Cannot get .NET 3.5 SP1 Prerequisite to run silently in my 2010 InstallScript Project

[sandwich]

Just upgraded to IS 2010 and was happy to see Prerequisites available for InstallScript projects.

Have been trying to get the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 prerequisite to run silently. Tried all sorts of various combinations in the prerequisite editor but every time it runs, .Net dialog pops up.

Here is the .prq file:
________________________________________________________________





















_________________________________________________________________

Any help would be appreciated.

[SherylSikora]

It looks like you modified the prerq to execute the wrong file. The Helper.exe file should be the one that is executed. That file in turn will execute the dotnetfx35.exe file properly. By using the dotnetfx35.exe file instead, the command-line is then invalid so it will not run silently.

So the line should look like this:

"Helper.exe" cmdline="/p dotnetfx35.exe /l 1033 /v "/q /norestart"" cmdlinesilent="/p dotnetfx35.exe /l 1033 /v "/q /norestart"" returncodetoreboot="1641,3010" requiresmsiengine="1">

[sandwich]

Thanks for your reply Sheryl....I wondered what the helper.exe did exactly and why the pre req editor allows me to choose either exe in the drop down list box.

I made the change you suggested. Since the cmdline and silentcmdlines are identical I believe it is always set to run in silent mode...correct?

Anyway when the .Net 3.5 sp1 pre req runs it continues to run non silently. I have attached a screen shot of the .Net 3.5 sp1 dialog I am getting.

Here is the content of the prq file with your change:

_________________________________________________________________





















_________________________________________________________________

Any other ideas?

[sandeep_madhu14]

Once try this command from command prompt:

Path to Exe>setup.exe /s /v"/qb"

Thanks
Madhu.

[sandwich]

Thanks for your reply Madhu....I assume you are referring to the setup.exe for the main installer that includes the .Net 3.5 sp1 pre req.

This is an Installscript project...

I believe what you gave me....setup.exe /s /v"/qb"....is for an MSI project where the '/v' passes command line options to the MSIEXEC.exe.

[sandeep_madhu14]

have you tried this command from command prompt:

setup.exe /s /v"/qb"

thanks
Madhu

[sandwich]

Thanks Madhu....I was not sure which setup.exe you were referring to but took your suggestion and applied it to the dotnetfx35.exe within the prq file.
Thanks for your help. Now .Net 3.5 sp1 runs only with a basic UI which works for my application.

Now the "execute file" line has been changed to:



I added the "/s" after the "dotnetfx35.exe" and changed /qn to /qb....incidentally /qn does not silence the install.

So this solves my non silent installation requirement. .Net installs with no interaction from the user.

Maybe you can help with the second requirement as well?

My main installer needs to run silently and alway has. I normally call it silently this way:

MainInstaller.exe -s -f1 -f2

When I run this silent install the pre requs do not get called. These pre requs include the appropriate version of Windows installer and .Net 3.5 sp1. They just get skipped over.

I ran my installer in record mode to see if I could grab something in a new ISS file...but the ISS file does not even get created until the WELCOME dialog comes up. The pre requs run prior to the WELCOME dialog so it does not appear the ISS file is going to help me with this.

I made your suggested changes for both the cmdline and silentcmdline so I would expect it to work the same but it does not.

Thanks for getting me this far.

[sandeep_madhu14]

Is that first problem solved.......

Actually i have mentioned as the example as

setup.exe /s/v"/qb"

you can use your exe name there to execute silently....

I could not understand what you want to do in the second question...

Do you want to install prerequisites silently?

let me know the problem exactly...

then i can solve your problem...

thanks
madhu

[sandeep_madhu14]

In the installsheild help file search for the following article.....

"Setup.exe and Update.exe Command-Line Parameters "

I think this article may help you to solve your problem....

if it is not solved let me know ....


thanks
madhu

[sandwich]

Hi Madhu,

Your response did correct the first issue I had.

Thank you again.

This help topic does contain relevant information: "Setup.exe and Update.exe Command-Line Parameters"
Since this is an InstallScript project only certain parameters can be passed to the setup.exe of the main installer.

InstallScript silent installs run off a response file which you create by running an installer in NON SILENT mode with a -r parameter. This will create a response file, setup.iss which you can then pass to your setup.exe the following way to run silently(assume installer is in the root of C:\.)

setup.exe -s -f1c:\setup.iss -f2c:\setup.log

This installer will now run silently. However this installer has the .Net PreReq included. So when the main installer runs in silent mode the PreReq is not getting called.

When I run this same installer in NON SILENT mode the PreReq is getting called.

This is the first release (2010) that InstallShield has made PreReqs available to InstallScript projects so maybe this is a bug?

I have logged a defect with Flexera on this: SIOC-000086431

[SherylSikora]

We have been able to reproduce the bug on our end. Attached to this post is a fix for this issue. Unzip the attachment and place the setup.exe file within the ..\InstallShield\2010\Redist\Language Independent\i386\ISP folder on your machine. Be sure to make a backup copy of the original setup.exe file first.

Then rebuild your install and run it silently.

Please let me know if this fixes your issue.

[sandwich]

Hi Sheryl....the fix works

Thank you very much for the quick response. I will close the support incident.

Thanks again