Creating Installations for Mobile Devices

InstallShield includes support for creating installations for mobile devices: Windows Mobile–powered devices and Palm OS devices.

Windows Mobile–Powered Devices

InstallShield lets you create installations that install products on Windows Mobile–powered devices. InstallShield supports different delivery methods. The delivery method that you want to use helps determine what type of project you should use to create the installation.

Creating a Straight-to-Device Installation

A straight-to-device installation installs a product directly to the Windows Mobile–powered device. This type of installation does not use Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center, Microsoft ActiveSync, or any other desktop component. This type of installation also supports the deployment of a product through a storage card that is inserted into a Windows Mobile–powered device.

If you want to create a straight-to-device installation, create a Smart Device project. When you create or edit this project type, InstallShield launches the Smart Device Setup Wizard, which leads you through the process of identifying the files and other data for Windows Mobile–powered devices.

Creating a Desktop-to-Device Installation

A desktop-to-device installation installs a product to the end user’s desktop computer first. The installation launches the Application Manager or uses either Windows Mobile Device Center or ActiveSync to install the mobile device product onto the Windows Mobile device when it is connected with the desktop computer. The installation can also optionally register an icon file on the desktop computer with Windows Mobile Device Center or ActiveSync, so that the icon is displayed within the Application Manager window.

If you want to create a desktop-to-device installation, do one of the following:

Create a Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI project for your desktop installation. In this project, use the Mobile Devices view to add support for one or more mobile device installations to your project. For more information, see Adding an Installation for a Windows Mobile–Powered Device to Your Project.

If you have Windows Mobile–compatible .cab files that have already been built from a Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI project, you can add them to your desktop installation. For more information, see Adding Existing .cab Files to Your Project.

The Windows Mobile Wizard, which InstallShield launches when you add or edit Windows Mobile support through the Mobile Devices view, leads you through the process of identifying the files and other data for Windows Mobile–powered devices. It lets you target certain platforms and processors as needed.

Create an InstallScript project for your desktop installation. Use the Objects view to add the Windows Mobile object to one or more features in your project. To learn more, see Adding InstallShield Prerequisites, Merge Modules, and Objects to Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI Projects.

When you add the Windows Mobile object to your project or modify its settings, InstallShield launches the InstallShield Object for Windows Mobile Wizard, which leads you through the process of identifying the files and other data for Windows Mobile–powered devices. It lets you target certain platforms and processors as needed.

In some areas, Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects have more extensive support for desktop-to-device installations than InstallScript projects:

Pocket PC 2003

Pocket PC 2002

Pocket PC

Palm-size PC 2.11

Palm-size PC 2.01

Handheld PC 2000

Handheld PC Pro

Handheld PC 2.0

In addition, InstallScript projects include support for targeting the following processors:

ARM920

ARM820

ARM720

Common Executable Format

Hitachi SH4

Hitachi SH3

i686

i586

i486

MIPS R4000

MIPS R3000

MIPS R2000

StrongARM-XScale

However, Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects include support for targeting additional platforms and processors. For a full list, see Target System Requirements.

If you have existing Windows Mobile–compatible .cab files, you can add them to a Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI project. InstallScript projects do not include this support.

Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects include support for installing the .NET Compact Framework and for CE SQL, but InstallScript projects do not.

Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects include support for signing the mobile device .cab files, but InstallScript projects do not.

Palm OS Devices

InstallShield lets you create installations that install products on Palm OS devices. The product files can be deployed through HotSync to the Palm OS device. You can target either the device’s memory or a storage card.

If you want to create a straight-to-device installation, do one of the following:

The Palm OS Wizard, which InstallShield launches when you add or edit Palm OS support through the Mobile Devices view, leads you through the process of identifying the files and other data for Palm OS devices.

Create an InstallScript project for your desktop installation. Use the Objects view to add the Palm OS object to one or more features in your project.

When you add the Palm OS object to your project or modify its settings, InstallShield launches the Palm OS Object Wizard, which leads you through the process of identifying the files and other data for Palm OS devices. To learn more, see Adding InstallShield Prerequisites, Merge Modules, and Objects to Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI Projects.