Advanced Installer Upgrade Guide
Everything you should know about upgrading
to a newer version of Advanced Installer

Side-by-Side Installation
vsRemoving Previous Version

Contents

Pros & Cons Upgrading or NOT

How To Check for
Product Updates

Identifying theUpgrade Options

Side-By-Side
Installation Option

Addressing Main
Concerns

FAQ & Further
Steps

Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Getting Started - How to Upgrade Your Advanced Installer
Advanced Installer Must-KnowŢ If there are critical bugs, weusually launch a point releasewith the fix in one or two days
after the bug report.
Ţ Sometimes, we share the fix
privately with customers whoemail us before the official
release.
Ţ Our support is the bestin class, with an average
response time of under 24h,during working days.
Must-Read Resources:
Ţ Advanced Installer Overview
2021
Ţ Advanced Installer LatestWebinars
Ţ Advanced Installer Version
History“As a Windows Consultant, I needto help my customers to upgrade
to the latest Windows versions, thismeans I have to face many app
compatibility issues.I always haveto package or script the app to run
it in the latest Windows version.
This process hadn’t been easy withthe available free tools, but then I
met Advanced Installer, an amazing
solution that makes my job easier:I can repackage the app easily,
create MST files, create awesome
installers, deploy them throughMDT or SCCM and even add
customizations to the original app.
I really love how Advanced Installer
works, and the amazing support
they have, because I know I canask for help without any problem.”Our agile approach to constantly monitoring and responding
to customers’ requirements is a key aspect in helping themaccomplish their objectives and goals.
We believe that a close partnership with our vendors sets theground for their business’ success and ensures a smooth
relationship between their software product and their endusers.

Why keep your software packaging tool up to date
• Improved performance• Bug fixes• New features• Reliable security• Increased compatibility• Reduces costs

Interesting Fact
The average product updates rate of Advanced
Installer is 12 product updates/year with anaverage delivery rate of 300 enhancements andbug fixes per year.

We know that upgrading your projects to a newer version ofAdvanced Installer is no small feat.
Therefore, we have included essential information in this guidethat will assist you in discovering your options when it comesto upgrading to a newer version.

Sergio Calderon
MVP WINDOWS AND DEVICES FOR IT |WINDOWS INSIDER MVP

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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Pros & Cons - Upgrading or NOT to a New Version
Pros: Access to bug fixes that might affect you without knowing it Access to new features and technologies, new integrations that help you do things thatwere not possible with older versions
 Access to improvements that will surely simplify your work Up-to-date documentation, tutorials, and how-to’s that match the latest versionsCons: Depending on the installer’s complexity, the conversion can be done quickly or not.

Mentions• In fact, we do recommend you upgrade it at least two or threetimes each year to reduce a conglomerate of major issues andbugs compared to an upgrade done once every few years.
• If you have a big break between upgrades, you have higher
chances of experiencing issues during a project conversion.
• Upgrading several times during a year almost eliminates
conversion bugs’ complexity and risks.

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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

How To Check for Product Updates
We acknowledge that the computing environment is always evolving, and we strive to stay
updated with the latest changes in the packaging industry. Thus, using an up-to-date productmeans being up-to-date with the industry’s current trends and changes.

Three Ways to Check for Advanced Installer Product Updates
1. Checking manually for updates
This option implies manual interventions.
All you have to do is to:• Open the File Menu in the Advanced Installer
application User Interface• Hover over the “Help” section• Select “About” Menu
Once you go through the above steps, you areprompted to a wizard automatically, which informs
you if there are any available updates.
2. Automatic pop-up message
The second option is the automatic pop-up
message that is shown whenever a new version ofAdvanced Installer is available.
You have three options you can choose from:• Download and install the version• Set a reminder for the next day• Disable the automatic updates check3. Check the Advanced Installer website for thelatest release
The third option is to go to our Download page andcheck the latest version available for download.
Alternatively, you can check the newest releaseavailable on our Release Notes history page orsimply check the product announcement message
from the Advanced Installer UI dedicated section.

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Advanced Installer
v19.2
Download

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Identifying the Upgrading Options
There are two methods to upgrade your project to a newer version of Advanced Installer.
Remove the previous version installed on yourmachine and install the new version.

Choose the side-by-side installation option
and have both product versions installed.

