Editing InstallShield

{{Short description|Software tool for creating installers or software packages}}
{{Infobox software
| name = InstallShield
| logo = InstallShield Logo.svg
| logo size = 250
| screenshot = InstallShield-Interface.jpg
| caption = InstallShield 2008 interface
| author = Viresh Bhatia and Rick Harold
| programming language = 
| developer = [[Revenera]]
| latest release version = 2024 R2
| latest release date = {{release date and age|2025|01|02}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date = 
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| genre = [[Installation (computer programs)#Installer|Installer]]
| license = [[Proprietary license|Proprietary]], [[Trialware]]
}}
'''InstallShield''' is a proprietary [[software tool]] for creating [[installer]]s or [[Software package (installation)|software packages]]. InstallShield is primarily used for installing software for [[Microsoft Windows]] desktop and server platforms, though it can also be used to manage software applications and packages on a variety of handheld and [[mobile device]]s.

== Features ==
InstallShield generates a [[.msi]] file which can be used on the destination computer in order to install the payloads from the source computer where it was created.
It is possible to specify questions, set prerequisites and registry settings that the user will be able to choose at the installation time.

== Development ==
InstallShield was originally developed by The Stirling Group, a company founded in 1987 by Viresh Bhatia and Rick Harold, who had first met when they were computer science students at [[Northwestern University]]. Their first office was a small room in the basement of an old library building in [[Roselle, Illinois]]. They were to market a geographic mapping software program, but it was never released.<ref name="edm1"/>

By 1990, The Stirling Group was selling a package of six products called the SHIELD Series, including InstallShield:<ref name="Mann1"/><ref name="Byte1"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|+ The Shield Series
! Product
! Description
|-
| DemoShield
| Create [[Technology demonstration|demonstrations]] and tutorials
|-
| InstallShield
| Create [[Installation (computer programs)#Installer|installation programs]]
|-
| UNInstallShield
| Uninstall the specific software created with InstallShield
|-
| TbxShield
| Toolbox [[Graphical widget|controls]]
|-
| DbxShield
| [[Dialog box]]es
|-
| MemShield
| [[Memory management]] library
|-
| LogShield
| Session recording and playback
|}

In 1993, The Stirling Group moved into larger offices in [[Schaumburg, Illinois]] and changed the company's name to Stirling Technologies, Inc. InstallShield became particularly well known after Microsoft endorsed it for use in [[Windows 95]], and by 1997 Stirling Technologies estimated that it was being used in 85 to 90 percent of all software products written for Windows.<ref name="Schmitt1" /><ref name="Schmitt2" /> Since 1996, the company operated under the InstallShield name until [[Macrovision]] acquired the business in 2004 for $76 million in cash plus an additional $20 million based on meeting sales targets.<ref name="Rose1"/>

Limited versions of InstallShield were at various times bundled with popular software development packages such as [[Microsoft Visual Studio#Visual Studio 6.0 (1998)|Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0]], [[Borland Delphi|Borland Delphi 2006]], and [[Borland C++Builder]].{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

On 1 April 2008, the Macrovision Software Business Unit (including the InstallShield brand) was sold to private equity firm [[Thoma Cressey Bravo]], forming a new company called [[Acresso Software]].<ref name="Flexera1"/>  In October 2009, Acresso Software changed its name to [[Flexera Software]].<ref name="Lai1"/>

In May 2020, Flexera rebranded its software monetization division focused on selling to software publishers as Revenera.<ref name="Revenera1"/>

== See also ==
* [[List of installation software]]

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="edm1">{{cite web
|title=The Stirling Group
|website=The Electronic Developer Magazine for OS/2
|url=http://www.edm2.com/index.php/The_Stirling_Group
|access-date=29 August 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911035807/http://www.edm2.com/index.php/The_Stirling_Group
|archive-date=11 September 2016
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Mann1">{{cite web
|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/03/01/meet-the-original-installshield-wizards/
|title=Meet The Original Installshield Wizards
|last=Mann
|first=Leslie
|date=1 March 1998
|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809231900/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-03-01/features/9803010431_1_software-animal-shelters-computer
|archive-date=9 August 2016
|access-date=21 November 2019
}}</ref>

<ref name="Byte1">{{cite magazine
|title=Six Windows and OS/2 Utilities
|magazine=[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]
|date=December 1991
|editor=Langa, Frederic S
|volume=16
|number=13
|page=72
|publisher=McGraw-Hill, Inc.
|location=Peterborough, NH, US
|issn=0360-5280
|url=https://vintageapple.org/byte/pdf/199112_Byte_Magazine_Vol_16-12_OS_2_2.0.pdf
|url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720194709/https://vintageapple.org/byte/pdf/199112_Byte_Magazine_Vol_16-12_OS_2_2.0.pdf
|archive-date=20 July 2019
|access-date=3 September 2021
}}</ref>

<ref name="Schmitt1">{{cite news
|first1=Anne
|last1=Schmitt
|title=Schaumburg Company makes it possible to open windows
|work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]
|date=5 November 1997
|pages=40
|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5603917/installshield_page_1/
|via=[[Newspapers.com]]
|access-date=17 June 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812235736/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5603917/installshield_page_1/
|archive-date=12 August 2016
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Schmitt2">{{cite news
|first1=Anne
|last1=Schmitt
|title=Schaumburg Company makes it possible to open windows
|work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]
|date=5 November 1997
|pages=41
|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5603910/installshield_page_2/
|via=[[Newspapers.com]]
|access-date=17 June 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813001000/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5603910/installshield_page_2/
|archive-date=13 August 2016
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Rose1">{{cite news
|first1=Barbara
|last1=Rose
|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/06/18/software-installer-may-fetch-96-million/
|title=Software installer may fetch $96 million
|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]
|date=18 June 2004
|access-date=17 August 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818044730/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-06-18/business/0406180318_1_software-developers-product-line-accretive
|archive-date=18 August 2017
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Flexera1">{{cite web
|url=https://www.flexerasoftware.com/producer/company/news-center/press-releases/Thoma-Bravo-Completes-Acquisition-Macrovision-Software-Business.html
|title=Thoma Bravo Completes Acquisition of Macrovision's Software Business Unit
|website=[[Flexera Software]]
|date=1 April 2008
|access-date=17 August 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818045230/https://www.flexerasoftware.com/producer/company/news-center/press-releases/Thoma-Bravo-Completes-Acquisition-Macrovision-Software-Business.html
|archive-date=18 August 2017
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Lai1">{{cite web
|url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2528916/enterprise-applications/acresso-who--macrovision-spinoff-changes-name--again.html
|title=Acresso who? Macrovision spinoff changes name, again
|first1=Eric
|last1=Lai
|date=9 October 2009
|website=[[Computerworld]]
|access-date=17 August 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818090123/http://www.computerworld.com/article/2528916/enterprise-applications/acresso-who--macrovision-spinoff-changes-name--again.html
|archive-date=18 August 2017
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

<ref name="Revenera1">{{cite web
|url=https://www.revenera.com/about-us/press-center/introducing-revenera-flexera-rebrands-its-division-serving-software-and-iot-companies.html
|title=Introducing Revenera: Flexera Rebrands Its Division Serving Software and IoT Companies
|date=28 May 2020
|publisher=Revenera
|access-date=3 September 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930102633/https://www.revenera.com/about-us/press-center/introducing-revenera-flexera-rebrands-its-division-serving-software-and-iot-companies.html
|archive-date=30 September 2020
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

</references>

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}

[[Category:Installation software]]
[[Category:Utilities for Windows]]