InstallShield by Revenera remains the industry-standard solution for developers needing to create reliable Windows installers and MSIX packages. The latest InstallShield 2025 release directly addresses modern deployment challenges by introducing native support for Windows Server 2025 and enhanced compatibility for Windows 11 on ARM architectures. This software simplifies the complex process of packaging applications, ensuring that setups run correctly on user machines while adhering to the latest Microsoft security and accessibility standards.
Key Features
- Windows Server 2025 & ARM Support: Developers can now build installers that specifically target the latest Windows Server 2025 platform and deploy files natively to ARM64 locations on Windows 11, ensuring broad compatibility across modern hardware.
- High Contrast Mode Support: The 2025 update enhances accessibility by ensuring all wizard pages, text, and navigation buttons in Advanced UI and Suite projects render clearly when Windows High Contrast Mode is active on a user's system.
- Visual Studio 2022 Integration: Engineering teams can create, build, and test installations directly within the Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 interface, keeping the installer development workflow unified with the application code.
- 64-Bit InstallScript Architecture: A new architecture setting allows for the creation of InstallScript-based setup launchers that run exclusively on x64 platforms, giving developers precise control over 64-bit and 32-bit deployment scenarios.
- MSI to MSIX Conversion: The software provides tools to easily convert existing MSI projects into the modern MSIX format, allowing legacy applications to take advantage of cleaner uninstalls and containerization without rewriting code.
- Custom Digital Signing: Teams can integrate their preferred external signing tools or use the built-in support for Azure Key Vault to digitally sign installers, meeting strict security compliance requirements during the build process.
Use Cases
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) use this platform to package commercial applications for mass distribution, ensuring professional first impressions and reducing support tickets related to installation failures. Enterprise DevOps teams also utilize it to repackage internal software for automated deployment across thousands of corporate workstations running Windows 10 and Windows 11.
InstallShield continues to be the definitive choice for professional installer development, offering a level of depth and customization that basic setup wizards simply cannot match.
Version 2025 R1 — July 2025
Added:
- High contrast mode support for Advanced UI installations
- 64-bit InstallScript setup launchers with new Architecture setting
- APPX/MSIX automation interface support
- Run 64-bit InstallScript custom actions setting
Improved:
- Error message management for build event failures
- Windows compatibility with latest versions
- Accessibility enhancements for visual impairments
Fixed:
- Various build and runtime stability issues
Security:
- Updated licensing server requirements for concurrent users
