A method for installing and uninstalling software which fragments the process so that the installation or uninstallation of each component of a software suite is controlled by multiple independent files, rather than by a single script. Each software component has associated therewith a unique component-specific data file which is independent of and external to the installer-processing engine, the suite installation process flow, and the other software components. Each such data file contains the characteristics of the software component, as well as the commands to be executed for installation and unexecuted during uninstallation. The flow of the installation/uninstallation process is controlled by a separate process-control file which is read and executed by the install/uninstall processing engine, which for a preferred embodiment of the invention, is a state machine. Fragmentation of the installation process in this manner isolates the intelligence required to install and uninstall a specific software component, thereby separating installation flow information from component installation information. As a component data file may reside at any accessible location, component data files that were not in existence at the time the original software distribution package was created can be supplied with new or updated software components via the Internet so that those components can be integrated into an existing software suite at installation run time.