Inno Setup Dependency Installer

Inno Setup Dependency Installer downloads and installs the dependencies of your application, such as .NET, Visual C++ or SQL Server, before your application is installed. You only need to add one code line per dependency. Dependencies that are already installed are skipped. More than 60 dependencies are built in, and you can add your own.

Requires Inno Setup 6.7 or newer.

Getting started

1. Download this repository and copy CodeDependencies.iss next to your setup script.

2. Include it at the start of your [Code] section and add the dependencies in the InitializeSetup event function. If your script already has this function, add the calls there. Choose the dependencies from the table below:

   [Code]
   #include "CodeDependencies.iss"
   
   function InitializeSetup: Boolean;
   begin
     Dependency_AddVC14;             // Visual C++ Redistributable
     Dependency_AddDotNet100Desktop; // .NET Desktop Runtime for WPF and Windows Forms apps
   
     Result := True;
   end;

3. Set these values in the [Setup] section:

   [Setup]
   ; dependencies are installed for all users, which needs administrative rights
   PrivilegesRequired=admin
   ; installs 64-bit dependencies on x64 and ARM64 Windows
   ; remove this line if your application and its dependencies are 32-bit only
   ArchitecturesInstallIn64BitMode=x64compatible or arm64

4. Compile your setup.

ExampleSetup.iss is a complete example that uses every dependency. Remove or comment out the ones you do not need:

Dependency_AddVC2013;   // installed
//Dependency_AddVC2013; // not installed

Supported dependencies

Call these functions in InitializeSetup. Each function adds the dependency only if it is not installed yet. The x86, x64 or ARM64 version is selected automatically.

Dependency	Function
.NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1	Dependency_AddDotNet35
.NET Framework 4.0	Dependency_AddDotNet40
.NET Framework 4.5.2	Dependency_AddDotNet45
.NET Framework 4.6.2	Dependency_AddDotNet46
.NET Framework 4.7.2	Dependency_AddDotNet47
.NET Framework 4.8	Dependency_AddDotNet48
.NET Framework 4.8.1	Dependency_AddDotNet481
.NET Core Runtime 3.1	Dependency_AddNetCore31
ASP.NET Core Runtime 3.1	Dependency_AddNetCore31Asp
.NET Desktop Runtime 3.1	Dependency_AddNetCore31Desktop
.NET Runtime 5.0	Dependency_AddDotNet50
ASP.NET Core Runtime 5.0	Dependency_AddDotNet50Asp
.NET Desktop Runtime 5.0	Dependency_AddDotNet50Desktop
.NET Runtime 6.0	Dependency_AddDotNet60
ASP.NET Core Runtime 6.0	Dependency_AddDotNet60Asp
.NET Desktop Runtime 6.0	Dependency_AddDotNet60Desktop
.NET Runtime 7.0	Dependency_AddDotNet70
ASP.NET Core Runtime 7.0	Dependency_AddDotNet70Asp
.NET Desktop Runtime 7.0	Dependency_AddDotNet70Desktop
.NET Runtime 8.0	Dependency_AddDotNet80
ASP.NET Core Runtime 8.0	Dependency_AddDotNet80Asp
ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle 8.0	Dependency_AddDotNet80Hosting
.NET Desktop Runtime 8.0	Dependency_AddDotNet80Desktop
.NET Runtime 9.0	Dependency_AddDotNet90
ASP.NET Core Runtime 9.0	Dependency_AddDotNet90Asp
ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle 9.0	Dependency_AddDotNet90Hosting
.NET Desktop Runtime 9.0	Dependency_AddDotNet90Desktop
.NET Runtime 10.0	Dependency_AddDotNet100
ASP.NET Core Runtime 10.0	Dependency_AddDotNet100Asp
ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle 10.0	Dependency_AddDotNet100Hosting
.NET Desktop Runtime 10.0	Dependency_AddDotNet100Desktop
Visual C++ 2005 Service Pack 1 Redistributable	Dependency_AddVC2005
Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable	Dependency_AddVC2008
Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable	Dependency_AddVC2010
Visual C++ 2012 Update 4 Redistributable	Dependency_AddVC2012
Visual C++ 2013 Update 5 Redistributable	Dependency_AddVC2013
Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (2015–2026)	Dependency_AddVC14
SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2 Express	Dependency_AddSql2008Express
SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 4 Express	Dependency_AddSql2012Express
SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 3 Express	Dependency_AddSql2014Express
SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 3 Express	Dependency_AddSql2016Express
SQL Server 2017 Express	Dependency_AddSql2017Express
SQL Server 2019 Express	Dependency_AddSql2019Express
SQL Server 2022 Express	Dependency_AddSql2022Express
SQL Server 2025 Express	Dependency_AddSql2025Express
OLE DB Driver 19 for SQL Server	Dependency_AddSqlOleDb19
ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server	Dependency_AddSqlOdbc18
Access Database Engine 2016	Dependency_AddAccessDatabaseEngine2016
Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime (VSTO)	Dependency_AddVSTORuntime
DirectX End-User Runtime	Dependency_AddDirectX
WebView2 Runtime	Dependency_AddWebView2
Windows App SDK Runtime 1.6 (WinUI 3)	Dependency_AddWinAppRuntime16
Windows App SDK Runtime 1.7 (WinUI 3)	Dependency_AddWinAppRuntime17
Windows App SDK Runtime 1.8 (WinUI 3)	Dependency_AddWinAppRuntime18
Windows App SDK Runtime 2 (WinUI 3)	Dependency_AddWinAppRuntime2
OpenJDK 8 (Eclipse Temurin, x86/x64)	Dependency_AddJava8
OpenJDK 11 (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, x64/arm64)	Dependency_AddJava11
OpenJDK 17 (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, x64/arm64)	Dependency_AddJava17
OpenJDK 21 (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, x64/arm64)	Dependency_AddJava21
OpenJDK 25 (Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, x64/arm64)	Dependency_AddJava25
Python 3.13	Dependency_AddPython313
Python 3.14	Dependency_AddPython314
PowerShell 7	Dependency_AddPowerShell7

