Installer | Windows
For managing built-in (like Hyper-V or WSL) rather than application features, administrators typically use tools like DISM or PowerShell cmdlets like Install-WindowsFeature . Windows Installer Features - Win32 apps - Microsoft Learn
: Developers can author packages that allow features to be "advertised" but not fully installed until the user attempts to use them for the first time. Common Use Cases for Developers
: Features are designed from the user's perspective. Users can select which features they want to install via the installer's SelectionTree Control . Windows Installer
: Features can have a parent-child relationship. If a child feature is selected for installation, its parent feature is automatically included.
In the context of the , a feature is a specific part of an application's total functionality that a user can recognize and choose to install independently. For example, in a productivity suite, a feature might be a spell-checker, a thesaurus, or a collection of clip art. Key Characteristics of Windows Installer Features For managing built-in (like Hyper-V or WSL) rather
: Letting users skip unnecessary tools to save disk space.
: While users see features, the installer actually manages components . One feature can consist of multiple components, which are the smallest coherent units (files, registry keys, etc.) that the installer installs or removes together. Users can select which features they want to
When authoring an installation package , developers define features in the Feature Table of the MSI database. This allows for:
