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NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is a professional open source system to create Windows installers. It is designed to be as small and flexible as possible and is therefore very suitable for internet distribution.

Being a user's first experience with your product, a stable and reliable installer is an important component of succesful software. With NSIS you can create such installers that are capable of doing everything that is needed to setup your software.

NSIS is script-based and allows you to create the logic to handle even the most complex installation tasks. Many plug-ins and scripts are already available: you can create web installers, communicate with Windows and other software components, install or update shared components and more.

Features

NSIS can create Windows installers that are capable of installing, uninstalling, setting system settings, extracting files, etc. Because NSIS is based on script files, you can create both simple and advanced installers.

Small overhead size

NSIS is created to be small, fast and efficient. While other installers often add hundreds of kilobytes or several megabytes to your installer data, a full-featured NSIS installer has an overhead of only 34 KB.
Compatible with all major Windows versions

You can create a single installer that is compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Sever 2008 and Windows 7.

Unique compression methods

You can choose between three different integrated compression methods (ZLib, BZip2, LZMA). The new LZMA compression gives better results than any other common compression method. You don't have to use large self-extracting archive modules or other applications. The compression support is included in the 34 KB overhead.
Script based

Unlike other systems that can only generate installers based on a list of files and registry keys, NSIS has a powerful scripting language. This script language is designed for installers and has commands that help you to perform many installation tasks. You can easily add custom logic and handle different upgrades, version checks and more.

For standard installers or as a starting point for more complex ones, you can use one of the available script generation tools.

Multiple languages in one installer

One installer can support multiple interface languages. More than 40 translations are already included, but you can also create your own language files. RTL (right-to-left) languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are fully supported.

Many features and checks for the target system

The script language provides commands you can use on the target system, from simple features like folder creation and registry editing to text/binary file modification, modification of environment variables and system reboots. Using provided plug-ins, you can even use Windows API.

Custom dialogs and interfaces

You can create custom wizard pages to get user input or integrate configuration options. NSIS includes a classic and modern wizard interface, but it is even possible to create your own custom interface.

Plug-in system

NSIS can be extended with plug-ins that can communicate with the installer. They can be written in C, C++, Delphi or another language and can be used to perform installation tasks or extend the installer interface. You can use the plug-in with a single line of script code. Plug-ins can also be compressed like other installation data and will only be included when you are using the provided features.

Support for web installation, file patching

The NSIS distribution includes a set of plug-ins that allow you to download files from the internet, make internet connections, patch existing files and more.