.0 (InstallShield even had support engineers on site in Redmond for a significant period of time to help Microsoft). InstallShield for Windows Installer 1.0 was the first product release, followed by Version 1.5 and then 2.0. After that, the product lines for InstallShield Professional and InstallShield for Windows Installer merged. InstallShield Developer 7.0 was the next version that combined InstallScript (InstallShield Professional) and Windows Installer technologies, followed by Developer 8.0 and 9.0 in the mid-2000's. InstallShield 10 and 11 followed after that, changing the support for InstallScript significantly in version 12 (released in 2006/7).

Naming convention changed after that to InstallShield 2008, InstallShield 2009 (current version). The next version is currently in beta.

InstallShield Multi-Platform Edition was previously known as InstallShield Java Edition, which was designed to make deploying Java programs easy. The UI and support evolved by including *nix partners Sun, IBM and HP. I believe the product was phased out in favour of (or merged with) Zero G's InstallAnywhere after Zero G was purchased by Macrovision (post-InstallShield purchase).

InstallFromTheWeb was innovative in that it allowed HTTP streaming of install "disks" over the internet, making installation from web pages a lot simpler. The major sticking point though was the initial download that contained the first "disk", which was a LOT larger than the remainder, mostly because it contained the support files for the installation. Depending on how the install was designed, this could be a download ranging from 2MB to 50MB or more.

PackageForTheWeb was designed to allow software to be deployed in signed CAB files, specifically for ActiveX controls that needed to be deployed like that. This then evolved into support for self-extracting executables and the technology was extensively used throughout InstallShield for its products (evaluation downloads and the like). Support to wrap installations into a single EXE from within the InstallShield UI grew out of PackageForTheWeb.

When a shift occurred to Update Manager, PackageForTheWeb was quietly dropped - A mistake on the company's part in my opinion.

InstallShield also had the DigitalWizard, which was an organiser and download manager for downloads from the Internet. It was actually not bad, but it was consigned to the scrapheap after the company realised that this was not part of the company's core (deployment and administration).

There were so many good technologies that came out of InstallShield... many were copied by competitors for the exact reason that they were innovative. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.57.127.7 (talk • contribs)

Unshield

Unshield download page, since the other link is 404.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=30550&package_id=125523

PidGin128 via 149.168.240.7 (talk) 23:53, 22 February 2008 (UTC).

Name of the Company

I suppose the current phrasing of the article is defensible: "InstallShield was also the name of the company that originally created it until it was acquired..." but the fact is that in the early 1990s the company selling InstallShield was known as Sterling Software, and as I recall it in approximately 94/95 changed the company name TO that of their flagship product (maybe as part of a sale, merger, or acquisiton). The current phrasing implies that the company always had that name, and while I don't have a citation (other than possibly an ancient cashed check), I personally know the the company did not take that name until after the product achieved considerable success.Filterbob (talk) 23:58, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

It's not the same company as this one: Sterling Software, is it? --Vlad|-> 09:13, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

No it is not. InstallShield's original name was Stirling Technologies, not Sterling Software. -- Stefan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.57.127.7 (talk • contribs)

Page Lacking

For such a hugely popular program, there's really very little information, no picture, no version history, or anything really that's very useful at all to the developer. Could someone step up and edit this page to be more informative, before a wiki newb like me tries to? -- guidex@tnexgen.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.142.121.31 (talk) 05:10, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Linux

"Operating system" currently says "Microsoft Windows, Linux". AFAIK InstallShield is only available for Windows, not for Linux. --193.164.15.125 (talk) 10:57, 30 May 2012 (UTC)