Wise for Windows Installer 10 · .msi · .msm · .mst
Open a real .msi, change it and save it, or build one from a project. The Installation Expert guides the work a page at a time, and the Setup Editor gives you every table underneath when you need it.
Everything in Professional
Everything in Standard
.msi, themes, merge modules, compressed and CAB releasesWorking on .msi files · at every edition
Design demystified
The Installation Expert covers what most packages need without a word of Windows Installer jargon. The Setup Editor is there for the rest, and both edit the same package.
A graphical, step-by-step interface to the whole package. Simply point, click, and fill in the required information; the tables are written for you.
| Group | Pages |
|---|---|
| Product and system | Product Home, Product Details, General Information, Project Summary, System Requirements |
| Features and files | Features, Files, XML Files, Merge Modules, Resources |
| System configuration | Registry, Shortcuts, Services, ODBC, INI Files, Environment Variables, File Associations, Firewall Exceptions, Path Variables, Add/Remove Programs |
| Web | Web Files, Web Deploy |
| Release and build | Releases, Release Settings, Build Options, Prerequisites |
An alternate view of the installation, with more control over features and components, dialogs, tables, properties and custom actions. Professional.
.msi as a grid, including your own.msi, and merge modules you author yourself| Tab | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Product | Product-level structure |
| Features | The feature tree |
| Components | Components and the key files that identify them |
| Dialogs | The setup wizard screens, on a visual design canvas |
| Tables | Every underlying MSI table, in a spreadsheet-style grid |
The Macro Editor runs a short Lua script against the open package, reading and writing its properties and tables through the Wise Automation API.
ProductVersion or Manufacturer across builds-- Stamp the version and make sure a support URL exists. Project:SetProperty("ProductVersion", "2.1.0") if Project:GetProperty("ARPURLINFOABOUT") == "" then Project:SetProperty("ARPURLINFOABOUT", "https://example.com/support") end print("Version is now", Project:GetProperty("ProductVersion")) Project:Save()
Fold reusable modules into the package at build time, including configurable ones that ask for their values.
Install-time permissions, self-registration, .NET and Win32 assemblies, and shared-resource reference counting, file by file.
Find the versions of your product already on a machine and replace them, carrying the user’s feature selection forward. Professional.
Install web content and configure the application it runs under: default documents, error pages and the anonymous account. Professional.
Look for a registry entry, INI value, directory or installed component before installing, and act on what is found. Professional.
Install one product several times side by side from a single .msi, each under its own product code. Enterprise.
Testing essentials
Catch the problems a desktop would find, before the package leaves your machine.
.msi from the project in one step, on your machine or on a clean build PC..msi install, set breakpoints and inspect properties as it executes..exe that installs prerequisites first, then sign the .msi and the wrapper.Validation, custom rules and the Windows Installer Debugger are Professional features; compile, test and signing come with every edition.
Build acceleration & distribution
Full, evaluation and demo releases, every language and every media layout from a single project, built in the IDE or on a build server.
Compile any project without opening the editor, so packaging joins your automated build. Professional.
/c compiles a .wsi to an .msi, or a .wsm to an .msm/c="Full" builds a named release instead of the active one/p name=value sets a Windows Installer property for the buildcompile.log beside the packageREM Build the Full release to a chosen path, with two properties C:\Proj>"C:\Program Files\Wise\WfWI.exe" "C:\Proj\App.wsi" /c="Full" ^ /o "C:\Build\App.msi" /p ProductVersion=2.0.0 /p "Manufacturer=Contoso" ^ /l "C:\Build\app-compile.log" REM Round-trip a project through XML for source control C:\Proj>"C:\Program Files\Wise\WfWI.exe" /wxml App.wsi App.wxml
Release Management builds full, evaluation and demo versions from one project, each with its own property values and features. Media options decide how each one is delivered.
