14 DAY TRIAL // With the availability of Windows 7, Microsoft is also cooking the evolution of Windows Installer from version 4.5 to 5.0. However, with the next iteration of the Windows client still on the horizon, the focus in now on Windows Installer (MSI) 4.5. In this regard, the Redmond company indicated a consistent popularity for the technology, revealing that it has accounted for in excess of 5.6 million downloads of Windows Installer 4.5 since launch in mid-2008.
“As of March 2009, there have been over 5.6 million downloads of MSI 4.5 (combined across all supported platforms & OSes),” revealed Zainab Hakim, the test engineer for the Windows Installer (MSI) team. “We are pleased to hear that you are considering taking advantage of the new feature set and functionality provided in MSI 4.5.”
At the start of June 2008, Microsoft released the Windows Installer 4.5 redistributable for Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Windows Vista RTM and SP1, and Windows Server 2008 in x86, x64 and IA64. Moving onward, the Redmond company will include MSI 4.5 in upcoming service packs for Windows client and server operating systems.
“MSI 4.5 will be natively included in all future service packs of Windows. It is already included in Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2. Release candidate for this service pack is presently available from the Microsoft download center,” Hakim added. “MSI 4.5 will be on Windows Update as part of future service packs to Windows (see #1, part c). It will not be available independently as a required mandatory update like Windows Installer 3.1 v2.”
Microsoft is offering Windows Installer 4.5 in direct relation to the Windows operating systems. There is no single redistributable to “rule” all platforms. Fact is that different Windows platforms have specific installation technologies, and as such MSI has to be tailored to each operating system individually.
“It is true that servicing Windows Installer always requires a reboot on Vista and above. The new changes made to the Windows Vista servicing stack in combination with the change made by Windows Update to always have the Windows Installer loaded, causes the update to be “pended” until a subsequent reboot thus generating the mandatory reboot requirement when servicing the Windows Installer,” Hakim added.
Microsoft Windows Installer 4.5 is available for download here.