Software Deployment

Might be a long shot, but you could install the app, then search the registry for the serial number. This would tell you what keys you need to import during setup.

When you create the transform, there is prob a property listing the serial #. Setting this property in the script should quiet the dialog down. What's the app?

Thanks for your response but I'm pretty sure I've tried that. I'm sure the serial number is only used during installation.

I doubt you will have heard of it, Penfriend, it's an app which predicts text as you type (among other things), used with students who have particular learning requirements.

Have a look in the MST you create and make sure it is getting in there. Are the other settings you choose being applied by the MST? If you are doing this from the command line, one common mistake is to specify TRANSFORM=<mytrasform.mst> instead of TRANSFORMS=<mytransform.mst> (make sure it is plural).

The Transform "should" be able to handle entering the serial information for you (as it is designed to do), but the MSI could be authored to collect the serial number outside of a standard dialog, such as with a custom action or form designed specifically not to capture this information. Take a look at the MSI itself and see if you can determine if anything strange is happening here.

Good luck!
Bob

Installshield apps have their own property for serial numbers

I think if you look for the Property called ISX_SERIALNUM, you should be able to use that property.

Thanks for that Jim, it's now inserting the serial number automatically during setup when I run it with the transform... however I've now run into another problem...

If I run the setup with a basic end (ie where it runs through setup, automatically showing progress), it seems to install fine but upon running the program it says it's not installed properly.

If I set it to show a full end when installing (where I have to press next to progress) it's defaulting to the correct answers (ie yes to the EULA, serial number entered, typical installation, default installation target folder). I don't make any changes and after clicking next and finish a few times, I try to run it and it works fine.

Could someone suggest a setting in the transform I need to set, that possibly haven't? I need the installation to be totally silent.

thanks for your help

I had a similar problem with a program. With the serial in the transform, it would install but would act like an invalid serial was entered.
I tried passing the serial via the command line and, oddly enough, it installed and worked properly. The Wise script looked like the following, with all the %VARIABLES% defined accordingly.

item: Execute Program
Pathname=%SYS32%\msiexec.exe
Command Line=/i "%SOURCE%\%MSI%" ISX_SERIALNUMBER=%SERIAL%
TRANSFORMS="%SOURCE%\%MST%" /qb!
Flags=00000010
end

It probably won't help, but I find trying anything once is always worthwhile when you have a stubborn package.

-Eric

Thanks Eric,

I'll try bypassing the mst altogether and just passing the accepteula and isx_serialnum through the command line.

thanks

Right ok, I think I've finally got it to install ok, by passing the serialnum directly through the command line as Eric suggested. To get it to autoaccept the license I've had to use an MST to do that so far. Is there an installshield switch for that as well? I've ACCEPTLICENSE=YES AGREETOLICENSE=YES ACCEPTEULA=1, any suggestions?

thanks

You should be able to alter the command line to look like this:

%SYS32%\msiexec.exe /i "%SOURCE%\%MSI%" ACCEPTEULA=1 ISX_SERIALNUMBER=%SERIAL% TRANSFORMS="%SOURCE%\%MST%" /qb!

but, like anything else, some packages it will work for, some it won't.
glad passing the serial did the trick for you though.

-Eric

Looks like I spoke too soon, it worked once, then won't work subsequently, and I can't see anything that's changed.

I'm trying to avoid using the MST, as I don't have any confidence that the transform's working.

Is there an installshield specific switch for accepting the license agreement? When I try to use accepteula=1 it doesn't work. Any suggestions appreciated.

This app is much more awkward than I first thought.

Just thought I'd let you all know that I've got this prob fixed. It seemed to be that when running the MSI silently, it skipped the serial number bit altogether. The important bit was that the serial number prompt affected whether a vital registry fragment was inserted (without which the program would not run). So to workaround I used an MST to add the registry fragment in manually. Thanks all for your advice.

I have a similar question...i'm packaging with adminstudio and the application (intex trader) doesnt ask for the key till when you open to actually use it.While doing the packaging i put that in my 2nd snapshot, but when i open the packaged product it shows the the license key in clear text,how can I encrypt this?[&o]