I've created an installation package using Installaware and generated an EXE and a MSI. The EXE is 3.1MB and the MSI is only 265K. Why is there such a big difference in size?
A:
The EXE probably contains setup routines that are otherwise performed by msiexec, which just executes whatever installation script is contained in the MSI.
Jim Brissom
2010-10-07 22:51:18
+1
A:
The difference is : MSI package contains your files + install script, and the actual installation is run by the Microsoft Installer which is a part of Windows, and it takes care of displaying Windows, logging messages etc. On the other hand, your EXE installer is holding files + actual program logic to run the install itself, being responsible for pretty much everything, hence the difference.
Jas
2010-10-07 22:52:06
One thing to note is that there are many versions of msiexec, and your .MSI file will require a certain version of the Microsoft Installer. That said, users who regularly update their Windows will always have the latest and greatest msiexec installed.
EboMike
2010-10-07 23:02:05