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Creating Silent Installs

Most vendors provide either a single file, when downloaded from the web, or set of files, when distributed on a CD. Executing the installer file, typically named setup.exe, installs the vendor's application on any operating system. Vendors typically use one of three applications to create install packages: InstallShield, Windows Installer, or Wise Installer. Each of these applications provides a method for creating silent installs. When automating the installation of vendor install packages, you'll want to ensure the installation package does not pause for user input during installation.

Silent Installs with InstallShield

InstallShield has a record mode that captures answers to all dialog boxes in the installation procedure. InstallShield requires the recorded response iis file to be on the managed machine during the installation. To deploy, the agent procedure must use the Write File command to send both the setup.exe and record.iis files from VSA server to the managed machine and then use Execute File to run setup.exe with the options /s /f"<path>\record.iis".  Refer to your InstallShield help guide for more information regarding the silent installation capability with a recorded response file. 

Create a custom install package by following these steps:

  1. Verify the install package was made with InstallShield.
    1. Launch the install package.
    2. Confirm InstallShield Wizard displays at the end of the window title bar.
  2. Launch the install package in record mode from a command prompt.
    1. If the install package is a single file - Run setup.exe /a /r /f1c:\temp\record.iss.
      Setup.exe is the name of the install package. c:\temp\record.iss is the full path filename to save the recorded output.
    2. If the Install package is a set of files - Run setup.exe /r /f1c:\temp\record.iss.
      Setup.exe is the name of the install package. c:\temp\record.iss is the full path filename to save the recorded output.
  3. Deploy the install package with the recorded dialog box responses. Use the Write File agent procedure command to copy both the vendor's install package and record.iss file to each managed machine or to a file server accessible by each managed machine.
  4. Execute the install package with silent mode command line parameters using the Execute File procedure command.
    1. If the install package is a single file - Run setup.exe /s /a /s /f1c:\temp\record.iss.
      Setup.exe is the name of the install package. c:\temp\record.iss is the full path filename location of the recorded settings.
    2. If the Install package is a set of files - Run setup.exe /s /f1c:\temp\record.iss.
      Setup.exe is the name of the install package. c:\temp\record.iss is the full path filename location of the recorded settings.

Silent Installs with Windows Installer

Windows Installer does not have a record mode. As such it can only silently install the Typical install configuration. To silently install a Windows Installer package write a procedure to perform the following:

  1. Use the Write File agent procedure command to copy the vendor's install package to each managed machine or to a file server accessible by each managed machine.
  2. Run the install package with the /q parameter using the Execute File agent procedure command.

Silent Installs with Wise Installer

Wise Installer does not have a record mode. As such it can only silently install the Typical install configuration. To silently install a Wise Installer package write a procedure to perform the following:

  1. Use the Write File agent procedure command to copy the vendor's install package to each managed machine or to a file server accessible by each managed machine.
  2. Run the install package with the /s parameter using the Execute File agent procedure command.