Windows Installer May 2026

: Features are designed from the user's perspective. Users can select which features they want to install via the installer's SelectionTree Control .

: Developers can author packages that allow features to be "advertised" but not fully installed until the user attempts to use them for the first time. Common Use Cases for Developers Windows Installer

: While users see features, the installer actually manages components . One feature can consist of multiple components, which are the smallest coherent units (files, registry keys, etc.) that the installer installs or removes together. : Features are designed from the user's perspective

: Features can have a parent-child relationship. If a child feature is selected for installation, its parent feature is automatically included. Common Use Cases for Developers : While users

When authoring an installation package , developers define features in the Feature Table of the MSI database. This allows for: