CreateInstall

CreateInstall lets you take control of everything that happens during the installation process of your software products.

Despite the obvious complexities of the intended task, the program has an intuitive interface that can help you make the learning curve flatter. However, this tool is so full of features that, if you want to take full advantage of them, you should consult the excellent accompanying documentation. Needless to say, this is not the kind of software suited for any type of user: it is software developers and distributors who will benefit the most from its advantages.

Luckily, setting a project begins with a wizard. At this point, you can enter general information about the installer, such as program name and folder. From then on, the whole project appears a series of folders arranged as a tree. So, when you need to change anything, you just have to go to the desired folder and enter the new information, which makes your projects highly scalable.

The installation project can be customized to the upmost level. This comprises not only the setup language, the files to copy or backup and the data to download, but also the look and feel of the interface and every message or sound. You may also decide whether you want to include an uninstaller or an updater.

Part of the customization described before comes from the versatility of the program, which creates a series of commands that guide all the required operations. What is more, the product supports creating your own scripts using Gentee programming language.

The program can make the installation process smoother, which includes downsizing the installation packages using two different compression algorithms. Luckily, you can decide which kind of compression to use for each specific file contained in the install. The resulting files can self-extract to the desired folder, so the user intervention is minimum.

In general, CreateInstall is one of the best programs of its type available right now. Its main drawback has to do with the evident complexity of creating an installation package, which is not attributable to this software. Fortunately, though, it is distributed together with CreateInstall Assistant, specifically intended for less experienced users. The product is available in three licenses: Free, Light and Full, with different prices and sets of features.