What Is Windows Installer?The Windows Installer Service manages application installation, modification, repair and removal. It also helps reduce DLL conflicts and allows improved management of desktop applications. Windows Installer packages are self-contained database files containing requirements and instructions that are followed when applications are installed. Windows Installer is included in Windows XP. If you are using Windows XP, then you will already have Windows Installer on your PC. If you are using Win95, Win98 WinME, WinNT, or Win2000, you will already have it if you have previously installed an application that used it. The easy way to find out is to click double-click the distribution MSI file. If Windows knows how to open it, then you already have Windows Installer! Windows Installer is available as an upgrade for Win95, Win98, WinME, WinNT and Win2000. There are two versions of the upgrade... one for Win95/Win98/ME and one for Windows NT/2000. How Do I Obtain Windows Installer?The Windows Installer could be included in the installation packages, but it would make the download size much larger, and as noted above, many users will already have it. To download Windows Installer for Windows 95/98/ME click here. (1.6 MB from Microsoft site) To download Windows Installer for WinNT and Win2000 click here. (1.8 MB from Microsoft site)
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