Creating PSADT package

The PSADT wizard has seven steps.

Step 1: Files #

Upload the installer files that your deployment script uses. They end up in the Files/ folder of the exported package.

Step 2: Session Config #

Here you enter the application details that PSADT uses for logging, for the dialogs shown to users, and for detection. All values are written into the $adtSession block of the generated script.

PSADT Template #

At the top of the step, choose a PSADT Template for this package, or choose None (stock toolkit). New packages automatically use your default template.

Auto-Detect from Installer #

If the package contains an MSI or EXE installer, the wizard reads the product name, vendor, version and architecture from it:

• With exactly one installer, detection runs automatically.
• It only fills fields that are still empty.
• The values it found are shown under Detected Properties.

Application information #

Field	Example
App Vendor	Microsoft
App Name	Visual Studio Code
App Version	1.85.0
App Architecture	x64
App Language	EN
App Revision	01

Script settings #

Field	Example
App Script Version	1.0.0
App Script Date	2026-09-25
App Script Author	Taken from your default in Settings

All Application Information and Script Settings fields are required before you can continue.

Deployment settings #

Field	Description
Require Admin	Not Defined / True / False. Not Defined keeps the toolkit’s own setting.
Success Exit Codes	Exit codes that count as success, for example 0
Reboot Exit Codes	Exit codes that mean a reboot is required, for example 1641, 3010
App Processes to Close	Processes that must be closed before the installation, for example code

Display settings #

Field	Description
Install Name	Name shown by PSADT during the installation
Install Title	Title shown in the PSADT dialogs

Step 3: Parameters #

Add your own script parameters. They are added to the script next to the standard PSADT parameters.

The standard parameters are always present and cannot be changed:

• DeploymentType: Install / Uninstall / Repair
• DeployMode: Auto / Interactive / NonInteractive / Silent
• SuppressRebootPassThru, TerminalServerMode, DisableLogging (switches)

For each custom parameter you can set:

Setting	Description
Name	For example Environment
Type	For example String, Boolean, Int32 or Switch
Mandatory	Whether the parameter must be given
ValidateSet	Comma-separated list of allowed values, for example Dev,Staging,Production
Default Value	The value used when the parameter is not given
Description	Help text, written as a comment above the parameter

Steps 4–6: Install, Uninstall and Repair phases #

Each phase has three code editors:

Section	When it runs	Typical use
Pre	Before the main step	Close applications, check prerequisites, back up settings
Main	The main step	Run the installer or uninstaller
Post	After the main step	Create shortcuts, configure settings, clean up

The editors offer:

• PowerShell syntax highlighting and cmdlet autocomplete
• Detect Command (Main editor). Pick an installer file and click Detect Command. The wizard recognises the installer type and inserts the ready-made PSADT command:
  • MSI and MSP packages get Start-ADTMsiProcess with silent switches.
  • EXE installers get Start-ADTProcess with the right silent switches. The wizard recognises Inno Setup, InstallShield, WiX Burn, Squirrel and NSIS installers.
  • The uninstall phase gets a registry-based Uninstall-ADTApplication.
  • If the silent switches cannot be determined, a message says so and nothing is inserted. Write the command yourself in that case.
• Insert Function: opens the Function Builder.
• Maximize Editor / Restore: full-screen editing.

Leaving the Repair phase empty is fine.

Example of an install phase:

Start-ADTMsiProcess -FilePath 'MyApp.msi' -Action Install
Copy-ADTFile -Path "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\config.xml" -Destination "$envProgramFiles\MyApp\"

Step 7: Preview #

This step shows the complete generated Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1 in a read-only editor. What you see here is exactly what goes into the package.

Control	Description
Copy to Clipboard	Copy the complete script
Deployment Type	Install / Uninstall / Repair for the test
Deploy Mode	NonInteractive / Interactive / Silent for the test
Run as Admin	Run the test elevated (shows a UAC prompt)
Test Run	Run the script on this computer
Test in Sandbox	Run the package on a clean Windows Sandbox

Click Finish to build the package and store the ZIP in the workspace.