Anyone found a way to silently install Google's photo organizer, Picasa? I ended up using InstallRite to get the job done, but I'm curious to know of different methods that may have worked for others. I couldn't locate anything in the way of switches for the funky installer used for Picasa.

I used AutoIT script.

are there built-in switches?

if not, can someone provide the auto-it script?

i have extracted the msi and this switches ...

REG ADD %KEY%\010 /VE /D "Google Picasa 2.0" /f
REG ADD %KEY%\010 /V 1 /D "%systemdrive%\install\Google\picasa\Picasa2.msi /qb" /f

it's working to me

+

how'd you extract the msi?
usually right-click using winrar works, but i dont have the option...

bump

Hi.

Which MSI are you referring to? The one on my sig?

[b]Original installer[/b]
Doubleclick on the installer and a window opens with "Nullsoft Install System v2.0" on it. [b]/S[/b] is the switch to use.

the /S worked great - except one thing - the program opens and also an internet window opens after the install. any way to stop these?

[quote name='a06lp' date='Sep 27 2005, 06:45 PM']the /S worked great - except one thing - the program opens and also an internet window opens after the install.  any way to stop these?
[right][post="396030"][/post][/right][/quote]

You can use my trick for all programs that launch an unwanted program after installation. It's pretty easy, and it is a neat way of avoiding the unwanted program's execution. I call it the [b]"Image Hijack Installation"[/b] All you need to do is to identify the name of the unwanted process. In your case, I assume it is [b]iexplore.exe[/b].

I'm using a batch file for this example. Just modify it if you use different method of installing softwares.

[code]@CLS & @ECHO OFF

:: THIS IMPORTS THE "HIJACK"
REGEDIT /S HIJACK.REG

:: THIS INSTALLS YOUR PROGRAM THAT HAS AN ANNOYING PROGRAM EXECUTION
START /W picasa2-current.exe /S

:: SLEEP IS OPTIONAL
SLEEP 3

:: THIS REMOVES IMAGE THE IMAGE HIJACK
REGEDIT /S DELHIJACK.REG[/code]

This is the HIJACK.REG
[code]Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\iexplore.exe]
"debugger"="help"[/code]

DELHIJACK.REG
[code]Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\iexplore.exe][/code]

You can apply this on other applications too. There are a lot of ways to do this. Just be creative!

Edited September 28, 200520 yr by totoymola

Interesting concept totoymola. Have you any good links that can explain the operation of this registry key

Hey MHz!

We basically, the registry modification is called the Image File Execution Options. For example, the registry entry

[code][HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\iexplore.exe]
"debugger"="help"[/code]

executes the "HELP" executable (the CMD HELP) everytime you launch Internet Explorer. Since the "HELP" executable needs a command interpreter, it will execute but it will terminate right away. You can acutally use other executables. For example, create dummy executable. Either an AutoIt executable that does nothing, or a Winrar SFX that extracts a 0 byte file to the %temp% dir.

This method is used by hackers. For example, they will modify your registry so everytime you launch NOTEPAD, their keylogger or other hacking files will execute.

I have sin to confess.. When I was mad at my cuz, I hijacked her registry so everytime she launches notepad, paint, and calc, her computer will force-shutdown. Hahahahaha!! But I changed it back after a day. Hehehehe..

About the link, this is a good one. But it doesn't explain the other settings that much.

[url="http://blogs.msdn.com/junfeng/archive/2004/04/28/121871.aspx"]http://blogs.msdn.com/junfeng/archive/2004/04/28/121871.aspx[/url]

Edited September 28, 200520 yr by totoymola

@totoymola:

yes, that is clever.
however, it poses a problem. i have firefox as an optional install - some systems will have firefox and others will have ie open when picasa is done. i dont want a ton of code, i wanted a simple switch (if possible)...

i appreciate you help, but are there any other ways?

Nope, that isn't a problem.

If you are performing a clean installation, Internet Explorer is your default browser until the first time you run Firefox and set it as your default browser.

Anyway, just to make sure, you can also try this AutoIt script.

