Creating a silent Install.

[chriscw]

One of our customers has asked if we can create a silent install. I have made a silent install response file by running

setup -r -f1c:\uscan\\setup.iss

And run it by using

setup -s -f1c:\uscan\\setup.iss

I can see the setup running in task manager and indeed an MSI package which it calls that I have not yet made silent runs when expected. When Setup.exe terminates and disappears from task manager hover my product has not been installed, no files have been copied to the target dir and the product does not appear in Control Panel programs and features. Is there something else I need to do to make my installscript setup actually do anything when run in silent mode.

the response file itself looks OK it goes as follows:

[InstallShield Silent]
Version=v7.00
File=Response File
[File Transfer]
OverwrittenReadOnly=NoToAll
[{2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-DlgOrder]
Dlg0={2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-SdWelcome-0
Count=4
Dlg1={2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-AskPath-0
Dlg2={2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-SdStartCopy-0
Dlg3={2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-MessageBox-0
[{2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-SdWelcome-0]
Result=1
[{2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-AskPath-0]
szPath=C:\Program Files\Wicks and Wilson Ltd\UScan\
Result=1
[{2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-SdStartCopy-0]
Result=1
[{2E3753F4-750E-4516-932D-7DC371065A7B}-MessageBox-0]
Result=1
[Application]
Name=UScan
Version=1.07.000.001
Company=Wicks and Wilson Ltd
Lang=0409

Do I have to go through my script file putting the:

if (MODE = SILENTMODE) then

// Perform silent setup actions and events.

else

// Perform normal setup actions and events.

endif;

Logic in and if so how do I find out where it needs to go.

[dan_galender]

What project type are you working with (Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI)?

[DLee65]

Since you speak of a response file, I am assuming you are making an InstallScript project.

You should only need to specify the silent mode code for any custom dialog you have created in your setup.
It has been a long time since I have worked on an InstallScript project so I forget the exact syntax but I know the help has great information on this. It is what I used years ago to fix a silent install issue.

The other thing to consider is there any message boxes that conditionally pop up in your script. You need to create an if statement so that they never show up and possibly just write to a log file.

Basically if you have any message boxes, dialogs, or another item that can appear on different operating systems from the system that you generate the log file, then the setup fails.

I do not know if any of this is true in your circumstance, but it is something to consider.

If you have just a basic MSI (which I do not think you do have since you are calling an MSI within your installer), then you do not need a response file. Here you would use a command line option for /qb and run the MSI.