Installer - Windows

: Features can have a parent-child relationship. If a child feature is selected for installation, its parent feature is automatically included.

When authoring an installation package , developers define features in the Feature Table of the MSI database. This allows for:

: Installing certain features only if specific launch conditions (like a specific OS version) are met. Windows Installer

: While users see features, the installer actually manages components . One feature can consist of multiple components, which are the smallest coherent units (files, registry keys, etc.) that the installer installs or removes together.

In the context of the , a feature is a specific part of an application's total functionality that a user can recognize and choose to install independently. For example, in a productivity suite, a feature might be a spell-checker, a thesaurus, or a collection of clip art. Key Characteristics of Windows Installer Features : Features can have a parent-child relationship

: Reinstalling or repairing specific features rather than the entire application if files become corrupt.

: Features are designed from the user's perspective. Users can select which features they want to install via the installer's SelectionTree Control . This allows for: : Installing certain features only

For managing built-in (like Hyper-V or WSL) rather than application features, administrators typically use tools like DISM or PowerShell cmdlets like Install-WindowsFeature . Windows Installer Features - Win32 apps - Microsoft Learn