Customizing Installations Using Tuner
AdminStudio 2025 | 29.0 | Tuner
Using Tuner, you can add to, modify, or remove information from a Windows Installer package. This involves creating a transform file, where all the modifications are stored. When you install the package and transform together, your modifications are reflected in the installation.
Tuner allows you to configure the initial state of features, add or remove files from an installation, edit registry entries, configure setup properties, set Add/Remove Programs options, and configure servers for application resiliency. You can also validate Windows Installer packages and transform files to ensure they conform to Microsoft guidelines.
Tuner user documentation is presented in the following sections:
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Working with Transforms | Explains how to create a transform file to customize a Windows Installer-based installation. |
| Validation | Explains how to compare a Windows Installer-based installation to a known set of guidelines (an evaluation file) to ensure it has been created to those guidelines. |
| Setup Organization | Explains how to modify two main parts of the installation that your end users will see: the default path and default company name, and the actual features that can, will, or will not be installed. |
| Configuring Package Content | Explains how to use a transform file to manipulate the original package contents, including files and folders, registry entries, shortcuts, INI files, ODBC resources, and NT services. |
| Working with Dialogs | Explains how to disable particular panels that appear during the installation, administrative, patch, or maintenance sequences. |
| Configuring Additional Server Locations | Explains how to configure additional server locations. |
| Changing Add/Remove Program Settings | Explains how to configure the Windows setup to give the user the option of removing, repairing, or changing the installation with the click of a button. |
| Customizing Setup Properties | Explains how to edit property values in the properties table (the underlying structure of Windows Installer packages). You can also add your own custom properties. |
| Preparing Packages for Distribution | Explains how to postvalidate your transform and base Windows Installer package, and how to package the transform and base package for distribution. |
| Directly Editing Packages | Explains how to use the Direct Editor to edit values in the MSI tables of the base Windows Installer package and store them in your transform. |
| Documenting Response Transform Creation Using the Microsoft Step Recorder Tool | Explains how to use the Microsoft Steps Recorder documentation tool to record the steps taken during transform creation. |
| Tuner Reference | Information on Tuner Views and dialog boxes. |
When to Use Tuner vs. InstallShield Editor
Most system administrators use InstallShield Editor to import repackaged setups and convert them into Windows Installer packages. InstallShield Editor is also ideal for making changes to the package that you want reflected in all deployments of the package. However, it is recommended that you use Tuner to create transforms for changes that you only want to affect a particular deployment, rather than every installation.