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Overview
First of all: Installator is Freeware (and intended for non commercial use)
Are you bored of clicking next buttons, typing your data into form fields and selecting
destinations for every single applications setup routine? Here's a solution to do all this in one step!
The goal is to also backup and restore your personal data - and only that data. Not an image of the whole harddisk but the few small files and registry settings the user (you) created.
Introduction
The main idea was to install Windows as often as needed COMPLETLY NEW to avoid the common problems with hardware (old drivers won't quit;-) and software (you'll never understand which file belong to which application and what is merely needed so far). And you don't want to mess around with a bucket of different Setups and Settings to get your System look, feel, and work as before. Don't forget the big amount of time you will spend on such an installation.
But it's even more:
What is it ?
The Installator ist a program to tweak your Windows installation in user defined ways.
It can perform Registry Key import/export, extract ZIP files to specified destinations and create shortcuts wherever you want. There are XML files containing theese information and they are parsed by the Installator and listed in a treeview with checkboxes.
Features:
- Fast and easy installation of everything
- Save/Restore your personal settings and data
- Sorted startmenu (kategories)
- Easy to use InstallScript Language in XML with:
- Zip-File extraction with a simple EXTRACT-Tag
- Shortcut creation with the SHORTCUT-Tag
- Registry Handling (create or change Reg-Keys)
- Environment with (system specific) constants (e.g. $programfiles$=c:\Programme or c:\program files) and even user defined variables (e.g. $gamedir$ = D:\User\Games)
- Resolving dependencies
- executing setups (.exe and .MSI)
Should i use it ?
A good question.
If you are happy with your Windows-System, installing a lot of software from the internet that makes the system instable ( of course it does ;-) ) but that dont' bother you and you are not very kind with what happens behind the GUI (or even don't know what a GUI is) that's not the right Tool for you.
Thist is made for people who want
- to perform a Windows installation with all drivers and software in short time without pressing any keys (go ahead and drink some coffee)
- a fast and structured Backup/Restore of there personal Settings in every application and even of the look and feel of Windows itself
- the opportunity to create own setup projects that fit different needs
- a ordered startmenu without all those unwanted help and webpage links of companies that know the brother of the wife of the pal who wrote the software.
- an XML-Based script language like Batchfiles where all scripts are managed in a treeview for a better overview
But you should know a bit about editing textfiles, navigate through the registry and export some keys and packing files into zip archives. Because there is no direct way to get your applications as "installator projects" you will have to create your own. Even if you get all the help i can offer you it will be some work to collect all the information you need. There are several Tools to help you but it's not easy at the beginning. If you decide to use the Installator i'm sure it will be worth spending some time at the beginning - you (and all your network neigborhood) will save this time later.
How does it work
The installator scans directories (set up in the config file) and reads .xml files that contain information about what should be done if it was selected for installation. Theese would resist on a network path in most cases or on a CDROM
Many applications will have a ZIP file that contain the files later copied to your "program files"-folder and perhaps a few DLLs for the "System" directory. And in most cases some "Registry" information containing file-associations, user info (such as name, company and serial numbers) and the settings for this application are stored in the XML file. The URL and destination of the "Startmenu" or "Quicklaunch" Bars are mentioned there too.
If you start the Installator you get a treeview of all available applications and settings to save/restore. You make your selction by clicking those checkboxes and finally press "Install". After that every command for each applications setup is performed.
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