How to create a client installer for your MU Online server

The way players first get your client onto their PC shapes their first impression of your server. A smooth, professional installer says "this server is serious." A confusing .zip with no instructions says the opposite.

What a client installer needs to include

CLIENT PACKAGE CONTENTS:

REQUIRED (must be in the installer):
→ Main.exe (or the main game executable — may have a different name)
   → Must already have the server's IP/hostname configured (see Main editing tutorial)
→ Launcher.exe (if your server uses a launcher for updates)
→ All game data folders: Data/, BMP/, Texture/, Sound/, Music/, Maps/ (or similar)
→ Required DLL files that may not be on the player's system
→ Server-specific files: config files, logo images, custom sounds

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED:
→ Visual C++ Redistributable (vcredist_x86.exe) — the MU client often needs it
→ DirectX redistributable — older client versions may require specific DirectX
→ README.txt with server information, rules, and Discord link

NOT NEEDED (players have these or don't need them):
→ Windows system DLLs (they come with Windows)
→ Development files (.pdb, debug builds)

PREPARE THE CLIENT FOLDER:
Before building the installer:
1. Install the client on YOUR PC and configure the Main.exe with your server's IP
2. Test that the client connects correctly
3. Then pack THAT configured client folder — not a generic one
4. Verify the folder contains all necessary files by testing on a clean VM or PC

Building an installer with Inno Setup

INNO SETUP — THE MOST POPULAR FREE INSTALLER CREATOR:

STEP 1 — DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL INNO SETUP:
→ Search "Inno Setup download" → jrsoftware.org
→ Install the latest version (free, open source)

STEP 2 — RUN THE INNO SETUP SCRIPT WIZARD:
→ Open Inno Setup → "File" → "New" → Use the Script Wizard
→ Or: File → New Script (start with a blank script for more control)

STEP 3 — WIZARD: APPLICATION INFORMATION:
→ Application name: "My Server Name"
→ Application version: "1.0" (or the client version)
→ Application publisher: "My Server Name Team"
→ Application website: (your server's website URL)

STEP 4 — WIZARD: APPLICATION FOLDER:
→ Default destination: {autopf}\MuServerName
  (autopf = Program Files on 64-bit or 32-bit Windows automatically)
→ Or use: {userappdata}\MuServerName
  (easier for non-admin users who can't write to Program Files)

STEP 5 — WIZARD: SELECT FILES:
→ Click "Add folder recursively" → select your prepared client folder
→ The wizard includes all files in the folder and subfolders

STEP 6 — WIZARD: SHORTCUTS:
→ Name: "My Server Name"
→ Target: Select Main.exe or Launcher.exe as the shortcut target
→ Add to Start Menu: yes
→ Add to Desktop: yes (optional — some servers make this the default)

STEP 7 — WIZARD: LICENSE FILE (optional):
→ Add a rules.txt or terms.txt that the player must accept before installation

STEP 8 — COMPILE:
→ Run → Compile (or press F9)
→ Inno Setup generates the .exe installer in the "Output" folder

Inno Setup script example

; BASIC INNO SETUP SCRIPT FOR MU ONLINE CLIENT

[Setup]
AppName=My MU Server
AppVersion=1.0
AppPublisher=My Server Team
DefaultDirName={autopf}\MyMUServer
DefaultGroupName=My MU Server
OutputBaseFilename=MyMUServer_Setup
Compression=lzma2
SolidCompression=yes
ArchitecturesInstallIn64BitMode=x64

[Languages]
Name: "english"; MessagesFile: "compiler:Default.isl"

[Tasks]
Name: "desktopicon"; Description: "{cm:CreateDesktopIcon}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:AdditionalIcons}"; Flags: unchecked

[Files]
; Source: path on your PC to the client folder
; DestDir: where to install it on the player's PC
Source: "C:\MyClientFolder\*"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs

[Icons]
; Shortcut in Start Menu
Name: "{group}\My MU Server"; Filename: "{app}\Launcher.exe"
; Desktop shortcut (optional)
Name: "{autodesktop}\My MU Server"; Filename: "{app}\Launcher.exe"; Tasks: desktopicon

[Run]
; Run the launcher after installation completes
Filename: "{app}\Launcher.exe"; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,My MU Server}"; Flags: nowait postinstall skipifsilent

Adding prerequisites to the installer

INSTALL DEPENDENCIES AUTOMATICALLY:

VISUAL C++ REDISTRIBUTABLE:
→ Many MU clients need the Visual C++ 2008 or 2010 redistributable
→ Download vcredist_x86.exe from Microsoft
→ Add to your installer script:

[Files]
Source: "prerequisites\vcredist_x86.exe"; DestDir: "{tmp}"; Flags: deleteafterinstall

[Run]
Filename: "{tmp}\vcredist_x86.exe"; Parameters: "/quiet"; StatusMsg: "Installing Visual C++ 2008..."; Flags: waituntilterminated; Check: not VCRedistInstalled

; Function to check if already installed (add to [Code] section)
function VCRedistInstalled: Boolean;
begin
  Result := RegKeyExists(HKLM, 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\VC\VCRedist\x86');
end;

DIRECTX:
→ Most modern Windows (10/11) already have DirectX 9 via backwards compatibility
→ Older clients may need: dxwebsetup.exe (DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer)
→ Same approach: include in installer, run silently before the game

Testing the installer

TESTING IS NOT OPTIONAL:

WHY YOU MUST TEST ON A CLEAN MACHINE:
→ Your development PC has all the dependencies installed over years
→ A fresh Windows PC might be missing Visual C++, certain DLLs, or DirectX
→ Testing on your own PC gives false confidence

HOW TO TEST:
OPTION A — Use a Windows Virtual Machine (VMware or VirtualBox, free):
1. Create a fresh Windows 10 or 11 VM (no extra software installed)
2. Copy the installer to the VM
3. Run the installer
4. Try to open the game
5. Note any errors → fix → rebuild installer → test again

OPTION B — Use a friend's PC:
→ Ask a friend who hasn't played your server to try installing from your download link
→ This also tests the download process, not just the installer

WHAT TO CHECK:
→ Does the installation complete without errors?
→ Do desktop and Start Menu shortcuts appear?
→ Does the launcher/game open from the shortcuts?
→ Does the game connect to the server?
→ Are there any antivirus warnings? (test with Windows Defender enabled)

Hosting the installer for download

WHERE TO HOST THE INSTALLER:

OPTION 1 — YOUR OWN SERVER/HOSTING:
→ Upload to your web hosting: yourserver.com/download/
→ Put the installer in a folder and link from your website's download page
→ Make sure your hosting plan allows the file size (some limit files to 100 MB)
→ Most reliable: you control the link permanently

OPTION 2 — FILE HOSTING SERVICES:
→ MediaFire, MEGA, Google Drive — free and support large files
→ Disadvantage: links may expire or change if the host changes policies
→ Backup the installer link in multiple places

OPTION 3 — GITHUB RELEASES:
→ Create a GitHub repository for your server's public files
→ Use "Releases" to publish versioned installers
→ Free, reliable, and gives download count statistics
→ Installer must be under 2 GB per file

Pair this guide with the launcher creation tutorial (for setting up automatic updates after the initial install), the Main editing tutorial (for configuring the client's connection settings before packaging it into the installer), and the DDoS protection tutorial (since distributing the client exposes your server's IP unless you take steps to hide it).

Frequently asked questions