Unattended/Silent installations

big_gie

big_gie

1
Hi guys!

I was looking for information on silent install of some program (to use with an unattended installation of windows xp) But since the documentation is not as good as it could be on the web, why not make a reference right here? :)

I'll start with the program I was able to silently install:

Program: CompleASPI
Version: v4.60
Home: ?
Command line: compel.exe /verysilent /sp- /norestart
Setup program: ?

Program: Command Prompt Explorer Bar
Version: v1.1
Home: http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/CommandBar.asp
Command line: Cmdbar.msi /qn
Setup program: Windows installer

Program: ConTEXT
Version: v0.97.2a
Home: http://www.fixedsys.com/context
Command line: context.exe /verysilent
Setup program: ?

Program: DirectX
Version: v9.0a
Home: http://www.microsoft.com/directx
Command line: dxsetup.exe /install /silent
Setup program: ?
Comment: Download the package, then extract its content. You should have 10 files. DX9 does not seems to support the silent install, so download the DX8.1, do the same, and change the DX9's dxsetup.exe for the DX8.1 one. Ok it's not the best, but it works :)

Program: Java Runtime Environment
Version: 1.4.1_02
Home: http://java.sun.com
Command line: jre.exe -s -a -iexplorer -netscape6 -s -f1"<path>setup.iss"
Setup program: Install Shield
Comment: You first have to install the JRE with the command
jre.exe -a -r -f1"C:\setup.iss"
This will create a respond file with the parameters you will enter during the setup. After
the file is created, it can be use for silent installation. Now put this response file
with the jre.exe (or whatever you renamed it) and run:
jre.exe -s -a -iexplorer -netscape6 -s -f1"<path>setup.iss"
For more information, go check: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/docs/guide/plugin/developer_guide/silent.html

Program: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Version: 6
Home: www.adobe.com
Command line: acrobat.exe -s
Comment: Like with Java, you have to create first a reponse file. Use the "-r" parameter for this (acrobat.exe -r) and then install the app. After, go in you rC:\Windows folder and take the setup.iss file. Put it in the same directory as the installer. Run the installer with "-s"
For more information, go see here: http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2cc1e.htm?code=TA

Program: Resplendent Registrar
Version: v3.21 (Build 321.30321)
Home: http://www.resplendence.com/registrar
Command line: regist.exe /S
Setup program: Wise

Program: TweakXP Pro
Version: v2.0.10
Home: http://www.totalidea.com/frameset-tweakxp.htm
Command line: tweakxp.exe /qn
Setup program: Windows Installer

Program: Microsoft Visual Basic 6 Runtime Environment
Version: 6.0 (SP5)
Home: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bf9a24f9-b5c5-48f4-8edd-cdf2d29a79d5&DisplayLang=en
Command line: vbrun6.exe /Q
Setup program: ?

Program: winamp.exe /S
Version: 2.91 (Not tested with v3)
Home: http://classic.winamp.com/
Command line: winamp.exe /S
Setup program: Nullsoft installer
Comments: After installation with the "/S" parameter, winamp runs and plays the "winamp; it really kicks the llama's ass!"
Does anyone noes how to disable this? Please msg me for this info...

Program: WinRAR
Version: v3.20
Home: http://www.rarsoft.com/rar_archiver.htm
Command line: winrar.exe /s
Setup program: Gestionnaire Intégré d'Archives Multifonctions (?)
Comments: This command line opens, after the installation, the start menu folder of winrar.
Anyone knows how to disable this?

Program: Microsoft Windows Media Player
Version: 9
Home: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx
Command line: wmp9.exe /Q:A /R:N
Setup program: ?

Program: ZoneAlarm Pro
Version: 3.7.159
Home: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
Command line: zap.exe /S /noreboot
Setup program: Wise (?)


Hope this will help you! If you have any others, please post them!!!

I'm still looking for Netscape Navigator v7.02... Does anyone knows how to make an unattended/silent installation of Netscape?
If so, is it possible to preconfigure accounts?
tanx
 
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big_gie

big_gie

1
Ok tanks bionic for the info. I checked it out and found that the first link (http://enterprise.netscape.com/docs/directory/602/install/silent.htm) is for "Netscape Directory Server"... That's not what I was looking for.

But the second link... (http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:Z-u-B9hNedoJ:support.cai.com/zzz_exp/USD/doc/Unattended%20Install%20for%20Netscape%204.51.doc+netscape+unattended+install&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) tells how to costumize the installation... and its long and painful...:p But at least I was able to make a silent installation! You have to configure the "config.ini" in the temp dir and copy the files elsewhere...

Tanx!

By the way... how do you "Register the Packages"??

If somebody else has other silent installation command, please post them!
 
C

_cracker_

New member
I just came across this forum from searching for silent install info on google. Hopefully I'm not too late to help out here. :)

This is the best site I've found for making a silent install XP cd. Has info on installing DirectX 9.0b, WMP9, hotfixes, Java, Reg. tweaks, and 20+ common apps.

http://www.msfn.org/unattended/

I'm looking for silent install info for Textpad and Mirc. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it. :)
 
big_gie

big_gie

1
_cracker_ said:
I just came across this forum from searching for silent install info on google. Hopefully I'm not too late to help out here.

