Free Setup Utilities (Installers / Uninstallers)
Distribute your application with an Installer and Uninstaller (Setup)
Free Setup Utilities (Installers and Uninstallers)
One way to make your application more user-friendly is to bundle it with a setup utility (or installer) to automate the installation of your program on your users' computers. Some of these installers also provide an uninstaller so that users can remove your program when they do not want to use it anymore. A number of the setup wizards listed here can create self-extracting distribution files, which are especially useful if you are distributing your application over the Internet and are dealing with novice users who don't know how to extract a (say) zip file.
Note: if you are distributing your applications by CD or DVD, you may also be interested in the Free Autorun/Autoplay DVD and CD Menu Creation Software, which allows your program CD/DVD to automatically start when your users place them in the DVD drive.
Related Pages
- Free 3D Software Box Image Makers - create a picture of your software box
- Free Help Authoring and Documentation Writing Tools
- Free Text Search and Replace Utilities
- Free File Comparison and Differencing Utilities
- Free Programming Editors and IDEs
- Free Version Control Software
- Free Resource Editors, Compilers and Icon Editors
- Free Debugging Tools, Static Source Code Analysis Tools, Bug Trackers
- Free Disassemblers, Decompilers, Binary / Hex Editors and Viewers
Disclaimer
The information provided on this page comes without any warranty whatsoever. Use it at your own risk. Just because a program, book, document or service is listed here or has a good review does not mean that I endorse or approve of the program or of any of its contents. All the other standard disclaimers also apply.
Free Setup Utilities / Install Wizards / Uninstallers
- Inno Setup
Inno Setup is a well-known Windows installer that can create self-extracting SETUP executables. It can also install an uninstaller for your application files. One nice feature about this program is that you can generate your distribution files from either a GUI IDE or from the command line (useful for those using makefiles to automate development). The Setup file created is extremely small. The program also supports disk-spanning. Source code for the installer is available. Development is ongoing, and there is support for other languages. You may use the installer for both commercial and non-commercial programs, free of charge.
- Nullsoft Install System (Scriptable)
Nullsoft provides a free scriptable installer that you can use to package your applications. The installer only adds 20-40k of overhead to your distributable file. It can compress your files with zip or bzip2, register ActiveX controls (and deregister them as well), run another executable, call DLLs, create shortcuts, set registry entries, find windows that are open (for example, to detect whether an existing version of your application is currently running), flow control, etc.
- Spoon Installer
Spoon Installer is an open source Windows setup utility released under the BSD licence. It creates a single compressed setup executable file for your applications.
- HJ-Install
This is a Win32 installer without an uninstaller. Documentation for the version I checked suggests that it cannot create self-extracting executables.
- Install Creator
Install Creator is another Windows installer that you can distribute with your program. It creates a single distribution executable for your program that can handle things like creating icons and folders in the user's Start Menu, installation and deinstallation of DLLs, ActiveX controls, fonts, screen savers, etc. It comes with an uninstaller (deinstaller), etc. It claims that it only adds 60Kb to your program, which compares very favourably to many other installers. The free version may be used with commercial and non-commercial products, and includes an advertisement page after installing (but not with your program itself).
- QuickInstall
A Win32 installer that allows you to add keys to the registry and supports more than one language. I have little other information about this installer.
- Sly Installer
This is a Win32 setup program that is designed for people who burn their own CDROMs and want an installer for that CDROM. You edit your own setup script. There is no support for generating self-extracting SETUP files, nor is there an uninstaller.
Related Pages
- Free Games Programming Libraries and Games Source Code
- Free Audio, Sound, Music and Digitized Voice Libraries and Source Code
- How to Accept Credit Cards on Your Website - get paid for your software
- Tips on Choosing a Good Domain Name - you need it for your software
- How to Register Your Own Internet Domain Name
- How to Choose a Good Web Host - distribute your software on the web
- Which Web Host Do You Recommend? (FAQ)
- The Beginner's A-Z Guide to Starting/Creating Your Own Website
Can't Find What You're Looking For?
Newest Pages
- How to Use the Frame Blocking Facility (Anti-Clickjacking Defence) in Internet Explorer 8
- How to Add a CAPTCHA Test to Your Feedback Form Script: Reducing Spam in Your Contact Form
- How to Point a Domain Name to Your Website (Or What to Do After Buying Your Domain Name)
- What Does It Mean to Park a Domain Name? Domain Name Parking Explained
- Free ASP Forum Scripts (Message Boards, BBS and Discussion Forums)
- How to Add Images to Your Website in Serif WebPlus X2
- Free Regular Expression (Regex) Libraries and Source Code
- Free Web Hosting Control Panel Software
- Serif WebPlus X2 Tutorial: How to Design Your Website with Serif WebPlus X2
- Free/Open Source Web (HTTP) Server Software
- How to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 3 to Create an Integrated XP Setup Disk with SP 3
Popular Pages
- How to Create/Start Your Own Website: The Beginner's A-Z Guide
- How to Register Your Own Domain Name - how to get your own domain name
- How to Create a Website with Dreamweaver CS4 (Dreamweaver Tutorial)
- How to Create a Bootable Windows XP Setup CD/DVD on a Preinstalled Windows System
- Free Partitioning Software - Copy, Create, Move, Resize, Convert, Undelete Partitions
- Free Data Recovery, File and Partition Recovery, Undelete and Unformat Software
- How to Create an Emergency Windows Rescue CD
- Free DVD Authoring and Creation Software
- Free CD and DVD Burners and Copying Software
- Free Hard Disk Backup and Restore, Hard Disk Image and Cloning Utilities
How to Link to This Page
It will appear on your page as:
Free Installers and Setup Utilities
