ISx

When working with an old app created with InstallShield that doesn’t run on the newest versions of Windows, then you should first try to run it in compatibility mode. If that doesn’t work, then you could try to edit the CAB file directly, or you could consider using a third-party tool to access and change whatever is needed.

ISx is a lightweight console tool that acts as an InstallShield extractor so that you can view and access all files included in the package. To use the application, simply open your favorite console and add the app followed by the desired file as command. The developer points out that the tool is specifically designed to help you work with very old programs that are no longer maintained, but that need to be modified, so they can be used in a current project.

Although it didn’t undergo extensive testing, the program is compatible with InstallShield variants available from DevStudio 9 to InstallShield 2021. Take note that the app solely extracts the contents, but doesn’t provide any options to edit the files. Nevertheless, the developer provides some suggestions on the home page about the tools that you can employ to edit specific files. For example, if you are dealing with a rather old program, then a good choice would be IsXunpack.