This is the best site I've found for making a silent install XP cd. Has info on installing DirectX 9.0b, WMP9, hotfixes, Java, Reg. tweaks, and 20+ common apps.

http://www.msfn.org/unattended/

I'm looking for silent install info for Textpad and Mirc. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Yeah this site is great :)

Their java guide is for JRE v1.4.1 or earlier. The new 1.4.2 has a new installer with take those parameters for silent install:
Code: 
jre.exe /S /v/qn
I've tryed Mozilla v1.4 (http://www.mozilla.org) and after this.. well Netscape SUCKS!!! hehe :)
I've found that the Windows installer package can takes those arguments for silent install:
Code: 
moz14.exe -ma -ms -ira
I've also tryed Firebird (v0.6.1) and OMG!!! Mozilla sucks!!!!!! hahaha :)
Firebird is a GREAT browser!! I was using Opera (v7.11) but now I'm using more and more Firebird and think I'm gonna switch for first browser!!! (more on http://www.mozilla.org/products/firebird/)

Firebird doesn't have an installer, its just a zip file... In the unattended installation of Windows, I installed first WinRAR (v3.20, http://www.rarsoft.com/) So i have access to unrar.exe, but no unzip.exe... So I just repacked the archive to rar... And with this command its makes an "silent install":
Code: 
%ProgramFiles%\winrar\unrar.exe x %systemdrive%\winapps\firebird\fire061.rar "%ProgramFiles%" * > NULL
wich unrar the package

When your at it, you can do the same with Thunderbird (http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/) a GREAT e-mail client!!!
Code: 
%ProgramFiles%\winrar\unrar.exe x %systemdrive%\winapps\thunderbird\thunder01.rar "%ProgramFiles%" * > NULL

The http://www.msfn.org/unattended/ technique for silent installation of programs is really ugly. Instead of a batch file, you could put into the registry into
Code: 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx]
the command you would like to install. This will install after the first user logon and with a "nice" gui (like this one @ http://www.laboratoire-microsoft.org/articles/win/w2k_bootable/Default_fichiers/image002.jpg), not an ugly batch file :)

The only guide I've found for this type of installation was http://www.laboratoire-microsoft.org/articles/win/w2k_bootable/ and was for Windows 2000. It's the same for WinXP :) The original is in french. I think there's a translation @ http://www.laboratoire-microsoft.org/articles/win/sp3/en/

I'll try to resume it:

1- Make a txt file: CDROM:\$OEM$\cmdlines.txt wich contain:
Code: 
[Commands]
".\parse.bat"
".\runonce.bat"
2- Make 2 bat file: CDROM:\$OEM$\parse.bat and CDROM:\$OEM$\runonce.bat containing:
Code: 
rem parse.bat
@echo off
%systemdrive%\windows\regedit.exe /S %systemdrive%\winapps\reg\prog.reg
type %systemdrive%\winapps\reg\runonce.txt|%windir%\sed.exe 's/\%%systemdrive\%%/%systemdrive%/g'>%systemdrive%\winapps\reg\runonce1.reg
type %systemdrive%\winapps\reg\runonce1.reg|%windir%\sed.exe 's/\%%ProgramFiles%%/%ProgramFiles%/g'>%systemdrive%\winapps\reg\runonce.reg
type %systemdrive%\winapps\oobcas\setup.txt|%windir%\sed.exe 's/\%%ProgramFiles%%/%ProgramFiles%/g'>%systemdrive%\winapps\oobcas\setup.iss
and
Code: 
rem runonce.bat
@echo off
%windir%\regedit.exe /s %systemdrive%\winapps\reg\runonce.reg
parse.bat will replaces the variables (like %systemdrive% and %programfiles%) with their system independant equivalent, and rename the file with a .reg extension. Analyse those and if you have questions contact me...
runonce.bat will just load the .reg file generated by parse.bat into the registry.
(you can find sed.exe @ http://www.laboratoire-microsoft.org/articles/win/w2k_bootable/outils.zip)
sed.exe must be in CDROM:\$OEM$\$$

3- Make a txt file: CDROM:\$OEM$\$1\winapps\reg\runonce.txt with this structure:
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx]
"Title"="Silent installation of window apps"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\zz01]
"1"="%systemdrive%\\winapps\\wmp\\MPSetup.EXE /Q:A /R:N /C:\"setup_wm.exe /Q:A /R:N\""
@="Windows Media Player 9"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\zz02]
"1"="%systemdrive%\\winapps\\mozilla\\moz14.exe -ma -ms -ira"
@="Mozilla v1.4"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\zz03]
"1"="%ProgramFiles%\\winrar\\unrar.exe x %systemdrive%\\winapps\\firebird\\fire061.rar \"%ProgramFiles%\" * > NULL"
@="Mozilla Firebird v0.6.1"

... etc ...
This file will be rename (via parse.bat and sed.exe) to runonce.reg

Note:
Look @ the end of the key location: \zz01, \zz02, ...
those are for the order. even if you change the order of the presentation, the zz01 will always be installed first...
You could use aa0? if you want... Just be sure not to have more than one of the same key... :)

4- Put your programms into CDROM:\$OEM$\$1\winapps\<nameofapp>

Now everything should be ok!

Note:
Everything under CDROM:\$OEM$\$1 will be copied to the root (\) of you %systemdrive% (generaly C: ). So you will have:
C:\winapps
C:\winapps\firebird
C:\winapps\mozilla
...
and executed from there. At that point, you don't need the cd anymore...
If you want to delete those "temp" files, just add, at the end of the runonce.txt those lines:
Code: 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\zz30]
"2"="%systemdrive%\\windows\\regedit.exe /s %systemdrive%\\winapps\\reg\\supp.reg"
@="Deletation of temp files"
and make a CDROM:\$OEM$\$1\winapps\reg\sup.reg witch contain:
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx]
"Title"="Silent installation of window apps"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\zz99]
"1"="cmd.exe /c rmdir %systemdrive%\\winapps /s /q"
"2"="cmd.exe /c rmdir %systemdrive%\\drivers /s /q"
@="Deletation of temp files"
(Note that I have my system drivers under CDROM:\$OEM$\$1\drivers)

That should be it!

good luck :)
 
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