Installation over the network

[wtrmnky]

I am trying to create an msi that will install over our network using UNC. So far I have run the repackager in snapshot mode and created an irp. and then the .ism. When I try to create the .msi I don't see any choices for what we want. It seems AdminStudio wants to wrap all the files up into either a single .exe or .msi. We just want all the files to reside on our server.

Also, I ran the repackager on a VM machine and saved the .irp to a shared drive (shared with the machine running AdminStudio). When I build the package I get errors because the path where AdminStudio thinks the files are is stored as the shared drive but from the VM machines side.

The actual shared path is c:\adminstudshared but the repackager stores it as \\.host\shared folders\AdminStudShared\. Iwas able to fix it by going into the files table and replacing the path string, but there has to be a better way.

[turbokitty]

Two issues here:

1) Build an MSI. Then do an administrative install of the MSI to the network share you want to install from. msiexec /a "blah.msi"

2) The easiest way is to change the path in the project file. Look under the "Media" section for "Path Variables"

[wtrmnky]

We are having the issues when we build the MSI. Are you saying to build the MSI from a disk install and then use that to install to the network?

After that, do we then run the recorder on a VM machine to capture the install process to the client?

turbokitty wrote:
Two issues here:

1) Build an MSI. Then do an administrative install of the MSI to the network share you want to install from. msiexec /a "blah.msi"

2) The easiest way is to change the path in the project file. Look under the "Media" section for "Path Variables"

[turbokitty]

Now I'm a little confused.

Repackager issue:

When you're done doing your second snapshot, abandon the VM machine and move to your AdminStudio machine to edit the IRP and create the ISM. That way, you won't have the path variable problem.

MSI problem:

What I think you want to do is create an "Administrative Install". This extracts all the files from the MSI to a network share and allows the install to run from the network.

To accomplish this, you can just build the MSI with the Editor any way you wish. I would choose "Network Image", "Compress all files". Once that is done, use MSIEXEC /a or the AdminStudio Distribution Wizard to create an adminsitrative install.