What’s New in InstallShield 2025
InstallShield includes the following new features:
| • | New Features in InstallShield 2025 R2 |
| • | New Features in InstallShield 2025 R1 |
New Features in InstallShield 2025 R2
For information about new features added in InstallShield 2025 R2, refer to the following sections:
| • | Enhanced Virtual Machine Support |
| • | New Registry Condition Type on InstallShield Prerequisite Condition Dialog |
Enhanced Virtual Machine Support
InstallShield 2025 R2 enhances the virtual machine detection capability by introducing support for the following virtual environments where installations can be executed:
| • | Xen |
| • | Amazon EC2 Instance |
| • | QEMU |
| • | Parallels Desktop |
| • | Google Compute |
| • | Microsoft Azure |
| • | EverRun |
This expanded support for virtual machines (mentioned above) enables InstallShield to accurately identify the environment in which an installation is running, resulting in more reliable and predictable installation behavior. It allows for thorough compatibility checks across a wide range of virtual platforms, reduces the risk of installation errors, and ensures a seamless, smoother experience for users regardless of the underlying system.
New Registry Condition Type on InstallShield Prerequisite Condition Dialog
InstallShield 2025 R2 introduces a new condition type named A registry entry matches a wildcard pattern and has a specified version value on the Prerequisite Condition dialog box. Selecting and configuring this condition type enables InstallShield to check the target system whether version number that is stored as the value data within each registry key—that matches with the specified or entered registry subkey name—is greater than, less than, or equal to the specified or entered version number.
Selecting this new condition type allows you to specify the predictable portion of the registry subkey name along with the wild-card characters (%)—in the Specify the registry key name to check field, the name of the registry value—in the Specify the registry value name to check field, and the value data—in the Specify the registry value data to check field.
When specifying a predictable registry subkey name pattern, the wild-card characters (%) must be used with the registry subkey name.
For example:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Updates\.NET Core\%Microsoft .NET Core%
In this case, InstallShield searches for all registry subkeys under the .NET Core node on the target system whose names contain the Microsoft .NET Core string and then evaluates the entered or specified registry value and value data within each matching registry subkey.
Note:The wild-card characters (%) can be used multiple times within the registry subkey name for highly flexible and precise searches. For example, pattern like “%Microsoft% %.NET% %Core%” allows InstallShield to identify a wide range of related registry subkeys.
This condition type allows you to select the appropriate condition—via the Run this Prerequisite if dropdown—to compare the registry entry specified in this dialog box with the registry entry on the target machine. It also allows you to select the appropriate option to specify which registry location is required to check on a 64-bit system: 32-bit or 64-bit. The Default radio button indicates no specific option has been chosen and the 32-bit registry location will be checked.
For more information, see Prerequisite Condition Dialog Box.
New Features in InstallShield 2025 R1
For information about new features added in InstallShield 2025 R1, refer to the following sections:
| • | Support High Contrast Mode in Advanced UI and Suite/Advanced UI Installations |
| • | Support to Building 64-Bit InstallScript-Based Setup Launchers |
Support High Contrast Mode in Advanced UI and Suite/Advanced UI Installations
In earlier versions, text elements—such as body text and header text—and navigation button labels on the wizard pages during an Advanced UI and Suite/Advanced UI installer installation were not legible when high contrast mode was enabled on the target system.
In InstallShield 2025 R1, the Advanced UI and Suite/Advanced UI installations have been enhanced to support the high contrast mode on the target system. With this enhancement, text elements—such as body text and header text—and navigation button labels on the each wizard pages are now clearly legible when high contrast mode is configured on the target system, ensuring improved accessibility and user experience
For more information, see Supporting High Contrast Mode on Wizard Pages in Advanced UI or Suite/Advanced UI Installation.
Support to Building 64-Bit InstallScript-Based Setup Launchers
Project:
| • | InstallScript |
| • | InstallScript MSI |
In InstallShield 2025 R1, a new setting named Architecture has been introduced on the Build tab of a release in the Releases explorer of the Media view. This setting provides enhanced flexibility by allowing you to build the InstallScript-based setup launcher for both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) Windows platforms, or exclusively for 64-bit (x64) Windows platforms, depending on your deployment requirements.
With the introduction of this setting, you can now easily target the appropriate system architecture to better align with your application's runtime environment. The following are the available options:
| • | x86—Selecting this option builds a 32-bit setup launcher that will run on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms. |
| • | x64—Selecting this option builds a 64-bit setup launcher that is intended to run only on 64-bit Windows platforms. |
By default, this setting is set to x86.