As we head into 2025, the application packaging world feels familiar—like a well-worn tool that still gets the job done. While there’s always talk of “the next big thing,” much of what worked in 2024 will keep working. Let’s break down what to expect.

Advanced Installer 22.4 introduces the long awaited MSIX Custom Install Actions feature, allowing you to bundle and install third-party redistributable files, such as .exe or .msi, alongside your MSIX packages.

The role of a software packaging engineer is often misunderstood. Is it just a small part of a bigger process? Is it a “one-man show”? And do you really need one in your company?

Whether you're a seasoned developer or just getting started, Windows Sandbox is designed to make your application installer testing process smoother, safer, and more efficient.

When creating an installer for your application, it's often necessary to read configuration values during the setup process.

Back in the days of Windows XP and the early stages of application repackaging for enterprise needs, quality assurance teams often needed to verify that the repackaged MSI package had the same structure as the original installation package.

This is not a new issue – it dates back to the transition days between Windows Vista, XP, and Windows 7.

Advanced Installer 22.3 introduces built-in support for Windows Server 2025, enabling seamless configuration of Windows Features and Server Roles directly within your installation packages.

When it comes to application packaging, two widely used tools are Advanced Installer and EMCO MSI Package Builder. Each tool brings unique strengths to the table, catering to various professional needs.

Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) tool made by Microsoft to build code, and publish applications. It is mainly used to develop different types of software—from computer programs to web services.

You've put in the hard work to create an Inno Setup installer, and now it’s time to make sure end users trust your installer. Adding a digital signature to your setup file gives it credibility and protects it from tampering.

Ensuring the integrity and authenticity of software is essential for maintaining security and user trust. Digital signatures provide a reliable method for verifying the origin and integrity of files, helping to prevent tampering and unauthorized modifications.

File associations play a key role in enhancing user experience and streamlining workflows.

The latest version of Advanced Installer, 22.2, introduces nested context menus for file associations in MSI packages, simplifying file type management and navigation.

Updates are crucial in software development, enabling developers to add new features, fix bugs, and enhance security. Regular updates are essential to maintaining the performance and reliability of applications.

Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are a powerful feature of Windows environments that enable administrators to control and configure operating systems, programs, and user settings across a network.

InstallShield is a popular software packaging creation and adjustment tool. As mentioned frequently in our blogs, one of the most crucial aspects of the software packaging industry in infrastructure management is the possibility of performing silent installations and uninstallations.

Those of you already familiar with Intune might have noticed that, by default, Intune runs the application installer process in a 32-bit context. Unlike SCCM, Intune doesn’t offer an option to start app installation in a 64-bit context with a simple checkbox.

Signing an executable (EXE) file with a code signing certificate is essential for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the software, especially in security-conscious environments.

In an enterprise environment, applications are often deployed via configuration management tools like Intune, SCCM (MECM), or similar. These installations typically occur in the system context because end users lack administrative privileges. As a result, user-specific registry keys under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) hive are not applied during the installation process.