Guides
Windows installer guides
Practical guides to packaging a Windows app as a Setup.exe: Electron, Python, .NET and more, silent installs, SmartScreen warnings and the tools involved.
How to make a Setup.exe for your Windows app (no code)
What a Setup.exe actually does, the three ways to make one, and how to turn an app folder into a professional installer in minutes without writing an installer script.
Read the guide4 min readTurn an .exe into a Windows installer (exe to Setup.exe)
How to convert a plain .exe, or a folder with an .exe in it, into a real Windows installer with shortcuts and an uninstaller, without writing an installer script.
Read the guide3 min readCreate a Windows installer for an Electron app
Package an Electron app with Electron Packager or Forge, then turn the output folder into a Setup.exe with a wizard, shortcuts and an uninstaller, no electron-builder configuration needed.
Read the guide3 min readMake a Windows installer for a Python app (PyInstaller to Setup.exe)
Freeze a Python program with PyInstaller, then wrap the output in a proper Windows installer with shortcuts and an uninstaller. Why onedir beats onefile for installers, and the settings that matter.
Read the guide3 min readBuild an NSIS installer online, without writing a script
What NSIS is, what a minimal .nsi script looks like, and how to get a standard NSIS Setup.exe with the Modern UI wizard, shortcuts and an uninstaller from a form instead of a script.
Read the guide3 min readInno Setup alternative: build a Windows installer online, no script
Where Inno Setup shines, where a script-free online builder fits better, and how to get a comparable Setup.exe with wizard, shortcuts and uninstaller from a form.
Read the guide3 min readCreate a Windows installer on a Mac or Linux
Your options for building a Setup.exe when you develop on macOS or Linux, from cross-compiling NSIS to a browser-only build, and how to test the result without owning a Windows PC.
Read the guide3 min readSilent install for a Setup.exe: the /S switch, custom folders and deployment
How to run an NSIS-based Setup.exe silently with /S, choose the folder with /D=, uninstall silently, and roll the installer out with Intune, PDQ or a script.
Read the guide2 min read"Windows protected your PC": what the SmartScreen warning means and how to get rid of it
Why Windows shows the "unknown publisher" warning on a new installer, what users can click, and how code signing and reputation make it go away.
Read the guide4 min readCreate a Windows installer for a .NET app (WPF, WinForms, console)
Publish a .NET desktop app with dotnet publish, choose between framework-dependent and self-contained, then wrap the publish folder in a Setup.exe with shortcuts and an uninstaller.
Read the guide3 min readMake a Windows installer for a Unity or Godot game
Build the Windows player, know which folders must ship and which must not, and turn the build folder into a Setup.exe with a Desktop shortcut and a clean uninstall for itch.io, your own site or direct sales.
Read the guide3 min readWindows installer for a Java app, from jpackage to Setup.exe
Use jpackage to bundle your JAR with a Java runtime into a folder with a native .exe, then wrap that folder in a Windows installer, no WiX toolset required.
Read the guide3 min readWindows installer for a Go or Rust app (cross-compiled from any OS)
Cross-compile a Go or Rust program for Windows, embed an icon, hide the console for GUI apps, and wrap the single .exe (plus any assets) in a Setup.exe with shortcuts and an uninstaller.
Read the guide3 min readAdvanced Installer alternative for a plain Setup.exe
What Advanced Installer is built for, what most small apps actually need, and how to get a professional Windows installer online, without a licence, a Windows machine or a project file.
Read the guide3 min readInstallShield alternative for small and mid-size apps
InstallShield is built for enterprise software suites. For a desktop app that needs a wizard, shortcuts and an uninstaller, here are the lighter options, free and paid, and how to pick between them.
Read the guide3 min readMSI vs EXE installer: which one should your Windows app ship?
The real differences between an MSI package and a Setup.exe, when IT departments actually need MSI, where MSIX fits, and why most desktop apps ship an EXE.
Read the guide3 min readPer-user vs per-machine install: which should your Windows app use?
What changes when an installer targets the current user instead of all users, from the install folder and admin prompt to shortcuts, updates and uninstall, and how to choose for your app.
Read the guide3 min read