What is setup.exe?
Setup.exe is a Windows NT Setup Executable. Sometimes it’s called Windows Installation and Setup, Suite Installer, and Setup.exe.
Setup.exe is a setup application for many programs. This process is usually listed in the Task Manager when you are installing software. Setup.exe should not be forcefully terminated unless it has been crashing repeatedly.
Many software vendors use setup.exe for installing software and/or updates. The process name can often appear in your startup list or tasklist, as a lot of programs finish installation on next reboot.
Important: VB.KB can mask itself as setup.exe. Scan your computer with Auslogics Antivirus to make sure it's not infected.
Setup.exe or .msi
Some software installation packs have both a setup.exe file and an .msi file. This can be confusing, because the end user might wonder which one to run to install the program correctly. The fact is that either can be used to install software, though the process is a bit different.
The setup.exe file that you see in lots of software distributions is called bootstrapper. It will check if the computer is capable of running the application you are trying to install. If yes, setup.exe will initiate msiexec.exe, which will launch the installation using the .msi file.
If you double-click the .msi file, the application will be installed, but there is a chance that it will not run properly on your system. For example, if a program requires Microsoft .net Framework 3.5, but the user has an older framework version installed. Whenever that’s the case, setup.exe will download the update and install the compatible framework version. After that’s done the .msi file will be used to launch software installation.
Sometimes installations using an .msi file can lead to problems such as application crashes and various warning messages on application startup. That’s why it’s always better to install software using a setup.exe file if both setup.exe and .msi are part of the installation package.
Some .msi files even won’t let you execute them and will refer you to the setup.exe file to ensure correct software installation.