Aside from the two options, you can always test the latest version of Advanced Installer on aVirtual Machine since it won’t interfere with your machine’s resources

Side-By-Side Installation Option
The side-by-side installation allows you to install multiple versions of Advanced Installer on thesame machine.

Side-By-Side Installation - Advantages
We recommend you install the newer version of Advanced Installer using the side-by-side option
since it brings numerous advantages.
 It allows you to quickly test something against two different versions of the product It allows you to keep previous versions installed, just in case the newer version has problems
 It allows you to easily scan what has changed between the previous and newer versions
 It is a good opportunity to decide whether to use the newer version brings new
improvements and functionalities that you might need
 It simplifies the testing process of your project during upgrades - evaluating newly added
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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Side-By-Side Installation - How to Apply It
Applying a side-by-side installation is a straightforward process and consists of four steps.
1. Check for Product Updates (go to this section to choose the most suitable option for you)
2. Download and launch the installation kit of the newer version
3. During the installation, you will be prompted with a dialog that lets you decide whether you
want to remove the older version(s) or install it side-by-side.
4. Choose the side-by-side installation option.

Good To Know
You can install the new version on the same machine, in different
installation folders. They can both run at the same time.
If you have automated scripts that trigger builds or a Visual Studioextension, you might need to update them to specify exactly whichversion of Advanced Installer you want to be used.

Addressing Main Concerns - Upgrading and Testing 		Your Project
You need to take three mandatory steps to start testing your project conversion
Ţ First Step
Open your Advanced Installer Project (.AIP file) using the new version of Advanced Installer.
Ţ Second Step
Build your newly loaded Advanced Installer Project file.
Ţ Third Step
Save your project. Upon saving the project in the newer version of Advanced Installer, abackup copy is created next to the original project, so don’t worry about losing any work.

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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Recommendation

Make sure you do not remove the backup file, as once the project
was saved in the latest version, it can no longer be opened in olderversions.
If something goes south, you can use the backup copy to continue
developing your project in the older version.

Testing Your Project - Aspects You Should Pay Close
Attention to When testing a project conversion, you should first make sure that there are no big User
Interface changes, and if there are any should, you should inspect whether these changes
affect the project’s structure in any way.
 Make sure the installer behaves the same, the application resources are installed as
expected, and that no functionalities were altered after the conversion.
 Another part you need to test is the build automation (e.g. Visual Studio builds or any other
CI/CD integration you have).
 Make sure to test all the install scenarios of the application:
ȋ New install,ȋ Upgrade,ȋ Uninstall,ȋ Maintenance,
ȋ Silent and full UI
 The last checks that need to be tested are for the final package that gets built. Is the newpackage looking and behaving like the one generated with the previous version?
 Automation is your friend. Use it to cover 90% of the test scenarios mentioned above.

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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Frequently Asked Questions - Further Steps
1. How do we test Advanced Installer before each release?
Here’s a short list of solid testing scenarios we apply before each Advanced Installer’srelease. Most of them are automated and run daily.
 Test that all of our current project options work.
 Test that newly added features work.
 Test that the bugs found during the last version are fixed.
 Test that the UI does not have any data displayed wrong.
 Check that the installer correctly executes
 It installs files in the correct folder, It correctly adds registries, etc.)
 Check that creating upgrades/patches functionality works.

2. Will I lose my project’s functionality if something is not working right in
the latest version?
No. When we save an old project with a newer version of Advanced Installer, we createa backup copy, so that the project can still be modified in an older version of Advanced
Installer. So, don’t worry about losing any of your work.

3. Do I need to buy a license when upgrading to a newer version ofAdvanced Installer?
To upgrade to a newer version of Advanced Installer, you need to have an active
Maintenance Plan. You can either extend your maintenance plan or renew it. All new licenses
include a 12 months maintenance plan.
If you don’t have an active Maintenance Plan, you can still try the latest version of Advanced
Installer through our 30-day full-featured trial.

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Complete Guide - How to Upgrade to a Newer Version of Advanced Installer

Next Steps
To learn more about how Advanced Installer upgrades work, and get information on
how to get started and prepare your migration, send us an email atsupport@advancedinstaller.com

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Advanced Installer
At-a-glance
Launched in 2005, Advanced Installer is an application packaging tool designed for software developers and IT
Professionals to package and deploy applications easily and securely on Windows format.

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