Windows Installer -

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

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 Windows Installer

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

: 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: : Features are designed from

: Developers can author packages that allow features to be "advertised" but not fully installed until the user attempts to use them for the first time. Common Use Cases for Developers

: 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.

: Letting users skip unnecessary tools to save disk space.