A (Windows Installer)

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accessibility

Design implementation for making the installer's user interface accessible to all users. For more information about accessibility, see the overview topic: Accessibility.

acquisition phase

Phase of installation during which the installer determines procedure. Acquisition phase begins when an application or user instructs Windows Installer to install an application or feature. The installer then queries the database for information as it generates the execution script for the installation. For more information about the phases of an installation, see Installation Mechanism.

action

Many of the functions performed by Windows Installer are encapsulated into actions. Each action specifies the execution of a particular function and the total procedural flow of the installation is prescribed by the sequence of actions in the Sequence tables. Standard actions are built into Windows Installer. Custom actions are written by the author of the installation package.

Admin Approval Mode

The approval state enabled by User Account Protection (UAC) that runs all users with least privilege, including administrators. Users are required to provide consent to elevate installations that require administrator privileges.

advertising

Capability to make the interfaces required for loading and to make an application available without installing the application. When a user or application activates an advertised interface, the installer then proceeds to install the necessary components. The two types of advertising are assigning and publishing. For more information, see also install-on-demand. For more information about how the installer advertises applications, see Advertisement.

Application Information Service (AIS)

A system service of Windows Vista that facilitates starting installations that require elevated privileges to run. Provides the Consent UI used by User Account Control to prompt a user for administrator authorization.

assigning

Makes an application available, and makes it appear as if it has been installed to a user, without actually installing it. Assigning adds shortcuts and icons to the Start menu, associates appropriate files, and writes registry entries for the application. When a user tries to open an assigned application, then the installer installs the application. Assigning and publishing are two methods of advertising. For more information, see Advertisement.

asynchronous execution

Custom action during which the installer runs separate threads of the custom action and the current installation simultaneously. For more information, see Synchronous and Asynchronous Custom Actions.