NvinInstaller

The first impression makes up for half of the convincing needed for a product to be sold, or tried out. When it comes to computer programs, the installer can create this first impression, especially if it requires little effort on the end user’s behalf. Luckily, there are various applications like NvinInstaller which help you deliver your programs in an intuitive deployment package.

You spend little time deploying the application on your computer. However, .NET Framework needs to be installed on the target computer, because it’s a required component for functionality. On the other hand, modern Windows iterations come with it as a default feature, so there’s a chance it might already be there.

The main window takes you through a couple of sections, one to prepare all project properties, while the other is dedicated to source files of your project. The first refers to general publisher and product details, such as name, manufacturer, product description, comments, version, licence file, and output path.

Additional features can be specified in the form of folder items, but no actual files, or directories can be uploaded. Moreover, visual type can be set to complete interface, feature tree, or minimal.

When general details are all filled in, files can be uploaded. A tree view shows all added items, which need to be uploaded through the browse dialog. Unfortunately, choosing to add folder creates one inside the list, with no relation to an actual directory, leaving the only way to select the project file by file, which can take some time.

Selecting items from the list shows related properties in a panel, such as features, source, and whether to create desktop, and Start Menu shortcuts. Building the installed doesn’t really take a lot of time, but all fields must be filled in for the operation to be successful.

Bottom line is that NvinInstaller is a straightforward deployment package creator, with a rather disappointing overall set of features. File selection is poor, and time-consuming, with no options to configure registry integration. What’s more, all details are mandatory, while visual customization is almost missing entirely.