What happens during the setup

1. InitializeSetup checks each dependency and keeps only the missing ones. The Ready to Install page lists them.
2. After the user clicks Install, each installer is downloaded from its official source. Every built-in download is checked against a SHA-256 checksum, so a changed or broken file is never run. A failed download is retried a few times. Then the user can retry, ignore or abort.
3. The installers run one after another without user input. If another installation is already running, for example Windows Update, the setup waits for it. If an installer fails, the user can retry, ignore or abort.
4. Your application is installed.
5. If a dependency needs a restart, the setup asks for it at the end. If the restart is needed before the next dependency can be installed, the setup asks to restart Windows at once and continues after the restart.

With /SILENT or /VERYSILENT the installers run silently. With /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES no questions are asked, so a download or installer that still fails after the automatic retries aborts the setup.

Adding your own dependency

You can use any installer that can run without user input. Add it with Dependency_AddIfMissing. The first argument is your own check whether the dependency is missing:

Dependency_AddIfMissing(not RegKeyExists(HKLM, 'SOFTWARE\MyRuntime'),
  'myruntime.exe',                     // file name in the temporary directory of the setup
  '/quiet /norestart',                 // arguments for an installation without user input
  'My Runtime 1.0',                    // name shown to the user
  'https://example.com/myruntime.exe', // download URL
  '',                                  // SHA-256 checksum of the download, optional
  False,                               // ForceSuccess: treat every exit code as success
  False);                              // RestartAfter: restart Windows after the installation

The result of the check is written to the setup log. Dependency_Add takes the same arguments without the first one and always adds the dependency.

Instead of a file name you can pass the full path of a program that is already on the computer. Nothing is downloaded then. For example, the built-in .NET Framework 3.5 dependency enables a Windows feature:

Dependency_AddIfMissing(not IsDotNetInstalled(net35, 1),
  GetSysNativeDir + '\dism.exe',
  '/online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /all /quiet /norestart',
  '.NET Framework 3.5', '', '', False, False);

If the download depends on the architecture, use Dependency_String(x86Url, x64Url, arm64Url). It returns the value for the architecture of the setup. An empty URL means that the dependency is not available for this architecture. Dependency_StringWin returns the value for the architecture of Windows instead. Use it for components that are shared by the whole system. On ARM64 Windows it returns the x64 value if the ARM64 value is empty.

Dependency_IsX64 and Dependency_IsArm64 can also be used as Check: functions in [Files] to install the matching files of your own application. See ExampleSetup.iss.

