InstallShield 2026 R1 Express Edition
InstallShield 2026 R1 Express Edition includes the following enhancements:
| • | New ISCmdBld.exe Command-Line Parameters for Configuring Custom Digital Signing |
| • | New Microsoft Runtime and Database Prerequisites |
New ISCmdBld.exe Command-Line Parameters for Configuring Custom Digital Signing
InstallShield 2026 R1 Express Edition enhances digital signing by introducing new command-line parameters. These command-line parameters allow you specify the location of a custom signing tool, configure a custom signing tool, and control whether the build-generated file (setup.exe) must be digitally signed. These command-line parameters must be used with the ISCmdBld.exe command-line tool when building a release to ensure that the setup.exe executable is digitally signed using a required or desired custom signing tool. The following are the newly introduced command-line parameters:
| • | -customsign_path <path to sign tool>—Use this parameter to specify the location of a custom signing tool that will be used to digitally sign the build-generated file (setup.exe). For example: |
ISCmdBld.exe -customsign_path "C:\Users\Admin\Documents\sign.bat"
| • | -customsign_args <arguments>—Use this parameter to specify the command-line argument for a custom signing tool's configuration. For example, |
IsCmdBld.exe -p "C:\InstallShield 2026 Projects\MyProject1.ism" -sign_output "Y" -customsign_path "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.19041.0\x64\signtool.exe" -customsign_args "sign /v /a /fd SHA256 /tr http://timestamp.digicert.com /td SHA256 [filename]"
Important:Specifying -sign_output "Y" is a prerequisite for using the -customsign_path and -customsign_args parameters.
The [filename] variable is a placeholder for the full path of the file to be signed. During build time, it resolves to the complete path of the binary being signed. By default, the file path is appended to the end of the argument list and passed to the custom signing tool. Instead of using a hard-coded path, you can use path variables, environment variables, or property names defined within your project.
| • | -sign_output <Y/N>—Use this parameter to specify whether the build-generated file (setup.exe) must be digitally signed. For example, use the following command line to enable digital signing: |
ISCmdBld.exe -sign_output "Y"
These parameters are particularly beneficial for automated build pipelines in CI/CD environments, where the default InstallShield signing mechanism may not meet specific organizational or security requirements.
For more information, see ISCmdBld.exe in the InstallShield Express Edition Help Library.
Note:This change was tracked in ISDEV-44198
New Microsoft Runtime and Database Prerequisites
InstallShield 2026 R1 Express Edition introduces the following new prerequisites, which are now available in the Redistributables explorer of the Application Data view:
| • | Microsoft Visual C++ 2017-2026 Redistributable Package (x64) |
| • | Microsoft Visual C++ 2017-2026 Redistributable Package (x86) |
| • | Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Redistributable (x64) |
These prerequisites enable your installation to install the required Microsoft technologies on target systems, if they are not already present, ensuring that your application has the necessary runtime components for successful execution.
Note:These changes were tracked in ISDEV-45107 and ISDEV-44984.