Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows

A few final setup details to consider:

• Name your setup program Setup.exe. Place the setup program in the root directory of the distribution media. This is the name (as well as Install.exe) and location that is expected by the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet.
• Be careful with Custom installations. Since you want all user choices to result in valid installations, don't give the user the option to not install required files. All the custom choices should be to install optional files.
• Be careful with the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet. Not all users know that the way to remove Windows programs is through the Add/Remove Programs applet. Even fewer know that the way to add components to a Windows program is also through the Add/Remove Programs applet. Many users try to perform these tasks by using the original setup program. To eliminate this confusion, include options in your setup program to add components and to uninstall. If the user clicks these options, give instructions and then launch the Add/Remove Programs utility. This technique will make the process much more visible.
• If installing from a CD-ROM, use the CD-ROM drive as the default drive letter for installation source paths. If installing from a floppy, use the floppy disk drive letter as the default. Do not assume that floppies are on drive A.
• If the setup program uses multiple disks, it should never ask the user to install a disk more than once. Lay out the files so that the user doesn't have to reinsert the same disk multiple times. Use volume labels to make sure the user has inserted the right disk, and put the volume labels on the disk labels for easy identification.
• The setup program should always include a progress indicator to show users how far along they are in the setup process. This progress indicator should show the total progress, not the progress for an individual step, since the progress of a single step is meaningless to most users and the sight of a progress indicator zipping back and forth can be distracting.
• Don't require access to the distribution media just to exit the setup program. I have been bitten by this several times. I install a program and then, thinking that I am done, remove the installation disk and put it away. Sometime later I discover a silly dialog box saying something like Installation Complete! but when I click the OK button the setup program insists on having access to the distribution media. This is totally unnecessary and very annoying.
• If you do need to restart Windows during the installation process, be sure to ask for permission first.
• Your setup program should always give the user a chance to cancel the setup process before it's finished. It should keep track of files that have been copied and settings that have been made so that it can clean up a canceled installation and restore the user's system to its original state.
• If you localize your program to other languages, be sure to localize the setup program as well.