The Windows installer is not only an installer application in the system but is also an extensible software management system. This Windows installer has the task of managing all the installations of software and also monitors the deletions and additions of new software components, manages files resiliency and it also maintains all the basic disaster recovery with the help of rollbacks. Apart from this the Windows installer also supports in installation and functioning of software from different sources and it can also be customized by the developers who need to install and run custom programs. Some of the key features of Windows installer include:

Helps in restoring original computer state during installation failure and Windows installer also keeps a track on all the changes made to system during the process of program installation. In case the installation does not succeed then the installer would restore the system to its original state called as rollback.

Windows installer helps in preventing certain types of inter-program clashes. It is actually very common for a program which is being uninstalled or installed to cause several problems with aother program which is already on the computer or even make the computer to stop responding. This Windows installer enforces some installation rules which aid in preventing clashes which is caused when installation functions makes updates to the DLL file shared by existing program or when the uninstallation process deletes an important DLL file that is shared by some other program

Windows installer also identifies and fixes corrupted programs. The program can ask the installer to determine if the installed program has any corrupted or missing files. It can also ask the Windows installer service to fix the program when necessary by just copying only those files which are corrupt or missing.

The Windows installer supports on-demand installations of the program features. Additionally the installer can also be instructed to install a minimal subset of the program initially. Later the components can be automatically installed instantly when you see a feature which needs additional components.

The Windows installer service is divided into two different parts but they work in combination. These are the Microsoft Software Installation or MSI package file and the client side installer service or Msiexec.exe. The Windows installer uses the data and information offered in the package file when installing a program. The Msiexec.exe file is a component of the Windows Installer and when it is called as setup the Msiexec.exe makes use of MSI.dll to read the package of .MSI files, then apply any transformation files or .mst files and incorporates the command line option offered by the setup. The Windows installer then performs all the installation related operations which includes copying of files on the hard disk, creating shortcuts on desktop, making registry modifications and display dialog boxes to prompt for the user installation preference whenever necessary. Therefore with the installation of Windows installer on a computer it would change the registered file type of .MSI files so that when you double click the .MSI file it would run the Msiexec.exe through that file.

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