Frequently Asked Questions

General

Q. MSIStudio licenses cost a fraction of competing products, how can there be such a difference?
Fastgrid Ltd has low overheads and MSIStudio has matured as a product since its original introduction in 2005. The technology behind Windows Installer has not fundamentally changed since it was originally introduced in 2000 and keeping MSIStudio up to date with the latest developments is not a large effort. That said, we are committed to maintaining compatibility with new features as they are introduced. Our lean and mean corporate structure allows us to provide the most comprehensive features at the lowest possible cost.

Q. Does MSIStudio support 64-bit Windows?
MSIStudio provides full support for 64-bit Windows. 64-bit Windows introduced some new features and attributes into the Windows Installer runtime, and these are fully supported by MSIStudio.

Q. Does MSIStudio support multiple languages?
MSIStudio provides complete language support. The default user interface has been translated into 26 core foreign languages. Separate installs can be created for each language, or multiple languages can be combined into a single installation package with the end user having the ability to select the language at install time. The MSIStudio codebase is itself fully Unicode aware allowing it to natively handle multibyte characters and display languages in their native scripts. Additional languages and extended translation databases can be included to handle customised user interface elements and string data.

Q. What is MSIDebugger and how does it help me?
MSIStudio includes a native debugging environment for msi install packages called MSIDebugger. Running an install within MSIDebugger allows the setup developer to step through install packages at install time and see how properties, conditions and temporary table data change as the installation progresses. It is especially useful when customising and adding functionality to the user interface. Comprehensive logging is also displayed in real time an indispensible feature when developing and testing custom actions.

Q. Why does MSIStudio not have a scripting language?
MSIStudio does not provide any kind of scripting language as we believe even the most complex installations can be implemented using native Windows Installer functionality. Windows Installer is a mature technology with a wealth of information widely available to help developers achieve their aims without resorting to the use of scripting. A scripting language is an extra burden for the user to learn and adds an additional layer of complexity on top of the Windows Installer database. Diagnosing and resolving issues when an external script is involved can be an order of magnitude more difficult than when using the features of Windows Installer exclusively, especially if there are issues within the scripting engine itself. Higher level installation decisions such as which msi package to run in a multiple package setup can be made using bootstrapper project conditions.

Q. What kind of support can I receive if I buy a license for MSIStudio?
Fastgrid provides EMail support for issues and queries relating specifically for MSIStudio. For queries regarding Windows Installer and other general installation issues the support forums should be used. Any bugs in MSIStudio are given top priority followed by feature requests. We prioritize issues that arise out of using MSIStudio directly, and will contribute to other install related issues when time permits. We don't get involved in bespoke install package design and development outside of our consultancy services, but we do answer anything related to the process of using MSIStudio to develop installations.

Q. What additional resource types can be installed by MSIStudio?
MSIStudio provides support for the installation of user accounts through custom actions and an extension DLL. As users request additional resource types, we will add this functionality to our extension DLL.

Q. How often does MSIStudio get released?
A new minor of MSIStudio gets released whenever important bugs get fixed or if there has been a significant amount of functionality added. The release cycle is currently a new minor version every 1-2 months.