# Installer for Windows / Mac **URL:** \ **Category:** Getting Started\ **Created:** [December 3, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774 "2016-12-03T20:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/nathan_wright/32/575_2.png) [@Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Nathan_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/1 "2016-12-03T20:46:11Z")
I need a way to create installation scripts for Windows and Mac, does anyone know of a 3rd party system that will allow me to create Windows and Mac installers which I can script to tell it where to install things including SQLite database etc. ---
**Author:** ![Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/michel_bujardet/32/252_2.png) [@Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Michel_Bujardet)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/2 "2016-12-03T20:58:22Z")
Search for “Installer”. You will find tons of such topics. [https://forum.xojo.com/conversations/all?search=installer](https://forum.xojo.com/conversations/all?search=installer) For Mac, usually installers are not necessary. You place the db in the bundle, and copy it at first run to appData. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/nathan_wright/32/575_2.png) [@Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Nathan_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/3 "2016-12-03T21:07:33Z")
Yes I had already searched but not really found anything that does both platforms in one system except the Updater class which looks good for what I need. I am confused by what you say copy it to the appData on first run. What is appData? ---
**Author:** ![Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/michel_bujardet/32/252_2.png) [@Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Michel_Bujardet)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/4 "2016-12-03T21:18:14Z")
AFAIK there is no cross platform installer. Anyway, Windows does expect an installer, but that is not the case on Mac, where users are accustomed to download a DMG and drag the app to the Application folder. Don’t underestimate the Mac App Store as well, where third party installers are not welcome. On Mac, when your app runs for the first time, you create a subfolder name by the app identifier inside `SpecialFolder.ApplicationData`, and copy your files there. Then you can save all settings there as well. That is the recommended way. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/nathan_wright/32/575_2.png) [@Nathan\_Wright](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Nathan_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/5 "2016-12-03T21:49:04Z")
Ah thanks that is really helpful, I will give that a go. ---
**Author:** ![Grant\_Singleton](https://forum.xojo.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/b38774/32.png) [@Grant\_Singleton](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Grant_Singleton)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/6 "2016-12-04T01:43:13Z")
Inno Setup for Windows. It’s free and pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_Parnell](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/tim_parnell/32/161_2.png) [@Tim\_Parnell](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Tim_Parnell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/7 "2016-12-04T02:32:29Z")
Small side benefit, if you design your app so that it can set itself up you don’t have to do anything special for the Windows installer. Upon first launch your app sets itself up on both Mac and Windows. Windows gets the installer they are used to, and your Mac deployment fits right in with other Mac apps. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_Parnell](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/tim_parnell/32/161_2.png) [@Tim\_Parnell](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Tim_Parnell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/8 "2016-12-04T02:33:41Z")
Also, if you’re really looking for a cross platform installer I believe Bitrock installer is still around. Not cheap though. ---
**Author:** ![Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/michel_bujardet/32/252_2.png) [@Michel\_Bujardet](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Michel_Bujardet)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 9:05am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/9 "2016-12-04T09:05:53Z")
Some Mac users will frown at installers. I am one of them. You never know what kind of pesky notices you will get afterward, what kind of low level annoying things they install, and you need an uninstaller to remove the pest. Only things like Paragon and Intego I did install. When I see an installer for a regular app, I usually move on. ---
**Author:** ![Jean-Yves\_Pochez](https://forum.xojo.com/user_avatar/forum.xojo.com/jean-yves_pochez/32/21769_2.png) [@Jean-Yves\_Pochez](https://forum.xojo.com/u/Jean-Yves_Pochez)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 10:22am UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/10 "2016-12-04T10:22:45Z")
[quote=301389:@Michel Bujardet]Some Mac users will frown at installers. I am one of them. You never know what kind of pesky notices you will get afterward, what kind of low level annoying things they install, and you need an uninstaller to remove the pest. When I see an installer for a regular app, I usually move on.[/quote] +1 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://forum.xojo.com/uploads/default/original/1X/455b4dcc0e61630e9f81940004ddffa49c432a46.png) [@system](https://forum.xojo.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.xojo.com/t/installer-for-windows-mac/34774/11 "2020-10-29T18:34:09Z")