
Explore Inno Setup: A Powerful Free Installer for Windows
Since its inception in 1997, Inno Setup has evolved into one of the most reliable free installers for Windows applications. It stands out against many commercial competitors in terms of features and stability, allowing developers to easily package and distribute their software.
Key Features of Inno Setup
- Wide Compatibility: Inno Setup supports installations across all Windows versions since 2006, including the latest Windows 11, Windows 10, and various server editions without requiring service packs.
- 64-bit Application Support: It accommodates 64-bit applications on the appropriate editions of Windows, covering x64, ARM64, and Itanium architectures.
- Flexible Installation Types: Developers can choose between administrative and non-administrative installations.
- Single EXE Distribution: Create a compact installation file for easy online distribution, with options for disk spanning.
- User-Friendly Interface: Offers a standard Windows wizard interface that enhances the installation experience.
- Customizable Setup Options: Users can define setup types such as Full, Minimal, or Custom installations.
- Complete Uninstall Capabilities: Allows for a thorough removal of installed applications.
- File Installation Features: Facilitates support for file compression formats like deflate, bzip2, and 7-Zip LZMA/LZMA2, with advanced file management options.
- Shortcut Creation: Allows shortcuts to be created in various locations, including the desktop and Start Menu.
- Registry and INI Entry Creation: Simplifies system integration by making necessary registry adjustments.
- Running Additional Programs: Capable of executing other applications at different stages of the installation process.
- Multilingual Installations: Supports various languages, including right-to-left languages, ensuring accessibility for a global audience.
- Security Features: Supports encrypted installs and offers digitally signed installation processes, including dual signing options.
- Silent Installation: Allows installation without any user interface prompts.
- Unicode Support: Facilitates installations using Unicode, accommodating global character sets.
- Preprocessor Integration: Offers advanced compile-time customization through an integrated preprocessor.
- Pascal Scripting Options: Provides an integrated Pascal scripting engine for detailed customization during installation.
- Open Source: Full source code is available on GitHub, inviting community contributions and modifications.
- Comprehensive Documentation: All features are fully documented, ensuring ease of use for developers.
- Adoption by Major Software: Inno Setup is utilized by prominent tools like Microsoft Visual Studio Code and Embarcadero Delphi.
Latest Updates: Inno Setup 6.5.4
- Bug Fix: The latest version addresses an issue in Pascal scripting where the event function
CurInstallProgressChanged
could lead to runtime errors.
For those considering commercial use of Inno Setup, a license is available for purchase.
Download Inno Setup
You can download the latest version, Inno Setup 6.5.4 (7.4 MB, Freeware).For additional resources, visit the Inno Setup Website.

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