WiX Toolset Blog

WiX Toolset v4.0.6 and v5.0.2 available

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4.0.6 and v5.0.2 are now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v5.0.1 available

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v5.0.1 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v5.0.0 available

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v5.0.0 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset security releases available

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

FireGiant has fixed two security vulnerabilities in WiX v3.14.1, WiX v4.0.5, and WiX v5.0.0-rc.2. For details, see the FireGiant blog post, the first security advisory, and the second security advisory.

WiX Toolset v5.0.0-rc.1 available

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v5.0.0-rc.1 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4.0.4 and v3.14 available

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4.0.4 and v3.14 mitigate a Windows DLL redirection vulnerability in Burn. All versions of WiX are affected by this vulnerability. We recommending upgrading to these versions as soon as possible. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4.0.2 available

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4.0.2 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4.0.1 available

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4.0.1 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4 available

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4 is now available! Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-rc.4 available

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-rc.4 is now available. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-rc.3 available

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-rc.3 is now available. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-rc.2 available

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-rc.2 is now available. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-rc.1 available

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-rc.1 is now available. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-preview.1 available

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-preview.1 is now available. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX Toolset v4-preview.0 available

Mon, 17 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v4-preview.0 is now available for experimentation. Read more about it at Rob's blog.

WiX Toolset v3.11.2 released

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.11.2 is a minor security release of WiX. If your application directly references Microsoft.Deployment.Compression.Cab.dll or Microsoft.Deployment.Compression.Zip.dll to decompress cabinet or zip files to a folder, you should upgrade to this release.

Read more about the release at FireGiant's blog.

WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension v1.0 released (with VS2019 support)

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Today the WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension v1.0 (Votive v1.0) was published to the Visual Studio marketplace. This includes support for Visual Studio 2019. Huge thanks to the team at FireGiant for their persistence with the publishing process.

WiX Toolset v3.10.4 and v3.11.1 released

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.10.4 and WiX v3.11.1 are important security releases of WiX. We strongly encourage all users of WiX to upgrade to WiX v3.11.1. If you must remain on a WiX v3.10 release, we highly recommend upgrading to WiX v3.10.4.

Read more about the release at FireGiant's blog.

WiX Toolset v3.11 released

Fri, 05 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of [WiX Toolset v3.11][dl] has been released. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX Toolset v3.11 RC2 available

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

WiX Toolset v3.11.0.1528 was released as a Release Candidate 2. This release candidate addresses issues found in the first release candidate. Read more about the release at Rob's blog.

WiX Toolset v3.11 RC available

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

WiX Toolset v3.11.0.1507 was released as a Release Candidate. This release candidate provides full support for the WiX Toolset Visual Studio 2017 Extension to coincide with the release of Visual Studio 2017. Read more about the release at Rob's blog.

WiX Toolset Visual Studio 2017 preview available

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With the release of Visual Studio 2017 just around the corner, the team at FireGiant came through and produced a preview of the WiX Toolset Visual Studio 2017 Extension. We'll have more information about our changing support for Visual Studio when the WiX v3.11 release candidate drops next week. Today you can try out the VS2017 Extension preview.

WiX v3.10.3 released

Mon, 04 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.10.3 includes the mitigations in WiX v3.10.2 for a serious Windows vulnerability affecting all bundles and fixes for regressions introduced with the mitigations. We strongly recommend you upgrade to WiX v3.10.3 as soon as possible. You can read more on Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX toolset joins the .NET Foundation

Wed, 04 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT

With thanks to the Outercurve Foundation for all they have done for us, the WiX toolset joins the .NET Foundation. Read more about the move on Rob's blog.

WiX Toolset has a new Committer

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Sean Hall joins Rob Mensching and Bob Arnson as the third committer to the WiX Toolset. Read more about Sean's accomplishment on on Rob's blog.

WiX v3.10.2 released

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.10.2 is an important security release of the WiX toolset. All users of WiX's Burn engine should upgrade to WiX v3.10.2 as soon as possible. Special thanks to FireGiant for rapidly and responsibly addressing the issue. They have more details on their blog.

Redesigned WiX Web site

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX Web site now has a responsive design and shows off the new WiX logo, donated by FireGiant. Read more about it at the FireGiant blog.

WiX v3.10.1 released

Sat, 31 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Today WiX v3.10.1 was released as a recommended maintenance update to WiX v3.10. You can download it from here. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX v3.10 released

Mon, 07 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of WiX v3.10 has been released. You can download it from here. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX v3.10 RC2 available

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.10.0.2026 was released as Release Candidate 2. Read more by Bob and Rob.

