What is the QSP file format?
Files with .qsp extension store QSetup installer-authoring information for Windows systems. .qsp files are created using QSetup Composer PRO, the central tool in the QSetup Installation Suite, and serve as the project source for building .EXE and .MSI installers. The suite allows developers to assemble dedicated setup packages without specialist knowledge of the target installation environment. QSetup Installation Suite was developed by Pantaray Research Ltd.
A .qsp file is a developer-side project file - end users never open or run it directly. The developer opens it in QSetup Composer, configures every aspect of how an application is installed, then compiles it into a redistributable Windows setup executable. This makes .qsp comparable to an Inno Setup script rather than a finished installer.
.qsp files store all data necessary for creating application installers for Windows systems and can contain:
- access paths for program executables,
- access paths for external files,
- used interaction dialog windows,
- information related to necessary registry modifications, system parameters, etc.,
- application compatibility information,
- information related to created shortcuts,
- uninstaller data and application update settings.
.qsp files are by default associated with QSetup Composer. In order to create an installer based on a .qsp file, users must compile one using the dedicated build tool or via a special command-line interface. Installers created with QSetup offer many options that allow users to customize the installation for a given system and according to user preferences.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .qsp is a developer project file, not an executable, so the file itself is low risk. The real caution is that its purpose is to build an installer that writes files and registry keys to a system - so only build and run installers from .qsp projects you trust, and treat any compiled setup.exe with the same care as any downloaded installer. Download QSetup only from the official pantaray.com site.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open QSP files
Windows1 app
QSetup Composer (QSetup Installation Suite)
Paid Open the .qsp in QSetup Composer to edit the installer project, then Build to compile it into a setup.exe. Technical details
deep spec| File role | Installer-authoring project (source/settings) - compiled into a Windows setup executable; never distributed to end users |
| Compiled output | Standalone Windows `setup.exe` installer (redistributable) |
| Primary authoring tool | QSetup Composer PRO, part of QSetup Installation Suite by Pantaray Research Ltd. |
| Target platform | Windows (both authoring environment and installer deployment target) |
| Internal encoding | Binary, proprietary QSetup-internal project format |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| MIME type | `application/octet-stream` |
| File signature (magic bytes) | No documented public magic signature; format is QSetup-internal with no published file identifier |
| Typical file size | Tens of KB to a few MB - stores settings and file references; large payload files are usually stored externally |
| Build methods | Compiled via QSetup Composer GUI or via QSetup command-line interface |
| Stored configuration | File/folder lists and install destinations, registry entries, shortcuts, dialog/UI definitions, license text, install conditions, and build options |
| Format versioning | Internal project format version is tied to the QSetup Composer version that created the file |
| Related output extensions | `.exe` (primary setup output), `.msi` (MSI installer variant) |
| Analogous formats | Inno Setup `.iss` script, InstallShield project file - all are installer-authoring source files compiled into a redistributable setup package |
| End-user interaction | End users never run a `.qsp` file - only the compiled installer is distributed to and executed by end users |
| Released | QSetup Installation Suite (Pantaray Research), 2000s |
| Latest version | QSetup Composer (current Pantaray Research release) |
| Specification | www.pantaray.com |
QSP conversions
Community Q&A
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