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DLee65
Level 13

Problem with PRQ and SQL Server 2012 Express

I am attempting to configure SQL Server 2012 Express to install as a prerequisite. I am setting it up in its own 'msi' package that just sets some registry keys. This package will in the end get consumed by the AdvancedUI installer.

However, the command line settings in the PRQ are not being passed to the SQL Server 2012 Express installer and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. The silent install fails, the full install fails. I have attempted everything from a basic '/q' to the '/qs /ACTION=INSTALL /FEATURES=SQL' etc.

Now I have used the command line to install SQL Server 2012 Express using Wise Installer and I am trying to convert everything over to InstallShield. I had thought that this process would only take me a few minutes to setup, and normally that would be correct. However, this has me stumped.

The log files in the Microsoft SQL Server 110 bootstrapper directory do not indicate that it received any command line parameters.

I have attempted this having the SQL Server 2012 package downloaded from the web and also extracted from the Setup.exe.

The package downloads and extracts properly. InstallShield will launch the setup as well, but it always launches in full UI mode, except if I launch the InstallShield Setup.exe with the /s argument. Then I do not see any UI and task manager will show that SQL Server attempts to run but exits very quickly, too quickly to have installed properly.

The temp directory SQLSetup file show the following error: Setup closed with exit code: 0x84C4000C
A little bit before this I see: Error: User has not specified the unattended action with the /action command line argument

Below is my command line from the prq, it definitely has the /action declared.

cmdline="/ACTION=INSTALL /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /FEATURES=SQLEngine /INDICATEPROGRESS /QS /HIDECONSOLE /AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE" /ASSYSADMINACCOUNTS=BUILTIN\Administrators /BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Automatic /SAPWD=foo$bar!pwd /SECURITYMODE=SQL /INSTANCENAME=AMAZINGCHARTS /SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Automatic /SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE" /TCPENABLED=1 /NPENABLED=1 /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS=BUILTIN\Administrators /ASCOLLATION=SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS /SQLCOLLATION=SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"


Does anything here stick out to anyone? Has anyone else had problems?
My dev and build machines are both Windows XP.
My test machine is Windows 7x86

Other prerequisites do not seem to have a problem. I have another setup that includes prerequisites such as .NET 4.0 Full and those command line settings work correctly.

Thank you.
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(4) Replies
DLee65
Level 13

I have had some progress on this incident.
[LIST=1]
  • If I compile the project setting the same prerequisite properties Build Location set to 'Copy From Source Media', and I set the same setting in the Release media settings, then the setup will work correctly. I think from this I can eliminate the actual Prerequisite settings for the command line as a factor in this case. SQL Server 2012 launched correctly. It completed correctly and configured my instance correctly.
  • AFTER having success with this, I was able to go back to my InstallShield project and successfully set the PRQ properties to 'Extract From Setup.exe' for the Prerequisite Properties and Release media settings and the setup still worked properly.
  • HOWEVER, I attempted once again to use the setting 'Download From the Web'. This setting fails. This is the setting we would like to use to reduce the overall footprint of the installer, as the installer will need to be copied or downloaded to many different systems and not having to carry the additional 208MB download cost would help since it does not have to be installed on all systems, just the main computer and the application will be installed on all other systems.



    To be clear, until I had attempted the uncompressed 'Copy from Source Media', the Extract from Setup.exe' was behaving the same as I am seeing from the Download from the Web option.
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    MichaelU
    Level 12 Flexeran
    Level 12 Flexeran

    Have you changed the "Alternate location to download .prq from if prerequisite files are being downloaded"? This is shown on the Properties tab of the prerequisite editor. If you have kept the originally supplied URL, then your edited prq is replaced at run time with the Flexera Software hosted .prq that does not have your edits.
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    DLee65
    Level 13

    Wow! I just re-read your post.

    That is nasty. You replace my edited PRQ and all of its command line parameters? For what reason? I just ask you to download a file not to replace my PRQ. You have basically rendered the download item useless for you cannot modify the item. I guess we will need to host the file to fix the problem.

    How can I download my prerequisite file without downloading a PRQ file? Is it possible? Or maybe I am just misunderstanding this ...
    The more that I am looking through my PRQ file and trying to wrap my head around this the more I think I am gaining a better understanding of this. My guess this field is just optional, that I can just delete the value in the Alternate location to download .prq from if prerequisite files are being downloaded:

    I can see the value of using this, especially if I change this to an address that we are hosting. Having it set to an InstallShield site though ... it is kind of useless, especially for a product like SQL that requires configuration. 😄
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    DLee65
    Level 13

    Michael you hit the nail on the head. I have never thought twice about that field and for this project never had to look at that panel, I just had to configure the command line and then one of the configurations settings.

    I deleted the "Alternate location to download .prq from if prerequisite files are being downloaded"? value and now it is using the PRQ shipped with the product. I knew there had to be a logical explanation!

    Thank you so much.
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