New WiX Mailing Lists

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Due to an extended outage at SourceForge, the FireGiant team stood up standalone mailing lists for the WiX Toolset overnight. Moving our mailing lists off of SourceForge has been on our wish list for a long time, so a huge thanks to FireGiant for doing this for us on short notice. Sign up for the new lists as per our documentation.

WiX v3.10 RC available

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.10.0.1823 was released as Release Candidate. Read more by Bob and Rob.

WiX Tutorial moves to FireGiant

Mon, 11 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX Tutorial moved to FireGiant today. The links here have been updated. Read more about the move at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX v3.9 R2 released

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable maintenance release WiX v3.9 R2 has been released. You can download it from here. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX v3.9 released

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of WiX v3.9 has been released. You can download it from here. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

WiX v3.9 RC4 available

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.9.1006.0 was released as Release Candidate 4. Read more by Bob and Rob.

WiX v3.9 RC3 available

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.9.901.0 was released as Release Candidate 3. Read more by Bob and Rob.

WiX v3.9 RC2 available

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.9.721.0 was released as Release Candidate 2. Read more by Bob and Rob.

WiX v3.9 RC available

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.9.702.0 was released as Release Candidate. Read more by Bob and Rob.

WiX Toolset Source Code Moves To GitHub.com

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

The source code for the WiX Toolset can now be found on GitHub.com. Stable releases are still downloaded from CodePlex but we recommend using the download links from the

Releases page which will point to the correct location should the downloads move.

WiX v3.8 released

Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of WiX v3.8 has been released. You can download it from here. Read more about the release at Rob's blog and Bob's blog.

Web site restored

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT

This week the the WiX website was down due to a software failure in the server's RAID controller. Fortunately the software was fixed and all data was restored. Thank you for your patience as we worked to bring the site back up.

Web site outage

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this week the the WiX website suffered a catastrophic hardware failure. The website is now back up but the issue tracker and recent releases are still offline. Follow the @wixtoolset for future updates.

WiX Toolset turns 9

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

It was 9 years ago today that the WiX toolset was released as Open Source. Thank you for your participation and we look forward to many more years!

Looking for a few good developers

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

On his blog, Rob reflects on the different generations of developers that built the WiX toolset and asks are you the next?

WiX v3.7 released

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of WiX v3.7 has been released. You can download it from http://wix.codeplex.com/releases/view/93929. Read more about the release at Rob's blog.

WiX v3.7 RC available

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.7.1119.0 was released as Release Candidate. Overall the WiX toolset is now feature complete and very stable. Rob posted his thoughts on the release candidate. Please upgrade and help us verify the release quality.

WiX v3.6 released

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The production/stable release of WiX v3.6 has been released. You can download it from http://wix.codeplex.com/releases/view/93929. Read more about the release at Rob's blog.

WiX toolset joins Outercurve Foundation

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's first Open Source project, the WiX toolset, joined the Outercurve Foundation today. You can read more about it at the official announcement on the Outercurve blog. Rob also posted a few additional thoughts on his blog.

WiX v3.6 RC available

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.6.2928.0 was released as Release Candidate. Overall the WiX toolset is now feature complete and very stable. Rob posted his thoughts on the release candidate. Please upgrade and help us verify the release quality.

WiX v3.6 RC0 released

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.6.2803.0 was released as Release Candidate Zero. Visual Studio 11 is supported and Burn is very stable. Rob posted his thoughts on the remaining work. Please upgrade and help us track down the remaining bugs.

WiX v3.6 beta released

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The beta build of WiX v3.6 has been released. You can download it from http://wix.codeplex.com/releases/view/75656. Read more about the release at Rob's blog.

State of the WiX toolset in July, 2011

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Rob posted an update on the progress of WiX v3.6.

WiX v3.5 released

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The final build of WiX v3.5 has been released. You can download it from http://wix.codeplex.com/releases/view/60102. Read more about the release by Rob and Bob.

WiX v3.5 Escrow Reset

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Unfortunately, a crashing bug was found in Votive so the escrow build was reset. WiX v3.5.2403.0 is the new escrow build. Again, this could be our final build so upgrade and help us find any showstoppers.

WiX v3.5 in Escrow

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.5.2325.0 is now in escrow. This could be our final build so upgrade and help us find any showstoppers. Rob posted more information on his blog.

WiX v3.5 Release Candidate

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.5.2229.0 was released as the Released Candidate build. Upgrade and let us know how it goes. Rob and Bob posted on updates on their blogs.

State of the WiX toolset in October, 2010

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

WiX v3.5 and v3.6 are both making slow but steady progress. Rob posted detailed analysis on his blog.

