SMS Installer Overview

You run SMS Installer on a reference computer that is configured to match the target computers. Target computers are the computers that receive the installation package. For more information, see the "Reference Computer Preparation" section later in this chapter.

When you run SMS Installer, it gathers the necessary configuration data and automatically generates an installation script for the application. You can then use SMS Installer to modify the installation script. For example, you can modify the installation script to prompt users for specific information, translate user messages into different languages, or include support for restoring to a previous installation. You can also modify the installation script to run in the background without user input.

When the installation script is ready, you can use SMS Installer to convert the script into an SMS Installer-generated executable file or Windows Installer file that can be distributed to target computers and run. The Windows Installer packages can leverage the install on demand, repair, and advertise features that are provided by Windows Installer. You can distribute packages throughout your organization by using SMS advertisements, posting packages to the Internet or bulletin board system, or copying packages onto floppy disks or a CD. Setup files that are created by SMS Installer will run on Microsoft Windows® 98, Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 (with the latest service pack), Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows XP.

For More Information

Did you find this information useful? Please send your suggestions and comments about the documentation to smsdocs@microsoft.com.