.msi| Release | What it builds |
|---|---|
| Compressed | One .msi with everything inside it |
| External CAB | The payload in cabinets beside the .msi, to patch or serve separately |
| Uncompressed | Source files laid out beside the .msi, for administrative images |
Setup .exe | One native executable that installs prerequisites, then runs the .msi |
Author the shared prerequisite definitions the whole team builds against: detection, files, what to run and what follows. Professional.
Compose and check the msiexec command line for a package, its properties, logging and UI level, without memorizing switches. Professional.
Sign an .msi, its .exe wrapper, or an .msi with external CAB files, to keep every package intact.
Capture a setup, or one application as it runs, and import the result straight into the open project. Professional.
Compare two packages, or a transform against its base .msi, and see exactly which tables, files and settings differ. Enterprise.
Export a project to XML and read it back, so packages are reviewed and diffed in source control like any other file. Enterprise.
Editions
Standard opens, edits and builds real .msi packages. Professional adds the Setup Editor, validation and the debugger, and Enterprise adds comparison, conversion and migration tools.
| Feature | Enterprise | Professional | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Demystified | |||
| Installation Expert™A graphical, step-by-step interface that guides you through the installation authoring process. Simply point, click, and fill in the required information. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Open And Save Standard .MSIWork directly on a real Windows Installer package — open it, edit it, save it — as well as on Wise project files. Working on .MSI files is the job this product exists for, so it is not reserved for a higher edition. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project SummarySee the state of the whole project on one page: what it installs, how it is built, and what still needs attention. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FeaturesOrganize an installation into the features an end user selects, and decide what each one installs. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Installation TypesOffer Typical, Complete and Custom installations built from your feature list, without hand-authoring the dialogs behind them. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dialog SupportA visual preview of the wizard from Installation Expert, with the ability to activate, reorder and condition each dialog and see the effect immediately. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Installation ThemesCustomize installation fonts and graphics with a list of editable themes. Each theme has a scheme for text fonts and graphic elements. Themes do not introduce proprietary code into the .MSI database and adhere to the Windows Installer standard. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Import TextPull your license agreement and readme straight into the dialogs that display them, instead of retyping them into the package. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre-Built TemplatesSave commonly used settings and consistently apply them to subsequent installations. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Task ListWhen compilation, component, table or validation errors occur, a list of the errors appears in a Task List, where you can double-click an error to jump to the part of the project that created it. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Simplified Authoring | |||
| File ManagementAdd files to the installation, copy them, move them, delete files from the destination machine, and change permissions on folders. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| File DetailsSet everything Windows Installer can be told about one file — install-time permissions, self-registration, .NET and Win32 assembly installation, and shared-resource reference counting. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Registry And INI FilesAuthor the registry keys and INI settings a package writes, organized by the feature that owns them. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shortcuts And File AssociationsCreate Start menu and desktop shortcuts and register the file types your application owns. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Environment Variable SupportCreate and modify environment variables from within Installation Expert. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Merge ModulesMerge modules, commonly used for third-party runtimes, can be included in your installation and are merged into the package at build time. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Resource ManagerManages binary resources in the .MSI file through Installation Expert. Provides an easy-to-use interface to the Binary table, which contains all of the resources used in the installation, such as icons, graphics, scripts, and more. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Path VariablesRefer to source locations by name rather than by absolute path, so a project builds on any machine and any build server. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows Installer OptionsControl the Windows Installer behaviors a package requests — installation scope, reinstall behavior, logging and the engine version it requires. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ServicesInstall, configure, start and stop Windows services as part of the package. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| ODBCInstall and configure ODBC drivers, translators and data sources your application depends on. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Firewall ExceptionsAdd the Windows Firewall exceptions your application needs, so it works on a locked-down desktop without a manual step. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Web Services SupportInstall web content and configure the application it runs under — set a default document list, custom error pages, and the account used for anonymous access. