Wizard Interface View

InstallShield 2026

Project: This information applies to the following project types:

•

Advanced UI

•

Suite/Advanced UI

Edition:The Advanced UI project type is available in the Professional edition of InstallShield. The Suite/Advanced UI project type is available in the Premier edition of InstallShield. For information about the differences between these two project types, see Advanced UI Projects vs. Suite/Advanced UI Projects.

The Wizard Interface view contains a Wizard Interface explorer. The Wizard Interface explorer contains the following main areas: Styles, Brushes, Control Themes, Wizard Pages, Secondary Windows, and Minimal Wizard Pages.

Styles

The Styles area of the Wizard Interface view lets you configure sets of formatting characteristics that you can apply to one or more parts of the wizard interface to quickly change its appearance. The Styles area lets you define the following types of styles:

•

Font sets—A font set is a collection of fonts (including attributes such as font name, size, and weight). For each font in a font set, you can specify to which language the font is applicable. This enables you to select a different font for each language that your project supports.

•

Text styles—A text style defines text attributes such as text color, as well as font name, style, and size. Text styles are typically applied to the text that is displayed in the Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI wizard interface.

Font sets work in conjunction with text styles. Text styles reference a font set but can optionally override various font attributes that are defined at the font set level.

To add a style to your project, right-click the Styles node and then click the appropriate command, depending on the type of style that you want to add.

To learn more, see the following:

•

Defining a Custom Style for the Wizard Interface

•

Applying a Text Style to Text in the Wizard Interface

Brushes

A brush defines a solid color, a gradient, or an image for various elements of the wizard interface, such as the background of wizard pages and controls.

To add a brush to your project, right-click the Brushes node and then click Add Brush.

To learn more, see the following:

•

Defining a Custom Brush for the Wizard Interface

•

Specifying the Background Brush for the Header, Body, and Navigation Areas of the Wizard Interface

•

Overriding the Default Background Brushes for a Wizard Page or Secondary Window

Control Themes

A control theme is a collection of colors for various parts of controls—text color, background color, and border color—and for various states of controls—such as clicked and hovered. You can specify the control theme that you want to use for all of the controls in your user interface by default. You can also override the theme for specific controls on wizard pages and windows in your user interface. Control themes give buttons and other items in your installation’s user interface a flat look (without three-dimensional effects) that is reminiscent of the style of Windows Store apps.

To add a control theme to your project, right-click the Control Themes node and then click Add Control Theme.

To learn more, see the following:

•

Defining a Custom Control Theme for the Wizard Interface

•

Applying a Theme to a Control in the Wizard Interface

Wizard Pages

The main type of window that is displayed to end users of an Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI installation is a wizard page. The Wizard Pages area of the Wizard Interface view lets you view, edit, add, and remove wizard pages in your Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI project.

To configure and edit settings that apply to all of the wizard pages in your Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI project, click the Wizard Pages node. The settings that are displayed for this node let you specify dimensions, the caption that is used in the title bar of the wizard pages, and more.

The specific wizard page subnodes under the Wizard Pages node let you preview, sequence, and remove pages as needed; these subnodes also let you modify the layout of each wizard page—adding, moving, and removing a variety of different kinds of controls. To change the run-time order of the wizard pages, click a page that you want to resequence, and then press CTRL+UP ARROW or CTRL+DOWN ARROW until the page reaches the appropriate place under the Wizard Pages node.

To add a wizard page to your project, right-click the Wizard Pages node and then click the appropriate command, depending on the type of page that you want to add.

Secondary Windows

A secondary window in an Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI installation is a pop-up window that lets end users perform a command, asks end users a question, or provides end users with information. One example of a secondary window is a FilesInUse window, which informs end users about one or more applications that are open and locking files that need to be updated by the installation. The specific window subnodes under the Secondary Windows node let you preview and remove pages as needed; these subnodes also let you modify the layout of each window, just as you can edit the layout of wizard pages.

To add a secondary window to your project, right-click the Secondary Windows node and then click Add Blank Window.

Minimal Wizard Pages

Minimal Wizard Pages provide modern installation or uninstallation experience to end users using frameless wizard screens.

Minimum supported versions for Minimal Wizard Pages are Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Minimal Wizard Setups will work on other older operating systems provided if .Net 4.0 and above is present.

Choosing Minimal Wizard Pages

To choose Minimal Wizard Pages installation for your setup, click the Wizard Pages node. In the Wizard Interface view for this node, use the Installation Type setting and select Minimal.

To learn more, see the following:

•

Customizing Minimal Wizard Pages

WinUI-Based Wizard Pages

WinUI-based wizard pages provide a modern installation and uninstallation experience by leveraging the WinUI framework. This delivers a contemporary user interface with improved visual styling and support for Windows 11 design elements.

Note:WinUI (Windows UI Library) is a modern UI framework from Microsoft used to build Windows desktop apps with a native look and feel.

By enabling the WinUI framework, you can apply modern window styling options and material effects to create a more polished and consistent installer experience.

Choosing WinUI Wizard Pages

You can enable the WinUI framework for wizard pages in your setup:

To enable WinUI framework for wizard pages:

Open the Wizard Pages node.

Set the Installation Type setting to WinUI.

When the WinUI drop-down option is selected or set to the Installation Type setting, additional configuration options become also available, allowing you to further customize the installer appearance:

•

Enables the WINUI Frameless Window setting that allows you to specify whether WinUI-based wizard pages are displayed without a standard window frame. Available options are:

•

Yes—Displays WinUI-based wizard pages in a frameless window for a modern appearance.

•

No—Uses the standard window frame. By default, the WINUI Frameless Window setting is set to No.

•

Enables the following drop-down options in the Wizard Format setting that allows you to select the required visual style to be applied to the wizard pages:

•

Mica—Setting this option applies the Windows 11-style Mica material effect for a modern appearance.

•

Mica Alt—Setting this option applies the Mica Alt material effect, which provides a stronger background tint than Mica.

•

Acrylic—Setting this option applies the Windows 10-style Acrylic material effect instead of the Windows 11 Mica styling.

Minimum Requirements

WinUI-based wizard pages are supported on modern Windows platforms that support the WinUI framework. For compatibility details, refer to the system requirements in the documentation.

Settings for the Wizard Interface

For information about various settings for each area in the Wizard Interface view, see the help panes that are displayed when you click any setting in this view.