Although some solutions can be installed on your machine just by duplicating files from a DVD, CD or something else, a lot of software solutions need you to create installation of them using a software installer.
When you get some program, it is sometimes shipped in an achieved distributive format.
Programmers who want to save time or customer support service costs you may choose to use an open source or commercial installation software.
If you work with Windows operation system, you might use Microsoft Windows Installer that helps programmers create installation.
IntstallShield and SetupBuilder are 2 more installation software applications for Microsoft Windows platform.
All of them may make the so-called packages that can let you install software on any Windows system.
Not happy with commercial installer creator programs? There are also a couple of nice open source applications available. Check out Clickteam Install Creater and Innosetup, to name a couple.
Many software applications these days are made for more than 1 system.
Developers usually find the job of making install setups for each of the systems to be quite difficult.
If each installer creator for each system be it Linux, Windows XP, Mac OS or some other platform was developed separately, it would require quality assurance,i.e. extra time in development and testing to assure a satisfactory experience to users.
Fortunately, there are also cross-platform install maker programs.
For instance, InstallAnywhere that is a commercial setup creator, or an open source Java install maker for different systems called IzPack.
If we speak of installers, it would be wrong not to mention their counterparts,that is uninstallers.
A couple of years ago many applications could not be uninstalled correctly without the assistance of special 3rd-party solutions.
3rd-party uninstallers are rarely used this way now, as they are often less efficient than built-in uninstallers.
But third-party uninstallers have not disappeared just yet.
Many applications have functionalities that are not deleted by the standard uninstall application.
Trojan and spyware applications pose one more challenge to your PC.
Such a soultion does not delete itself voluntarily, so some help from a dedicated uninstaller could be needed.
Uninstallers sometimes possess some extra abilities such as a cache and temporary files manager, etc.
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