Software Deployment

As you don't mention what the self extracting files are, it is impossible to say what switches you could use on them - it depends on what they were created with.

The standard one to try is /?, which may give you a list of command-line switches available. The standard Microsoft one for extracting is /x.

Can you open them with Winzip/7Zip/Winrar, and extract the files that way?

When you run the executable it probably extracts itself to the %temp% variable, so have a look in there to see if you can grab them.

Is this an installation and patches? The executable may just be extracting another MSI, or an MSP (patch file) - which you could install as normal.

Why not repackage the executables and then include them in an MST with the main MSI installer?

Hopefully you've got some things to be going on with there...

Thanks,

Dunnpy

That depends on how the EXE was built. Some will accept arguments, others won't. Your best option is to ask the vendor. Their response will determine whether you can automate that or not.

Having dealt with vendors over the years, I can more or less guarantee that you will have had time to build your script (or, better, to have captured the EXEs to an MSI) by the time you get a meaningful response.

The msi installs a program and then there are 2 self extracting .exe files. When you run these manually they extract a few files (mainly xml files) and copy them into various folders of the installation directory.

I'd just build a transform which includes those files.Oh and then offer the vendor the chance to purchase a properly-authored MSI.

So you could snapshot the file delivery into an MSI for easy deployment and forget about the self extracting files altogether.

Or do what Ian says - he beat me to a response [:D]
Dunnpy

ORIGINAL: VBScab

I'd just build a transform which includes those files.Oh and then offer the vendor the chance to purchase a properly-authored MSI.



What would I need to do to build the files into a transform file?

Sorry, still learning [&:]

You would use an MSI authoring tool like Wise or InstallShield. You *can* use the free tools like InstEdit or Orca but these are hard-core utilities and not for the faint-hearted, especially for newcomers and those without knowledge of Windows Installer fundamentals.

Going back a step, you say that the EXEs extract the files into folders beneath the installation's target folder: if that's your intended target, why bother trying to find out if you can direct the output elsewhere? If it's not, then perhaps the scripted approach might be better in your case.

ORIGINAL: VBScab

Going back a step, you say that the EXEs extract the files into folders beneath the installation's target folder: if that's your intended target, why bother trying to find out if you can direct the output elsewhere? If it's not, then perhaps the scripted approach might be better in your case.



Yes they extract and I don't want to direct the output elsewhere.

My issue is I need this to run silently. When you run the self extracting .exe files it comes up and waits for you to click unzip. I've tried running "selfextractingfile.exe /silent" but with it being self extracting rather than an installer it doesn't seem to pickup the switches

Thanks