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Need help with installshield.exe

HI All

I am working on an application. Provided source is installshield setup.exe.and when i see on command line. switches are /S /v/qn. But it does not support those switches. It means its not completely silent and will ask u to click next. Also it cant be packaged. I tried with admin studio repackager- installmonitor and single step.etc. Doesnt get exctracted anything in temp folders or windows/installer locations etc. The .exe works like it installs pre-requisites SQL server 2008 R2 AND ITS COMPONENTS AND the main application. It also doesnot create setup.iss which install shield .exe supposed to be. Another problem is it gives UAC prompts while uninstalling. So is there any other way to perform it completely silent?

Thanks in advance...
Asked 10 years ago 3996 views
3 Comments   [ + ] Show comments
  • >it cant be packaged
    Piffle. Apps are just a bunch of files and registry entries, with maybe some text file edits/additions. Of *course* it can be re-packaged!!

    First, though, remember that some vendors extract their installations to folders beneath AppData so use ProcMon to determine whether or not the EXE extracts an MSI. My guess is that it does.

    On a point of order, the installation won't create SETUP.ISS - that file would've been provided by the vendor and will sit alongside the set-up stub itself. - anonymous_9363 10 years ago
  • hi VBScab i could find exctacted MSI, but it installs only application. not any pre-requisite.or pre-requisites ,also could not find cached msi for pre-requisite component. so now problem is cant be repackaged. (get error),cant record setup.iss,have application msi but no pre-requisite installation, problem with completely silent uninstallation. - swap20june 10 years ago
  • did you try to copy the exe to the local machine and then try to use the exe from that location with the command line options. Create a executable with the registry hack to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurretnVersion\Policies\System

    EnableLUA=0
    then unstall it and then turn back the UAC by setting EnableLUA=1
    Which would not prompt you to turn off the UAC's. when uninstalling. - Sidhugadu 10 years ago
    • hi i checked but this option does not work - swap20june 10 years ago

Answers (3)

Posted by: EdT 10 years ago
Red Belt
3
There is no easy solution to this, but at least you have some information on what the pre-requisites are. Splitting a vendor install into separate installable components is quite a common requirement, so what you are going to have to do is create a chained installation where SQL Server 2008 R2 is installed first, and configured appropriately, followed by the MSI.
Since the SQL server install is also an MSI, by enabling verbose logging in the registry, you should be able to determine the installation settings used from the SQL Server installation log.  Same for the application MSI.
As for UAC, you can either turn it off in Control Panel, or just accept that this is part of Windows security these days.
If you deploy via Kace, or SMS or SCCM or some other distribution system, there will be no UAC problem.
Posted by: Badger 10 years ago
Red Belt
0

The /S/v/qn is normally for the setup.exe, you then need to add /V arguments, anything after this will be passed to the MSI package. So maybe setup.exe /S/v/qn /V/QB would work (but only if you don't have to actually do anything to the MSI)

You have to be careful with spaces and quotes.(if multiple command line arguments are used for the MSI)

If you can get the msi from the downloaded cache,that should be OK if you can the pre reqs too.

If you are trying to find other apps, sometimes installs hide themselves from Add/Remove programs. Easy to find on a clean machine (not so many GUIDS to check), look in: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall (don't forget the wow6432 node) for SystemComponent

 

Good luck

Posted by: EdT 10 years ago
Red Belt
0
Since we are not clairvoyant, it would help to know what application you are dealing with.  How do you know it is an Installshield application?  It would be unusual if none of the normally supported switches worked.
Giving UAC prompts when uninstalling is quite common when removing a signed MSI where the version of windows installer < 5.
Have you monitored task manager to see if installing the application causes more than one instance of the msiexec process to be launched? Have you checked the C:\windows\installer hidden folder to see if an MSI is cached there?
If there is a shortcut created in Add/Remove programs, have you checked the registry for the uninstallstring, as this can also give you a clue as to the technology being used.
Comments:
  • Hi EdT thanks for reply. Application name is Alaris System Maintenance. Yes as per u mentioned i have checked these things.monitored task manager to see if installing the application causes more than one instance of the msiexec process to be launched,checked the C:\windows\installer hidden folder,TeMP folder, and uninstall string. Actually i am able to find MSI at location C:\users\AppData\Local\Downloaded Installations\(Product code), now the problem is it does not install with its pre-requisites. Msi installs application only but not the pre-requisites. So it does not launch.Pre-requisites are
    SQL Server 2008 R2 and its components,Also i am trying to find out way to suppress those UAC prompts,as its coming up very often for other applications too.Searched a lot but not getting proper direction. When i install setup.exe manually it installs with pre-requisite and app. - swap20june 10 years ago
 
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