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| System SearchLook for a registry entry, an INI value, a directory or an already-installed component before the installation runs, and use what is found to set an install location or skip a step — optionally accepting the result only when the file matches a version, size or date range. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| UpgradesDetect the versions of your product already on a machine and replace them as part of the installation — carrying the user's feature selection forward, or refusing to run when a newer version is present. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Search LocationsTell Windows Installer where to look for the package's source files when it needs them again, so a repair on a managed desktop finds them without prompting. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Instance TransformsInstall one product several times on the same machine, side by side, from a single .MSI — each instance under its own product code, carried by a transform embedded in the package. | ✓ | – | – |
| Administrator OptionsControl the administrative surface of a package: what an administrator may override, what is searched for on the target machine, and how an administrative install behaves. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Complete Customization | |||
| Setup EditorAll the advanced tools you need to fully customize an installation. Provides an alternate view of your installation, giving you more control over organizing features and components, designing dialogs, editing database tables, creating and editing properties, and developing a wide range of custom actions. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| MSI ScriptEdit the installation sequences directly — insert, order and condition custom actions exactly where they must run. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Raw Table EditingRead and write any table in the .MSI database as a grid, including tables you create yourself for your own tooling. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Dialog EditorCreate your own specialized dialogs or modify any of the included dialog templates. Edit dialog appearances and behaviors using a variety of specialized controls such as directory trees, masked edit fields, progress bars, billboards, and much more. | ✓ | ✓ | View |
| New Dialog WizardAdd a dialog to the wizard from a pre-built template and have it sequenced, conditioned and wired up for you. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Built-In Scripting ActionsWise's industry-leading scripting engine can be used to create special routines in your installation or add security to your installation when installing license files. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| WiseScript ExpressA streamlined WiseScript editor, included with the Designer, for authoring the custom actions and helper installations that support a Windows Installer package. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Merge Module AuthoringAuthor your own merge modules, including static and configurable modules with their own dependencies and exclusions. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
TransformsCreate and edit a transform against a base .MSI, so a vendor package can be customized without being rebuilt. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Build Acceleration | |||
| CompileBuild a complete Windows Installer package from the project in one step. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clean BuildEnhance installation quality by building installations on "clean" build PCs. All the necessary source files are copied to a build PC, and the installation is built without impacting your pristine build environment. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Compressed ReleaseBuild the whole package into a single .MSI with everything inside it. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Release ManagementCreate multiple releases — such as full, evaluation and demo versions — from a single project file, reducing labor and costs. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
External CAB ReleasesBuild with the payload in external cabinets beside the .MSI, for packages that are patched or served separately from the database. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Uncompressed ReleasesBuild with the source files laid out beside the .MSI, for administrative images and network installation points. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Media OptionsCreate installations for various types of media, including custom media sizes, and define how each individual component is compressed and what type of media it is delivered on. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language BuildsBuild one package carrying every authored language, so end users see the installation in the default language of their PC. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Translated StringsTranslate every string the installation shows — dialog text, feature names, messages — with the source text beside each one. Export the list for a translator and import what comes back. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Language TransformsBuild a transform for each language beside the .MSI, so one package serves every locale you ship to. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Command LineSet the properties a release installs with once, baked into the Setup .EXE and shown as the msiexec line to hand to anyone deploying the .MSI. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Command Line CompileBuild from a script or a build server without opening the IDE, so packaging joins your existing automated build. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Command Line BuilderCompose and validate the msiexec command line for a package — properties, logging, UI level — without memorizing the switches. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Testing Essentials | |||