[code]#cs
AutoIt Version : v3.1.0 / v3.1.1.76 Beta
Author  : TotoyMola [TotoyMola8@gmail.com]
Description  : Wait for the existence of "iexplore.exe" or "firefox.exe", then terminates it.
#ce
#NoTrayIcon

$IE = "iexplore.exe"
$FF = "firefox.exe"
While 1
If ProcessExists($IE) Then
 ProcessClose($IE)
 Exit
ElseIf ProcessExists($FF) Then
 ProcessClose($FF)
 Exit
EndIf
WEnd[/code]
MHz is the AutoIt master here. Maybe he has a dirrerent method of doing this.

Alternatively, you can try the MSI on my sig.

Is there a new version of Picasa2? Because I'm not sure if the MSI is still the latest version. If not, I will try to create a new one when I get the chance.

Edited September 28, 200520 yr by totoymola

[quote name='totoymola' date='Sep 29 2005, 03:17 AM']MHz is the AutoIt master here.  Maybe he has a dirrerent method of doing this.
[right][post="396341"][/post][/right][/quote]
Ok, that sucked me in. I do not even have an interest in this program but I did a script showing your process block method totoymola.

Let me show the code that does the blocking.

This variable contains the processes to block:
[code]; Block list for annoying processes. Delimiter is |.
$processblock = 'Picasa2.exe|PicasaMediaDetector.exe|notepad.exe|iexplore.exe|firefox.exe'[/code]

The Install() function will call the _ProcessBlock() function if processes are assigned to the $processblock as above.

If the above line has processes listed, then it will call this function and add each process into the Image File Execution Options registry key.
[code]Func _ProcessBlock()
; Add process block for select processes
Dim $processblock
Local $key, $command
If Not @OSTYPE = 'WIN32_NT' Then Return $processblock = ''
If $processblock <> '' Then
$key = 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options'
If @Compiled Then
$command = '"' & @ScriptFullPath & '" /dummy'
Else
$command = '"' & @AutoItExe & '" "' & @ScriptFullPath & '" /dummy'
EndIf
If StringInStr($processblock, '|') Then
$processarray = StringSplit($processblock, '|')
For $i = 1 To $processarray[0]
RegWrite($key & '\' & $processarray[$i], 'debugger','Reg_sz', $command)
Next
Else
RegWrite($key & '\' & $processblock, 'debugger','Reg_sz', $command)
EndIf
EndIf
EndFunc[/code]

Blocked Processes will execute the AutoIt script with the /dummy switch and that script execution will immediately exit. This line exits if /dummy switch s used:
[code]; Exit if executed a 2nd time by blocked process.
If StringInStr($cmdlineraw, '/dummy') Then Exit[/code]

Picasa should install silently without annoying processes. Once the script exits, it will call the inbuilt Autoit function OnAutoItExit. OnAutoItExit will remove the registry entries that were added previously.
[code]Func OnAutoItExit()
; Blocked processes will be unblocked.
Dim $processblock, $silenterror
Local $key, $exitcode
If @OSTYPE = 'WIN32_NT' And $processblock <> '' Then
$key = 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options'
If StringInStr($processblock, '|') Then
$processarray = StringSplit($processblock, '|')
For $i = 1 To $processarray[0]
If RegDelete($key & '\' & $processarray[$i]) = 2 Then
$exitcode = 1
If Not $silenterror Then
MsgBox(0x10, 'Error', 'Registry key for ' & $processarray[$i] & ' still exists', 2)
EndIf
EndIf
Next
Else
If RegDelete($key & '\' & $processblock) = 2 Then
$exitcode = 1
If Not $silenterror Then
MsgBox(0x10, 'Error', 'Registry key for ' & $processblock & ' still exists', 2)
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf
If $exitcode Then Exit -1
EndFunc[/code]

Full script attached.
[attachment=12119:attachment]

Using Adlib or OnAutoItExit would perhaps be my usual method to close these processes, but I find AutoIt is quite flexible as to problems so methods may vary.

[b]Edit:[/b]
Added script update to attachment. Up to date script has OS check etc.

Edited April 10, 200620 yr by MHz