I'm trying to find out if InstallShield will help me write an installer for silently installing Windows applications and services from a server (running Server 2003) onto all connected clients (running XP). I've looked through the user guide & although there seems to be support for remote installation, I can't find enough detail to answer my question. Can InstallShield help? If so where can I find out more details - or is there another product I should consider? Thanks.
InstallShield can make installations which are compatible with most distribution methods, but does not itself offer one. To get you started on that pat of your search, some common distribution methods include use of group policy, or SMS / SCCM / Configuration Manager.
Just to clarify then is it correct to say that, 'out of the box', Installshield can be used to silently install a Windows application or service on a local PC, but not a remote one. To do remote installations requires use of other technologies (e.g. SMS), but Installshield can still be used to produce the installation package these other technologies use.
That sounds accurate to me. The installation must be initiated somehow. On a local PC that's often a double-click. On a remote machine, something has to do it.
Thanks for that..... but now I'm a bit confused about something I've seen in the User Guide - so a couple of other questions if I may. Is it correct to say that a user sitting at a server cannot run an InstallShield setup that will install on a connected client? If InstallShield does not provide the ability to remotely install ('out of the box'), what functionality is the 'Setting a Feature’s Remote Installation Setting' discussed in the User Guide providing? :confused:
InstallShield can make installations which are compatible with most distribution methods, but does not itself offer one. To get you started on that pat of your search, some common distribution methods include use of group policy, or SMS / SCCM / Configuration Manager.
That seems to be the answer.
What functionality is the 'Setting a Feature’s Remote Installation Setting' discussed in the User Guide providing?
Those are the settings for an Administrative install.
You can use the msiexec.exe "/a" flag to install the msi to a network location. This shared location now acts as a common location for other users to install the app from provided the user has appropriate rights on the share.
The options available are, Favor Source: The application is installed on the local system but the files reside on the share. Favor Local: Installing the app from the share copies files to local machine.
Please try to read more about Administrative install.
MichaelU wrote: InstallShield can make installations which are compatible with most distribution methods, but does not itself offer one. To get you started on that pat of your search, some common distribution methods include use of group policy, or SMS / SCCM / Configuration Manager.
You actually believe you can deploy ISScript-based setups with SMS or SCCM? It can't be done unless you run it with the user's rights and give the users rights to install software.
ISScript9 is the worst. I really don't understand why Installshield couldn't just build real Windows Installer .MSI files. It has to have all this extra **** and it's own services running. IDriver.exe? It can't run as the local system account? Who's brilliant idea was that? What genius decided that would be a good idea? That guy should be working the fry station at McDonalds.
The good thing is that if I want to BUY a new version of Installshield, I can supposedly convert ISScript9 installations to real MSI's. That functionality should be given away for free considering the hours of frustration that Installshilt 9 packages created for everyone.
IDriver and ISScript*.msi hasn't been used since before InstallShield 12, over five releases ago. They were removed because of problems like you mention. I don't see that this comment is relevant to the InstallShield 2011 forum.
If you dig through this forum you'll find some old posts from me talking about tweaking the IScript runtime installer to change the DCOM AppId impersonation settings. Doing so and running installers as SCCM will work. I know because I was doing it in an 18,000 seat forest back in 2003.
