Software Deployment

I faced similar problems, and started trying to debug the install routine. Mine was initially failing on AdvrCntr4.dll. After a couple of hours, I obtained the update from here: http://www.nero.com/enu/downloads-nero9-update.php (9.2.6.0) and it worked fine. Saved me a headache I guess....

From the many posts here on AD, we can safely conclude that Nero's is another messy MSI. Whilst I'm not intimate with it, my guess - given the 'Failed to initialize NOS object' error - would be that some DLL registration has either failed or doesn't take place in a silent install. Check the sequence tables for anything which looks like it might be performing DLL registration and ensure that it runsin both UI and Execute sequences.

I have the same problem with silent install for NERO9.
Tried with S/N both in command-line and in .xml with the same result.

1. With UI sequence (command-line):
setupx.exe /i EULAACCEPTED="1" DESKTOP_SHORTCUT="0" INCLANGUAGES="NOR, ENG" SX SOURCEPATH="%~dp0" CONFIGPATH="%~dp0"

...installation goes ok, with all set (EULA, S/N, Languages).

2. With just a single Silent switch added:
setupx.exe /i /q EULAACCEPTED="1" DESKTOP_SHORTCUT="0" INCLANGUAGES="NOR, ENG" SX SOURCEPATH="%~dp0" CONFIGPATH="%~dp0"

...installation crashes on (log from TEMP folder) :
|COnlineServicesInfoReader::DoTask:3420: Failed to initialize NOS obejct. First installation?
|CSequencer::Start:432: IDD_SEQUENCEE_LICENCE_CHECKER
|CDeploymentLogger::AddLine:213: Deployment engine executes 'IDD_SEQUENCEE_LICENCE_CHECKER'
|ILT::CheckCategoryLicense:423: The serial number provided is NOT correct! Serial:
|ILT::CheckCategoryLicense:428: CheckFamilyLicense! FALSE

3. Studying the .msi from unit_app_30 in Orca shows only the following interesting CustomAction in InstallExecuteSequence:
CA_SetSerialPermanent PIINSTALLTYPE="Installation" 6597
...which is, (correctly) absent in InstallUISequence.
Playing with it's conditions also brings no result.

4. What was also tried around that:
a). registering NERO installation .dlls manually, like AdvrCntr4.dll, which also sometimes crashes.
b). playing with command-line parameters. Changing their sequence, excluding/including some, etc. No result - the crash is stable as sonn as /q or /qb is present.
c). trying to post s/n in .xml-file in different ways. With "", ', spaces, dashes, and "quot" sign.
...no result after all.

If someone faced that error, please post any solution available. Thanks in advance.

I'm pretty sure there'll be something in the KB about this (my box is virus-scanning at the moment and therefore running like a dog) but normally, when silent installs fail but non-silent ones don't, it's not an unreasonable assumption that a Custom Action is running in the UI sequence but not in the Execute sequence.

2 captain_planet:
Could you please, clarify, what are the contents of this update?
Is it possible then to try to make a normal-working unattended installation? In what form update is delivered? Our customers are very strict about any standalone patches and updates, and I can't find anywhere normal documentation regarding it, to motivate them, only release notes for update.

....to be honest Zaxar, I didn't investigate the changes to the installation source too much. The install routine was much the same - a setupx.exe/setup.xml calling a whole bunch of MSIs. I know for sure that Nero re-authored the Setupx.exe (my intitial version was 4.0.8.118 which didn't work, and my new working version is 4.2.7.100) in the updated installation source. I didn't have time to start comparing all DLLs etc which it extracted. I try not to spend too much time on junk like this - if a terrible install routine like this actually manages to work as expected then I'm (partially) happy.

2 captain_planet:
Thanks for help! That really worked fine for me.

Nero-9.0.6 Installation crashes due to the problems with IDD_SEQUENCEE_LICENSE_CHECKER action. That results in a crash, when silent mode is triggered.
The solution was:
1. Download Nero-9.2.6.0 Trial from their off.site: http://www.nero.com/enu/downloads-nero9-update.php (384Mb)
2. Use command-line:
setupx.exe /i /q SERIALNUMBER="1111-2222-3333-4444-5555-6666-7777-8888" EULAACCEPTED="1" DESKTOP_SHORTCUT="0" INCLANGUAGES="NOR, ENG" SX SOURCEPATH="%~dp0" CONFIGPATH="%~dp0"
3. Get rid of notification window on 1st launch:
RENAME "%CommonProgramFiles%\Nero\AdvrCntr4\NOSProductRegistration.dll" BACKUP_NOSProductRegistration.dll
(or just delete it)
4. Set Language to any, from installed ones:
Modify REG_SZ registry entry in "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Nero\Nero 9\Shared\FamilyLanguage" to "NOR","ENG","RUS" or whatever.

Hope, someone will find it useful in same case.

....thanks for the update ZaXaR. Glad you got it working in the end. [;)]

Thanks ZaXaR..

And btw, if you want to remove the Ask toolbar, simply remove the "unit_app_75" folder.

More information at : http://itninja.com/link/sql-server-books-online---performing-an-unattended-installation9