How do you run a .exe file on a remote machine?

[ambalboa]

I think I figured out how to deploy a setup.exe file to a remote machine. I used the 'Copy Files' action step, which copied the file from my machine to another machine in the network. Now, I think that the 'Run Program' should be able to run the file to install in on the remote computer; just writing in the path, right? Now, when the file opens, it prompts the user to click on certain buttons to continue the process. Is there a way to make it run "silently," make it go through the process without needing a user to select or click on anything? I'm just experimenting right now, I'll need to do this later on when I finish my .bld file. Thanks.

[kinook]

Use the Run Program action to run a program on a remote computer (PsExec must also be available in the PATH).
http://www.visualbuild.com/Manual/programremotetab.htm

The setup.exe program needs to support command-line flags that cause it to operate in a silently.

[ambalboa]

Thank you. I'm not sure about how I could find out if the setup.exe file supports the needed flag to make it run silently, nor how to make it so, if possible. What about using macros to automatically select options in the setup run process. As in, make a macro that would select options on one step, another macro for another, and so on. As if a user was attending the setup process, clicking 'OK' or 'I agree'. Can that be done? How can that be done?

[kevina]

Many setup programs can take setup parameters, such as /silent and other flags to control the installation process. The provider of the setup program controls the flags accepted (if any) and what they do, you would have to get that information from the product vendor.

As far as using macros to control the setup flags that are passed when executing, this can certainly be done with Visual Build Professional.

As an example, I'll assume you are running a file called setup.exe, and you want to optionally pass a parameter: /param1. You could define a macro called PASS_PARAM1, then assign true or false to it...

The Run Program step that invokes the setup program could have a command value of: setup.exe vbld_IIf(%PASS_PARAM1%, "/param1", "")]
Of course that is a simple example but should get you started. Hope that helps...

[ambalboa]

Thank you.

This looks good but I have not been able to make this work with the macro. I attached a screen shot of the first parameter of the application I am installing (for practice). Easy, right? I hope you can see it well. Tell me, how does it know what parameter it is and what value would I pass to the macro for evaluation? Is "/param1" the way you indicate it's the first parameter? I assume the true part would be the OK button, and the false part the Exit Setup button. How do I write this to make it so? Is there somewhere I could learn more about this? Hopefully with your help, I can do the other parameters, and other installations, on my own.

[HippyCraig]

Its sounds like your setup.exe is just a boot straper for an MSI package. You can create transform files to create an answer if this is the case.

Here is a link to a free tool from Wise, for some reason its not on the wise site anymore but its still posted here

http://209.104.132.210/InstallTailor_6_0.msi

I usually copy the MSI package to a staging folder and in that folder is an MST that is taliored for that machine. (I create one for each server that I need to install on.)

Look at the command line options for msiexe.exe

Otherwise looking to setup.exe switches there is one option that creates an SS.INI files that is also an anser file for older non-MSI packages.

Hope that helps.

[ambalboa]

I was not expecting that. This sounds like another approach. I'll keep searching for info and trying. I'll let you know what I came up with, if time allows. Thank you for your input.