Updated: July 10, 2020 (March 17, 2003)

Windows Application Installation Improves

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

Application installation is not a server function per se, but application problems, including the installation of a new application breaking an existing application, or a user changing the configuration of an existing application to the point where resetting the configuration requires reinstallation, contribute to the high costs of managing client PCs.

To enable Windows Server 2003 management features such as Group Policy and IntelliMirror to manage application software on the PC, Microsoft had to improve how applications are installed on Windows. A new version of the Windows Installer service supports new installation tasks, and the .NET Framework and improvements to the way in which shared components are supported in Windows XP ease component conflicts created during application installation. However, application installation is still not easy, and the so-called XCOPY deployment promised for applications that run under the .NET Framework still has limitations that might prevent it from being a practical means of deploying and installing client-side applications.

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Windows Application Installation Improves

Microsoft has further improved Windows to address the difficulty many business customers have with distributing and installing “thick”-client applications. A new version of the Windows Installer service provides support for new installation tasks, and the .NET Framework and improvements to the way shared components are supported in Windows XP ease “DLL Hell” issues created during application installation. However, application installation is still not easy, and the so-called XCOPY deployment promised for applications that run under the .NET Framework still has limitations that might prevent it from being a practical means of deploying and installing client-side applications.

This article deals solely with client-side software installation; improvements to Microsoft’s software distribution products and server-based application installation are not covered. Also, this article covers application installation only; none of the new features in Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 (formerly known as Windows .NET Server 2003) affects the way that components or patches for operating-systems (OSs) get installed.

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