If you pass a SHA-256 checksum, the download is checked against it. If you pass an empty string, the download is not checked. Use Dependency_String(x86Hash, x64Hash, arm64Hash) for downloads that depend on the architecture. To get the checksum of a download, run:

pwsh ./tools/Get-UrlSha256.ps1 'https://example.com/installer.exe'

Bundling installers instead of downloading

By default, missing dependencies are downloaded during the setup. You can also put an installer into your setup, for example to install without internet access. If the file is already in the temporary directory of the setup, it is used and not downloaded. A bundled file is not checked against the checksum.

For example, to bundle the DirectX web setup:

[Files]
Source: "dependencies\dxwebsetup.exe"; Flags: dontcopy noencryption

[Code]
function InitializeSetup: Boolean;
begin
  ExtractTemporaryFile('dxwebsetup.exe'); // must come before Dependency_AddDirectX
  Dependency_AddDirectX;

  Result := True;
end;

This works the same way for every dependency, including your own. Some installers, like the DirectX web setup, download more files themselves, so they still need internet access.

Options

32-bit dependencies on 64-bit Windows, for example when your application is 32-bit:

Dependency_ForceX86 := True;  // the next dependencies are 32-bit
Dependency_AddVC2013;
Dependency_ForceX86 := False; // back to the default

Dependency_ForceX64 works the same way. It selects x64 dependencies on ARM64 Windows, or in a setup that runs in 32-bit mode on 64-bit Windows. These options do not change dependencies that follow the architecture of Windows: SQL Server, OLE DB, ODBC, WebView2, OpenJDK and PowerShell.

Dependencies of optional components are only downloaded and installed if the user selects the component:

Dependency_Components := 'advanced'; // the next dependencies need the 'advanced' component
Dependency_AddDotNet100;
Dependency_Components := '';         // back to the default

Dependency_Components accepts the same expressions as the Components parameter, for example 'feature1 or feature2'.

Defines change how the library works. All defines, and functions they name, must come before the #include:

[Code]
#define Dependency_DownloadRetryCount 5

#include "CodeDependencies.iss"

Define	Effect
Dependency_NoUpdateReadyMemo	Do not handle the UpdateReadyMemo event. Use it if your script has its own UpdateReadyMemo function. Call Dependency_UpdateReadyMemo from it to still list the dependencies.
Dependency_CustomExecute	Name of your own function that runs the installers instead of ShellExec: function MyExecute(const Filename, Parameters: String; var ResultCode: Integer): Boolean;.
Dependency_DownloadRetryCount	How often a failed download is retried before the user is asked. Default 3. Use 0 to ask at once.
Dependency_DownloadRetryBackoffMs	Delay in milliseconds before the first download retry. Retry n waits n times this delay. Default 2000.
Dependency_InstallBusyRetryCount	How often an installer is retried if another installation is running. Default 30.
Dependency_InstallBusyRetryDelayMs	Delay in milliseconds between these retries. Default 10000.

Troubleshooting

Run your setup with /LOG="C:\setup.log". With /LOG only, the log is written to %TEMP%. The library writes each decision to the log:

Log entry	Meaning
Dependency already installed: X	X is installed, so nothing is done.
Dependency queued for download: X	X is missing and will be downloaded.
Dependency queued (already present): X	X is missing. Its installer is already in the temporary directory or is a program on the computer, so it is not downloaded.
Dependency not available for this architecture: X	X has no installer for this architecture.
Dependency skipped (component not selected): X	X belongs to a component that the user did not select.
Dependency skipped after failed download: X	The download of X failed and the user chose to ignore it.
Dependency exit code N: X	The installer of X ended with exit code N.

The setup handles the exit codes like this:

Exit code	Meaning
0	Success.
1638	Success. A newer version is already installed.
3010	Success. Windows must restart. The setup asks for the restart at the end.
1641	Success. The installer started a restart. The setup continues after the restart.
1618	Another installation is running. The setup waits and tries again Dependency_InstallBusyRetryCount times, then treats it as an error.
Any other	Error. The user can abort the setup, retry the installer or ignore the error. Counts as success if ForceSuccess is set.

To continue after a restart, the setup adds itself to the RunOnce registry key. It is started again with the choices of the wizard, the original silent, restart and log switches, and /restart=1. Your script can check /restart=1 with ParamStr if it must work differently after the restart. A log set with /LOG="setup.log" continues in setup-2.log.

Credits

Thanks to the community for many fixes and improvements. To contribute, create a pull request.

License

MIT License