How to handle installers that ask for code/password?

[heffalump]

I was wondering if there is some way to automate (unattended) installing of Installshield/WISE setups which ask for a password or serial during the actual install? For example Acronis TrueImage or OODefrag if I remember right ask for a key at the installer stage. Can I send the pass key via an argument somehow? Or some kind of answer file? I'd like to do this, preferably without having to reconstruct the install package and preferably without using a third party macro program (the type which auto fill pages) i.e. just using the installer. Any ideas? Thanks!

[benners]

I don't know if this works for all Installshield apps but most extract to a temp folder and install via an msi file, you can use these extracted files and pass parameters to the msi, this is provided that you know what they are. Programs like Orca (free) and InstallShield Studio etc (paid) can open the msi and you can try and figure out the parameters buy following the dialog boxes.

Acronis Home works like this and it can be run and the serial entered by using

acronis.msi PIDKEY=BLAH-BLAH-BLAH-BLAH-BLAH /qn

The problem is knowing what the parameters are. You could try passing the arguments to the exe as some installers then pass them to the msi file after extraction.

[heffalump]

Cool thank you! I'll look into that some more. I don't mind extracting the msi but was wary about doing anything more than that i.e. reconstructing an installer.