How to customize unattended install options for apps?

[Shardis]

Wanting to include some apps on a unattended windows xp install cd. If I understand how the various types of addons work, they use switches to just tell the app installer to use whatever the default install options are when running unattended?

I tend to pick the custom install option when installing apps so I can pick which components to install and checkboxes for things like shortcut icons and start menu location. Obviously for things like shortcut icons and start menu, I could create a batch file to cleanup afterwards but would be nicer if I did not have to. Some examples of what I am looking for are changing install path, changing checkboxes (like teatimer and sdhelper for Spybot), and changing major install components (like in Office or OpenOffice).

Is there some way to change/specify what the default install options are to mimic my custom choices?

Would I be looking at something like AutoIT to create an automated script for what amounted to an attended install?

Edited August 25, 2008 by Shardis

[ajua]

It all depends on the installer the application uses. Each installation system or format can use different switches to change dirs, to avoid making shortcuts in desktop, etc.

Read the unattended guide to know some of them. For the rest, make a search on this forum, many applications are covered here.

[ricktendo]

You can change the program & shortcut dirs of some INF installers/addons

[Dislocated Time]

Wanting to include some apps on a unattended windows xp install cd. If I understand how the various types of addons work, they use switches to just tell the app installer to use whatever the default install options are when running unattended?

I tend to pick the custom install option when installing apps so I can pick which components to install and checkboxes for things like shortcut icons and start menu location. Obviously for things like shortcut icons and start menu, I could create a batch file to cleanup afterwards but would be nicer if I did not have to. Some examples of what I am looking for are changing install path, changing checkboxes (like teatimer and sdhelper for Spybot), and changing major install components (like in Office or OpenOffice).

Is there some way to change/specify what the default install options are to mimic my custom choices?

Would I be looking at something like AutoIT to create an automated script for what amounted to an attended install?

I've been doing that quite successfully with AutoIt...

You just have to play around with it... use the ScriptRecorder and then you can record your personal installation routines.

Every once in a while an application resists automation, but mostly there's some form of workaround.