| Installation TestingThe one-touch Test button performs a test run without making changes to your development machine. Check the appearance and logical flow of your installation without writing to your hard drive. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RunExecute the built package exactly as an end user would, straight from the IDE. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Validation WizardReviews your installation against Microsoft's authoring guidelines before it ships, verifying valid component design, proper advertising support, uninstall support, and many other crucial installation guidelines. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Custom ValidationChoose which validation rules are applied when validating an installation, so a package is tested against your organization's standards rather than a fixed list. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Windows Installer DebuggerSteps through a running .MSI install, sets breakpoints and inspects properties as the installation executes. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Flexible Distribution | |||
Wise Digital SignaturesDigitally sign an .MSI with an .EXE wrapper or an .MSI wrapped with external CAB files, ensuring the integrity of every package. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Setup EXE WrapperWrap the package in a single native .EXE that carries the payload, installs what is missing, and then runs the installation. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
PrerequisitesDetect and install the runtimes and components a package depends on before the .MSI runs, ordered by their own dependencies. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Prerequisite EditorAuthor the shared prerequisite definitions your whole team builds against — detection conditions, files to include, what to run, and how to behave afterwards. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Password ProtectionRequire a password before the wrapped installation will run, for packages that must not be executed by whoever finds them. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| WebDeploy™Easily create Web-based installations for Internet and intranet distribution. A small installation downloads to the end user's PC and initiates the remainder of the download from the Web, so only the features the user selects are transferred. | ✓ | – | – |
| DistributePublish a finished package to the Wise Software Repository, a share point or a distribution location, in one step from the IDE that built it. | ✓ | – | – |
| Interoperability And Migration | |||
| SetupCapture™Capture an existing setup by comparing the machine before and after it runs, then import the difference straight into the open project as files, components, features and registry entries. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| ApplicationWatchWatch a single application as it runs and record only what that application touches, for packages a full-machine capture would over-collect. | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| SOE SnapshotRecord the state of a standard operating environment, so captures taken against it exclude everything the baseline already provides. | ✓ | – | – |
Visual MSIDiffCompare the current package against another, compare any two packages, or compare a transform against its base .MSI, and see exactly which tables, files and settings differ. | ✓ | – | – |
| MSI To WiseScript ConversionConvert a Windows Installer package into a WiseScript project, for the installations that are better served by script than by the Windows Installer engine. | ✓ | – | – |
| Move Components To Merge ModuleLift a set of components out of a package into a reusable merge module, so shared material is authored once. | ✓ | – | – |
| Convert Source PathsRewrite the source locations across an entire project at once when files move or a build server changes. | ✓ | – | – |
| XML InterchangeExport a project to XML and read it back, so packages can be diffed, reviewed and round-tripped through source control like any other source file. | ✓ | – | – |
| Supports Latest Microsoft TechnologiesSupport for today's Microsoft ecosystem including modern .NET runtimes, ARM64 and x64 systems, and full compatibility with Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server platforms. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
R — available to view, not to edit. A Standard seat opens, renders and builds a package containing custom dialogs; the authoring surfaces are a Professional feature.
This document and any related materials may contain references to anticipated, planned, or future features, functionality, or product direction of Wise Global Solutions. Such references are provided solely for informational purposes and shall not be relied upon in making purchasing, contractual, or business decisions.
All product development, release schedules, and feature availability are at the sole discretion of Wise Global Solutions and are subject to change, modification, or cancellation at any time without notice. No information contained herein shall be deemed to create any express or implied commitment, obligation, warranty, or representation by Wise Global Solutions regarding the delivery, availability, or timing of any described feature, service, or functionality.
Wise Global Solutions makes no guarantees that any future feature or functionality referenced will be implemented, released, or maintained in any specific product version or at all. Actual product capabilities may vary by release, edition, platform, licensing model, or deployment environment.
Part of Wise Package Studio
Wise for Windows Installer is the Windows Installer Editor inside Wise Package Studio, beside the Wise Installation System, MSIX Designer and the shared repository.
Wise Package StudioEvery package format, a shared software repository and one packaging process for the team.
Workbench, the Windows Installer and WiseScript editors, MSIX Designer, SetupCapture and the Wise Software Repository.
Wise Package Studio →
Wise Installation SystemScript-driven installations, shipped as one self-contained executable.
When the install needs logic of its own in one portable file, with no dependence on the Windows Installer service.
Wise Installation System →