silent install options?

RayOK · Post by **RayOK** » 2004 Aug 25, 00:10

I have a small network I administer, and every few months I reinstall the computers with an unattended CD I made with help from MSFN.org. Anyway, I recently discovered xplorer² and would like to know if there is a way to install it, with options, completely unattended?

Ive experimented with it a little and the switch, /S will do that except I still get the dialog saying its for personal use and I can't choose any options. I also noticed in the temporary folder, during normal install, there is a couple text files and a .dll that look like good possibilities but I have no idea how to use them.

So, could anyone guide me in the right direction of how to skip that personal use dialog and choose the options I would like? Like, no desktop icon, a quick launch and start menu icons, installed into %ProgramFiles%\xplorer2.

Thanks in advance.

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Aug 25, 00:25

That sounds like a lot of trouble to go to for a small home-sized network.
Why not just do it one at a time & answer the dialogs?

RayOK · Post by **RayOK** » 2004 Aug 25, 00:51

Do it once now, never do it again.. (unless the installer changes, unlikely)

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Aug 25, 02:10

[OT] It seems like makework to reinstall everything every few months, but then again, I don't know your situation.

Back on topic:
The basic install just copies the files into the program directory and puts shortcuts to start x2 from 'places' you can specify (desktop, start menu, quick launch bar). If you've done one computer, you can just copy the program folder contents from one computer to the next. The user preference options are kept as registry keys in a public hive in the registry (see registry.txt), and each user would normally configure x2 to their own taste.
Where you place startup shortcuts may be what you are asking.
It sounds like you don't want one on the desktop, but you do want one in the start menu and on the quickstart bar.
For the start menu just copy a shortcut to the app into the Documents and Settings \ <user> \ Start menu folder.
I don't know how to put a shortcut in the quick launch area, other than manually dragging it there (somebody else may be able to help) -- for everything else, you should be able to write a script to do the copying.

I know that's not a complete answer, but I hope it helps a little.

RayOK · Post by **RayOK** » 2004 Aug 25, 04:43

Ahh that helps..

I could easily repackage it into a WinRAR sfx, which would extract it to the right folder, apply the registry settings and create the shortcuts. Thanks for the info about the registry, that was my main problem. Also, do you know if I don't create the registry entries would xplorer² create them at first run?

vserghi · Post by **vserghi** » 2004 Aug 25, 07:52

Quick launch can be accessed on Win2k (possibly WinXP also) via;

"C:\Documents and Settings\<USERNAME>\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch"

or

"C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch"

And on Win98

"C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch"

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Aug 25, 11:19

RayOK,
Features controlled by any missing registry entries are given default settings on startup - so no registry entries are needed to start.
x2 saves its registry entries upon exit.
An implication of the above is that any registry tweaks for customizing performance MUST be made with all instances of x2 CLOSED, else they will become overwritten with current preference values.
But most customization preferences can be made via the GUI, and are effective immediately.

vserghi,
Thanks for finding the quicklaunch link spot for us. (It's the same on XP, too)
Leave it to m$ to place a local machine setting it in the structure of a peculiar application (IE). -- No doubt a relic of when they claimed that their OS couldn't be made to work right unless IE was the web browser.
... actually, now I will have added satisfaction when I start Mozilla Firefox from quicklaunch.

vserghi · Post by **vserghi** » 2004 Aug 25, 11:56

No worries.

RayOK · Post by **RayOK** » 2004 Aug 25, 21:49

Thanks again for all the help.

About the only settings I would change from default would be the editor and viewer entries and maybe list view for both panes, if not default already. Very minimal changes. And, of course, since this would all happen without user intervention it will be when closed.

The quick launch location I already knew. Heck, I am doing a full unattended install with a lot of tweaks that most users don't even know or care about.

Post by **nikos** » 2004 Aug 26, 07:10

let me just remind you that x2 lite is not for any kind of "for profit" use. I don't know what kind of systems you administer; please refer to the licence file for checking your qualifications.

all other users must obtain licences for the pro version
thanks

RayOK · Post by **RayOK** » 2004 Aug 26, 22:44

Don't worry, the network I was referring to was my home network. I have 4 computers on it and none are used for profit. Two for me and other two for family members. I always test out software on one computer and the other is for personal use. After testing some new, crappy software I reinstall the system just to make sure everything is clean.

xplorer² is too good of a program to exploit. Almost ready to chip in for the pro version too because it definitely passed my tests.

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Aug 26, 23:51

@ pro version too because it definitely passed my tests.

So, then, does that mean you're working on the free 21-day trial period evaluating the added features of the powerful "Pro" file finder function and how to use scrap containers to organize your file collections?

PS - it passed mine, too -- a while back.

Thracx · Post by **Thracx** » 2005 Jan 04, 02:24

Do you think their would be any chance that an unattended switch could be added to the installer?

To make it easy, all it would need to do is install xplorer2 using all the defaults - users could then undo the changes they don't want (in most of the unattended CDs made from msfn.org, one can easily add a batch file to remove shortcuts/etc immediately after the installer finishes - this is what I do for many of my unattended'ly installed applications). If xplorer2 does get an unattended switch, I'll be happy to share my batch files & unattended CD/DVD info.

Having the unattended switch could attract many more users to discover and purchase xplorer2 pro. For example, if xplorer2 gets an unattended switch, I will make sure it gets listed in the unattended application switches thread on msfn.org's forums - many administrators will see it who then may seek bulk licenses - it would be like free advertising! Perhaps make it a Pro-only feature, to reflect it's usefulness to administrators!

Post by **nikos** » 2005 Jan 04, 09:23

technically speaking, when you install the pro version, part of the installer is laying out the contract you must accept before installing. Going unattended will lose this important bit

installation hardly takes a minute anyway!

Thracx · Post by **Thracx** » 2005 Jan 04, 17:28

nikos wrote:technically speaking, when you install the pro version, part of the installer is laying out the contract you must accept before installing. Going unattended will lose this important bit

installation hardly takes a minute anyway!

mostly true, but considering the huge forum deticated to unattended discs, with so many people scrambling for unattended switches for their favorate applications, I think the fact that it 'hardly takes a minute' doesn't matter! Taking any time at all requires one to actually be there during installation - meaning waiting possibly hours, waiting for the xplorer2 setup screen to come up, since otherwise the install would just hang there waiting for user input.

I know why you're reluctant - a strong majority of developers don't add this option. Its annoying, very annoying, but oh'well. Workaround will work for now.

With regards to the contract, people who use this unattended switch are those that have already installed it. They have seen the contract, and in a way, the 'click-I-Agree' can be the same as '/ACCEPT-I-Agree', as with all the other applications that naitively support unattended mode (Adobe Acrobat, Ahead Nero, nearly all MS products like Office, etc). Again, to emphasis this, you could only allow the use of unattended switches with the pro version - and for example, do simular to Nero's unattended switches, and require that the key be entered as a parameter.

However I'm always in the minority, aren't I? I'm trying a workaround now but if that doens't work, I'll repackage the installer and if others are still interested, PM me or post here if you want to know how it worked out.