Greg, all the registry-entries are for "convenience", that is: to make it possible for the installer to check if PostgreSQL is installed. So to use PostgreSQL on Win32, simple distribute the files found within <programs>PostgreSQL/8.1/ from a normal installation. ["normal" is quite a challenge nontheless, as "normally" client & server libs are distributed; together with PG-Admin in default installation] Your challenge in not using the installer remains: a) arranging the path correctly so that all libs are found b) creating a user with appropriate privilges [in corporate environments that is often better done by whatever user administration tool they use] c) creating the service [check pg_ctl --help] d) initialising the datadir (initdb --help) I tried to went down that road because of problems with earlier pg-installers (8.0.0 beta and before); and it was harder than it sounds, so I moved back to the installer. I recommend to you to do the same - or report back your sucess. On http://pgfoundry.org/projects/pginstaller/ you can find the source to the installer; to recheck what exactly that MSI is doing; maybe Installshield is even able to "include" the MSI definitions from there (they are made for the "free" tools from MS to build installers) Best wishes Harald -- GHUM Harald Massa persuadere et programmare Harald Armin Massa Reinsburgstraße 202b 70197 Stuttgart 0173/9409607 - PostgreSQL - supported by a community that does not put you on hold