Burn, baby. Burn

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX v3.6 toolset now installs itself using its new bootstrapper technology called Burn. Rob walks through the highlights on his blog.

WiX toolset source and releases move to CodePlex

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX toolset source code and file releases have moved off of SourceForge to CodePlex. now installs itself using its new bootstrapper technology called Burn. Rob explains why on his blog.

Change of plans for WiX v3.5

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Visual Studio 2010 support is key in WiX v3.5. To better meet those needs Rob describes some changes on his blog.

WiX v3.0 released

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The final build of WiX v3.0 has been released. You can download it from http://sourceforge.net/projects/wix/files/. Read more about the release by Rob and Bob.

WiX v3.5 Votive integration with Visual Studio 2010 available

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX Working Group and the Visual Studio team are pleased to announce that Votive integration in Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1 is now available in WiX v3.5. We encourage all Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1 users to upgrade to the latest build of WiX v3.5 to try out the feature.

WiX v3.0 release candidate 2 build available

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX Working Group is pleased to announced that the WiX v3.0 RC2 build (v3.0.5217.0) is now available. We encourage all users to upgrade to this build for the latest fixes and to verify how ready WiX v3.0 is for release. For more information, see Highlights of WiX v3.0.5217.0 and the release notes. You can download it from http://wix.sourceforge.net/releases/3.0.5217.0/ or from the WiX SourceForge.net releases page.

WiX v3.0 beta-exit build available: On the road to RTM!

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX Working Group is pleased to announced that the WiX v3.0 'beta exit' build (v3.0.4805.0) is now available. We encourage all users to upgrade to this build for the latest fixes and to verify how ready WiX v3.0 is for release. For more information, see Rob's announcement, Bob's follow-up, and Highlights of WiX v3.0.4805.0. You can download it from http://wix.sourceforge.net/releases/3.0.4805.0/ or from the WiX SourceForge.net releases page.

Subscribe to send email, cutting down on spam

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To help prevent spam on the WiX mailing lists, you must now subscribe to the lists before you can send e-mail to them. See the mailing list page for more information.

WiX toolset Production/Stable

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The WiX toolset status has been upgraded to Production/Stable to recognize the final build of WiX v2 (2.0.5805.0). See http://robmensching.com/blog/archive/2008/02/17/WiX-toolset-on-SourceForge-marked-ProductionStable.aspx for more information.

The much exaggerated death of the WiX toolset

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There has been some suggestion that the WiX toolset is a dead project because we have not released a drop to the SourceForge release point in a long while. Those fears are unfounded for three reasons. First, WiX v2 is stable so we are not expecting another build of that version unless a showstopper bug shows up. Second, weekly drops show up at the Weekly Releases release point regularly. Finally, pushing to the SourceForge release point is a manual process for us and ends up a lower priority. In any case, development is still very much active and the wix-users mailing list is still the best place to get your questions answered.

Votive works with Visual Studio 2008

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Visual Studio 2008 has recently released and we are happy to announce that Votive is supported in both Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008. You can also install Votive side by side on both versions of Visual Studio. Support for Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 was added in build 3.0.3328 (which also works for Visual Studio 2008 RTM) and the final Visual Studio 2008 RTM bits are in a build >= 3.0.3607, which is available on the weekly releases page.

Saying Goodbye to FragmentRef's

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After many months of being deprecated, its time to say goodbye (builds >= 3.0.2716.0). All FragmentRef's will need to be converted to one of the supported reference elements in WiX 3.0. Examples of these are ComponentRef, FeatureRef, PropertyRef, or CustomActionRef among others.

Added a "What's New in WiX v3" FAQ Section

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Many people have asked what's new in WiX version 3. Here is a list of things that have already been done and things that are still in the works.

New Wix3.msi

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The old Votive3.msi has been renamed Wix3.msi as of builds >= 3.0.2120.0 to better describe the installer. It is the installation vehicle for installing the core WiX toolset and also Votive, ClickThrough, and other WiX tools.

Votive v3 Released

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A brand new version of Votive has been released in the v3 branch (builds >= 3.0.2120.0). Click here for a list of new features.

Weekly Releases

Wed, 17 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

On the right you will now see a link to our Weekly Releases. The best way to stay current is to check there each Wednesday around noon PST for the latest build of the WiX toolset.

Introducing ClickThrough

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

ClickThrough is a new tool built on the core WiX toolset. It provides a GUI to create simple MSI files that auto-update over an RSS feed.

Introducing the WiX Web Site

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The first official WiX web site is now online. Content is a bit scarce initially, but we expect to add a lot more in the near future.