Creating a Silent Installation

A silent installation uses a setup file to provide installation and configuration information, eliminating the need for a user to enter information during the installation process.

Running the installation program in administration mode creates a setup file containing information recorded during the installation. The setup file must end with a .SIS extension.

A silent installation proceeds as specified by the .SIS file and can be completed without user interaction. (The user will see any screen that contains a field with no value assigned to it in the .SIS file.)

To Create a Silent Installation

To create a silent installation, run the installation program in administration mode, on the installation platform. Because you must supply an argument to the setup command, you must start this program from the Run prompt.

1. Click Start, click Run, and then start Setup in administration mode. Type the full path name of the setup command: <pathname>\setup /a.

   The installation program starts in administration mode.

2. Enter the name of the silent install file.

   Enter the full path name of the file you are creating. The file name must end in .SIS. If you do not enter a full path name, the default is to place the file in the current directory.

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   Note -

   If the setup file is named setup.sis and it resides in the same directory as the setup.exe, then this file is called automatically whenever you enter the setup command.

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3. Progress through the installation screens, entering information as requested.

   Fill in all fields that contain information common to the type of installation you are designing. If any fields are left blank on a screen, the screen that contains the blank field will appear to the user during installation.

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   Caution -

   The .SIS file contains coded text. Do not edit this file.

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To Run a Silent Installation

Because you supply the path name of the .SIS file as an argument to the setup command, you must execute the setup command from the Run prompt.

Click Start, click Run, and then type the full path name of the installation setup command followed by the full path name of the .SIS file. For example, if you are installing from a CD-ROM in drive E, type:

E:pcpro3\setup C:\install\setupfile.sis

The installation proceeds according to the contents of the .SIS file.