ISS File Extension

What is the .ISS file type?

The .iss extension translates into 'Inno Setup Script' (ISS) and is primarily linked to the ISS file type. Inno Setup (IS) is a popular free utility by Jordan Russel for creating software installation packages (installers) for Microsoft (MS) Windows.

An ISS file is an IS script file, which is a plaintext file containing a series of statements in the IS scripting language for actions to be carried out during installation. An ISS file can be viewed as a project (source-code) file that fully defines all installation particulars. An .iss file is compiled with all necessary external resources (like images, software files and libraries, sound files etc.) into one or more executable (EXE) files.

ISS files can be opened and edited within the default IS editing environment, third-party IDE-like tools (e.g., Inno Script Studio) or any text editor. There are many pre-written ISS snippets available for different installation actions that can be combined within one main script.

Alternatively, the .iss extension can stand for 'Install Shield, Silent' (ISS) and identify InstallShield Silent response .iss files. InstallShield is a popular commercial automated software installation solution by Macromedia, Inc. (Flexera Software LLC) for MS Windows.

Besides the usual interactive installation mode in which questions are asked to the user and some data are entered back, ISS files allow to perform an installation silently and automatically by providing a source of default answers to all installer's questions. An .iss file is a plaintext file with a number of installation options that must begin with the '[InstallShield Silent]' header.

ISS is not a document file type, and .iss files are part of an application's installation process and are not meant to be directly opened by the user. Since installer's decisions are dictated through an ISS file, a copy of the .iss file is usually kept in the installation directory for uninstallation purposes.

Software to open or convert ISS files

Inno Setup by jrsoftware.org

 

Inno Script Studio by Kymoto Solutions

 

Inno Setup

 

Parallels Tools Center

 

Notepad++

 

Free File Viewer Pro

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