When you develop installation programs, let the user decide if s/he wants to decide

Lately, I've needed to test and install lots of different software: small utilities, bigger applications, and many things in between. And I thank God that VMware has been invented. Otherwise, I'd screwed my Windows installation many times already.

It's time that installation program developers act up. Yes, if you develop applications to the masses, it is good and necessary that installation is simple and smooth. Not that many questions need to be asked.

But, when it comes to power users, does your installation program give the options to choose what the installation program should do? Think about it: how many times have you installed an application just to see that a new folder has been created under My Documents? Or that Windows Shell or Internet Explorer settings have been changed without asking if that was OK? Or, custom toolbars have just popped up in Word?

Personally, I just hate when applications do that. Yes, I too want to have easy installation programs. But, when I choose the Custom setup (I always do), where are my choices? Nowadays, almost the only differences between the standard and custom setup routines is the fact that with the latter, you can select which program options are installed. But nothing else.

That is wrong. A custom setup should give the options to the user. Of course, that means that creating installation programs comes more difficult. But, if you don't understand why you should spend more time writing those custom installer options, or worse, you don't know how to do it, then you shouldn't be writing installation programs in the first place. Sorry, but that's the way it goes.