ScriptMaker Tutorial

The [Setup] Page

Next we must choose a Default Group Name for the installation. This is the entry under which the installed program will appear in the user's Start Menu. The entry can be a straight-forward one line AppName or a composite one such as Tools\AppName.

The Allow No Icons checkbox is used to determine whether Setup will display a "Don't create any icons" checkbox during installation, which allows the user to skip creation of any icons on the Start Menu.

Checking the Append Default Dir to Selected Dir. checkbox (the default state) makes Setup automatically append the last path from the Default Directory Name field to directories the user double-clicks on the Select Directory wizard page. In addition, it sets the directory list box's initial directory to Default Directory Name (if the directory exists) instead of one level up. Note that Inno Setup works in the opposite sense to this checkbox - when the checkbox is checked, the DisableAppendDir flag is set to 0 (in fact it isn't included in the script at all), while unchecking the checkbox sets the flag to 1.

Normally the user cannot install the application to the Root directory of a drive. If Allow Root Directory is checked, however, installation to the Root directory will be allowed.

From version 1.3 onwards, Inno Setup records the directory where the user installed the application. If Use Previous App. Directory is selected, Inno Setup will try to find this record when the user installs a new version of the application.

Setup Options

The Disable Start Prompt checkbox, if checked, stops the display of the "This will install AppName on your computer. Do you wish to continue?" message when installation commences.

The Disable Application Directory creation option also affects whether the "Select Destination Directory" page is shown during installation, but if this option is selected the installation directory will be the user's Windows directory (the {app} directory constant then becomes the same as the {win} directory constant). Any uninstall files will also be installed in the Windows directory.

Next we come to the Create Uninstall Icon option. If selected, this causes an uninstall icon to be included in the group of files shown on the user's Start Menu. A name for the icon can be entered in the Uninstall Icon Name field. Whether this choice is selected or not, it does not affect whether uninstallation is possible via the Add/Remove Programs applet.

If your setup installs the same file to several different locations, Inno Setup normally includes only one copy of that file in the setup. By checking Don't Merge Duplicate Files you can force Inno Setup to include the file several times.

If the installation folder chosen by the user already exists, Inno Setup normally displays a message to that effect. From the "Directory Exists" Warning combo you can choose one of three options which affect how Inno Setup deals with this. auto is the default and Inno Setup will query the use of an existing directory unless another version of the same application is already installed and the user has chosen the same directory. Choosing no will disable the warning message, while choosing yes will cause it always to be shown when the directory chosen by the user already exists.

Related to the last checkbox is the Enable "Dir Doesn't Exist" Warning checkbox. When this is checked, Setup will display a message box if the directory the user selects doesn't exist.

The Disable Select Destination Directory option, if checked, prevents the user from choosing a different destination directory when installing the application. Inno Setup will therefore always use the directory you entered in the Default Directory Name field on the [Initial Setup] page.

The Disable Select Program Group option affects whether the "Select Program Group" page is shown during installation. If this checkbox is selected, the page will not be shown and the group name you entered in the Default Group Name field will be used.

The Always Restart option, if selected, will make Setup prompt the user to restart his/her computer after installation has completed. This will happen regardless of whether it is made necessary by the options set for any of the installation files on the [Files] page.

If you are creating a setup for use under Windows NT, you may wish to check the Always Use Personal Group (NT) checkbox. Normally on Windows NT, Inno Setup's {group} constant points to the All Users start menu if the user has administrative privileges. When this checkbox is checked, it always uses the current user's profile.

If your installation changes Windows' file associations you should check the Changes Associations checkbox. If this option is not selected the correct file icon will not be shown until after the user next reboots his/her computer.

ReadMe Files