InstallShield: Compare Versions

Compare your current product version with InstallShield. Our new functionality supports the latest technologies to help you author reliable installations in less time.

Product Compatibility

InstallShield projects are backward compatible with their respective InstallShield 12, InstallShield 11.5, InstallShield 11, InstallShield 10.5, InstallShield X, DevStudio, Developer, Professional, and Express products.

End of Life Policy

Learn about Macrovision's End of Life Policy for older products: InstallShield Legacy products

	Professional	Express
New and Enhanced in InstallShield 2009
Associate Prerequisites with Features Associate setup prerequisites with features to chain multiple MSIs together in a single installation. More »
Windows Installer 4.5 Installation Chaining Associate setup prerequisites with features to chain multiple MSIs together in a single installation. more»
Improved Billboards InstallShield includes several new billboard-related features that give you more flexibility and control over the look and feel of the file transfer portion of your installation. More »
Windows Installer 4.5 Support Create MSIs that leverage the functionality in the beta of Windows Installer 4.5.
Visual Studio 2008 Support InstallShield is integrated with Visual Studio 2008, so you can develop your installations within the same Visual Studio interface as your products. more»
.NET Framework 3.5 Support Create setups that allow the installation of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. more»
Managed-Code Custom Action Support InstallShield 2009 lets you easily add managed-code custom actions to Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, and Merge Module projects. more»
Installing Multiple Product Instances Give your MSIs the ability to install multiple instances of the same product on the same machine. more»
Hebrew and Arabic Language Support Expand the global reach of your products by presenting installation text and buttons in Hebrew and Arabic, which are read from right to left. more»
Four InstallShield MSI Tools Four new InstallShield MSI tools save you time and effort by providing a rich UI for common troubleshooting tasks. more»
Value-Added Services Generate new revenue streams with Value-Added Services, such as the opportunity to include an optional search engine toolbar with installations. more»
New and Enhanced in InstallShield 2008
InstallShield Best Practices Validation Suite Avoid common installation issues by getting alerts from validators in this suite, if your installation violates best-practices guidelines. more»
Automation Interface Improvements Use script to add new files, add or delete features, initiate the build process, and change product name and upgrade code, release settings, summary information stream items, release flags, and more. more»
Setup Prerequisite Improvements You have more options to specify exactly under what conditions a setup prerequisite should be installed in specific operating system versions. more»
XML Support Save time by quickly testing XML configuration changes to installation projects. more»
Require EULA Reading "Force" users to scroll to the end of EULA before installation can proceed. more»
Faster Performance, Enhanced Ability to Handle a Large Number of Files Noticeable performance improvements when working with large numbers of files, in the Direct Editor, or with String Tables.
End-User Dialog Themes for Basic MSI Projects Refreshed dialog designs for Basic MSI give you fresh choices for the look-and-feel of your installation's user interface, improving the end-user experience. Includes 10 for Premier and 5 for Professional. more»	Limited	Basic
Enhanced Windows Vista Support Robust support for Windows Vista and related technologies such as UAC, Restart Manager, and much more; also get support for Windows Vista in InstallScript and One-Click Install projects. more»		Limited
IDE View Structure Easily find and change settings in the Releases view, now reorganized from single grid to tabbed grid view by category. more»		Limited
32- and 64-Bit .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5 Support Get support for all 32- and 64-bit versions of .NET 2.0, .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 in both Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI. more»		Limited
Latest Windows Mobile Platform Support Get support for the latest Windows Mobile platforms (including Windows Embedded CE 6.x). more»
Updated Direct X 9.0 Object Support You can now use the Windows Installer-based object for Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects in compressed and silent installations. more»		Limited
Support for UAC InstallShield lets you create installations that handle UAC authorization requests in a user-friendly manner, requesting elevated privileges required for all installations just once, and using those privileges throughout the installation. more»
Support for Digital Signatures Save time by digitally signing all your files at build time. more»
Usability Improvements to the IDE Easily view additional information and have better control over the IDE with customizable views. more»
SaaS Support (IIS 7 and SSL Technologies) Easily deploy Windows-based Web applications with improved support for SQL and Web-based technologies such as IIS 7 and SSL. more»		Limited
Windows Server 2008 Support Specifically target your installations for Windows Server 2008. more»
New and Enhanced in InstallShield 12
InstallScript Engine Overhaul InstallShield comes with a major InstallScript engine overhaul for increased reliability. more»
Certified for Windows Vista Validation Suite Validate both full projects and merge modules; ensure that your installation meets "Certified for Windows Vista" program guidelines. more»
DIFx 2.1 Support (Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, and InstallScript) InstallShield includes support for the 2.1 version of Driver Install Frameworks for Applications (DIFx). more»
.NET Compact Framework 2.0 & Other Mobile Device Redistributable The .NET Compact Framework 2.0, as well as several other redistributables, is available for mobile device installations.
InstallShield Repackager With this Premier-only feature you can easily create Windows Installer setups from any legacy installation, without starting from scratch. more»
InstallShield Collaboration Module With this plug-in for Visual Studio, application and installation developers can collaborate throughout the development process. InstallShield Premier Edition allows up to 5 developers to collaborate with their setup author. Licenses for additional developers can be bought separately. more»