InstallShield 2023 R2
InstallShield 2023 R2 includes the following enhancements:
| • | New Setting to Enable 64-Bit Signing Framework |
| • | Automation Interface Support to Override the Setup.exe Version |
| • | Setup.exe's New Parameter to Customize Temporary Extraction Directory |
| • | Support for Digitally Signing .mst Files Using Build Events |
| • | Missing Components Now Displayed in Build Errors |
| • | New Prerequisite for SQL Server 2022 |
New Setting to Enable 64-Bit Signing Framework
InstallShield 2023 R2 introduces a new setting named Use 64-Bit Signing on the Signing tab of the Releases explorer on the Media view, that enables you to use the 64-bit signing framework to digitally sign a package. Available options are:
| • | Yes—Enables the 64-bit signing framework to digitally sign. |
| • | No—Enables the 32-bit signing framework to digitally sign. |
By default, this setting is set to No.
Note:This setting is required if the cloud-based signing solutions like the Amazon Cloud HSM are used.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-43436.
Automation Interface Support to Override the Setup.exe Version
InstallShield 2023 R2 introduces an automation interface support named LauncherFileVersion, to override the default file version with a custom file version for the Setup.exe.
This read-write string property of the ISWiReleases object is available in the Basic MSI, InstallScript, and InstallScript MSI projects.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-43367.
Setup.exe's New Parameter to Customize Temporary Extraction Directory
For the Setup.exe launcher, InstallShield 2023 R2 introduces a new command-line parameter named /tempextractpath.
By default, the InstallShield setup extracts temporary files to the %TEMP% directory, loads these files to complete the installation, and then removes them once installation is completed. These temporary files include support files, billboards, and other InstallShield engine files used for executing custom actions. There are a few environment restriction scenarios, such as an antivirus which blocks an application from running executables from this %TEMP% extracted directory.
Using this parameter is recommended to customize the extraction directory in these scenarios. Security aspects have been considered by InstallShield while extracting and loading these files and binaries from a customized location.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-42332.
Support for Digitally Signing .mst Files Using Build Events
Previously, there was no option to sign .mst files from build events that were generated during build time. This prevented the customers from using the alternative signing scripts from build events instead of the InstallShield built-in signing option.
InstallShield 2023 R2 includes support to digitally sign .mst files, by enabling you to specify the script for signing them using the Precompression Event setting on the Event tab for a release in the Releases explorer on the Media view.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-43495.
Missing Components Now Displayed in Build Errors
In previous releases, when upgrading to the latest version of InstallShield, if some files are unavailable in a specific directory, the build errors that were generated specified only the missing files, not their missing components.
In InstallShield 2023 R2, to improve troubleshooting, build errors now list both missing component names and missing files.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-43296.
New Prerequisite for SQL Server 2022
Project:This information applies to the following project types:
| • | Basic MSI |
| • | InstallScript |
| • | InstallScript MSI |
InstallShield 2023 R2 introduces a prerequisite named Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Express (x64) for SQL Server 2022. This prerequisite has been added in the Redistributables explorer of the Application Data view.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-43523.