[Installing Applications Without Installer]

%systemdrive% is c:\ but I believe there are other parameters you can use.

Yes I believe the quotes are required.

The winrar looks good too.

cmdow @ /HID

ECHO.
ECHO Installing CpuZ
ECHO Please wait...
MD "C:\Winutil\CpuZ"
COPY /Y "%systemdrive%\install\cpuz\*.*" "C:\Winutil\CpuZ"
XXMKLINK "%AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Utilities\CpuZ" "C:\Winutil\CpuZ\cpuz.exe"

EXIT

I take it that the %systemdrive% equates to the cdrom? Then theorically I can place any software on the cd then copy it to the hd using the following code:

COPY /Y "%systemdrive%\software\install\*.*" "c:\software\install"

I just noticed the quotes around each one of the command options. Is this required?

[Picasa 2 Silent Install?]

@totoymola

I've had a few problems with using your .msi. The main/only problem being that after installing uAXP and them calling your msi from RunOnceEx, it all installs fine. However after the first reboot my CD drive dissapered from My Computer and could not be accessed anyother way. This occured on both a VM machine and a real computer.

I've gone back to using the /S switch and

cmdow @ /HID
@echo off

TASKKILL.EXE /F /IM Picasa2.exe
TASKKILL.EXE /F /IM PicasaMediaDetector.exe

del %0

to kill of Picasa when it tries to start itself after installing, also stopped it from opening IE, by not having IE and having no defualt browser setup during the install so it can't open the picasa webpage

If you have Windows XP Home there is no taskkill.exe I did find a free system tool alternative called "pskill.exe" which actually does a good job.

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsKill.html

REG ADD %KEY%\061 /VE /D "Picasa (Google-Picture)" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\061 /V 1 /D "%systemdrive%\install\Picasa\picasa2-current.exe /S /D=C:\Winapp\Picasa" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\061 /V 2 /D "pskill.exe Picasa2.exe" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\061 /V 3 /D "pskill.exe PicasaMediaDetector.exe" /f

[.reg and .cmd extension files]

I have been working on an unattended install for Windows XP Home, and I found I have fumbled my clicks and sometimes have run files with the extensions ".reg" and ".cmd". I usually could avoid problems with the ".reg" file because of the confirmation, but the ".cmd" files just ran. In one case, I had a registry run within it and screwed up my machine so that I had to reinstall.

I used "File Options" to change the default for the ".reg" files to "edit" instead of "merge".

I also used "File Options" to change the default for the ".cmd" files to "edit" as well and then I decide to delete "open". I had to get these registry entries saved because you can not enter the data yourself afterwards.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cmdfile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\cmdfile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\cmdfile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\cmdfile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

I then deleted it because it seemed to be only a shell extension and I checked you can still run scripts from the commandline.

I know some software upgrades use some kind of scripts, but I don't know if I should add this back. I feel a lot safer with them gone.

Is there a reason I need "open" for ".cmd". I think the ".reg" is fine.

Thanks

[Installing Applications Without Installer]

I figured out a simple method of doing this finally. I extracted the files into a directory, but I still needed to create a shortcut link on the commandline. This function is unavailable in XP, but is available through another great free third party application XXMKLINK - they also had some other useful utilities so I installed them as well.

http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy38.htm

http://www.xxcopy.com/index.htm

cmdow @ /HID

ECHO.
ECHO Installing CpuZ
ECHO Please wait...
MD "C:\Winutil\CpuZ"
COPY /Y "%systemdrive%\install\cpuz\*.*" "C:\Winutil\CpuZ"
XXMKLINK "%AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Utilities\CpuZ" "C:\Winutil\CpuZ\cpuz.exe"

EXIT

[What's the registry key to remove "send to" from context]

That would remove all "send to" I would also like to remove just the drives because I have a lot attached.

[Installing Applications Without Installer]

I couldn't find out how to do this while searching the forum. I am new at this and it might be pretty obvious. I have some utility applications which came in a zip file. There is no installer just the files.

How would I install this? Or do I have to create an installer package. Is there a recommendation for a very very easy one for me to use.

Thank you.

[Generate Report of Installed Applications]

I need to have a relative generate a report of the installed applications on their Windows XP Home. They don't know what they have and can't really tell me.

Is there some program already built into Windows which I can have them run and generate me a text report? Is there something which is easy to install which could do what I am asking?

The problem is we are on different coasts and I am still being forced to try to help with their problem by another relative.