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Independent release archive

Windows packages

Installer or portable ZIP?

The slicer can be the same version while setup and cleanup differ. Pick the package around how you want Windows to manage it.

Catalog checked: 23 current packages

The short answer

Use the installer for a normal daily setup with Start-menu entries and standard uninstall handling. Use a portable ZIP to test another version beside your current install or to keep the application files in a folder you control.

Three Windows package patterns

The exact behavior belongs to each project, but the release filenames make the intended delivery method visible.

  1. EXE installer

    Best for a regular installation. It can create shortcuts, register uninstall information and place files in the locations chosen by the project.

  2. Portable ZIP

    Extracts to a folder instead of running a setup wizard. Useful for comparison and rollback, but profiles may still live outside that folder.

  3. MSI package

    A Windows Installer package often used for managed or repeatable deployments. Choose it only when the project publishes it for your release.

Current packages in official releases

The archive classifies the latest stable files by their exact extension and filename.

Counts and filenames come from the latest stable release of each official project in the local archive.

Choose without disturbing a working setup

  1. Check 64-bit architecture

    Most current slicers publish x64 Windows builds. Choose ARM64 only on an ARM-based Windows device when the project offers it.

  2. Decide whether this is a test

    For a quick version comparison, a portable ZIP is easier to keep beside the installed build. For normal use, take the installer.

  3. Separate app files from profiles

    Portable does not guarantee that presets and configuration stay inside its folder. Export or back up profiles before launching a second version.

  4. Remove the correct copy

    Uninstall an installed build through Windows. Delete a portable folder only after checking that no projects or exported profiles were saved inside it.

Sources and scope

Microsoft documents MSI and EXE as Windows desktop package types. The concrete examples below come directly from official slicer releases; installation switches and profile locations remain project-specific.