RunOnceEx Newbie Questions

[Windopain]

Hi, I just started using unattended installing a few days ago. I've been able to integrate SP2, Office 2003, and several other applications into my unattended install. One thing that is slowing me down is the RunOnceEx, however.

The batch commands I understand (and I think I am going to finish up a few apps with them for today and hopefully change later) but the RunOnceEx I am having trouble with.

I've searched over and over (unfortunately there are a lot of posts related to RunOnceEx) but can not find a site/post that details exactly how to change a batch msiexec/.msi command to a RunOnceEx command. Examples are usually several lines long and I'd like to understand what I'm doing!

Even the RunOnceEx file I have has thing in it I do not understand (such several commas in a row; what fields are those?). I've also seen many different formats for these commands.

Is there a page (I don't care how complex/long/in-depth) that explains all of this in detail? Even a book would be fine. Every time I start searching on the web, I end up back at this site, and there are just little tidbits here and there, from what I can find. The site is great, but this one topic seems to be evasive.

Thank you all, any help would be great.

Windopain

[lilweirddude]

maybe you should try this

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=23751

[prathapml]

@Windopain

Welcome to MSFN

There's only lots more pain awaiting if you moved to the RunOnceEx method. I'd say either stay with .CMD batch-files, or move to XPlode (its a fantastic, customizable installer, which literally can merge into the screen of windows XP setup). XPlode is also having all its info right in MSFN itself.

Now, for what you asked about:

There's several ways of doing RunOnceEX, and if you try to read up in different topics, it gets confusing (yeah, I know since I was doing it too, and was new to this when I came here). And indeed, put the little tidbits that you find here and there into action - and eventually you'll start understanding what is going on.

Now what can I say about this one topic being evasive.... this is only the beginning - you'll find a lot more evasive things as you go about them, LOL.

So seriously, the best bet for you is to just try out all these RunOnceEX commands/methods directly in your currently installed windows - you can do it on a test-machine, or install VMware and do it all within a virtual machine. Because, if you wait for testing out your scripts for the next time you do an unattended install, its going to be very tiring.

If you simply want to make your RunOnce-based setup, and be done with it, there's a tool created by one of the people here (link has already been given by lilweirddude). Understanding it takes more time - don't worry, not very much time, maybe 3-4 days.

And now for some "personally" comments - since you're anyway going to have to invest some time on learning how the **** thing works, you might as well better spend your time with XPlode - its a better/easier tool in many ways.

[Windopain]

What I've been trying tonight is to make a .bat file that runs an installer .exe and then runs a AutoIt script (.exe) using start /wait. I seem to always be getting an error stating that my .bat can not be found though.

Am I doing something wrong or is it not possible to run a .bat through the RunOnceEx .inf?

If it is not possible to run a .bat, can I convert the .bat to a .exe and work things out this way?

As for the .cmd files, I have been considering working with both; I skipped over them for installing apps initially but am considering working with those and .infs to get the job done.

Thanks again all,

Windopain

[prathapml]

Yes, you can run a .CMD thru runonce.

You can't directly run it, though - since it has to be processed the command-interpreter. So this is (an example of) what you need:

CMD.exe /C "%systemdrive%\install\whatever-filename.CMD

And as for .BAT and .CMD - both are actually the same. But I'd say its better to name all your batch-files as .CMD. That's because, that way you'll ensure that the win2k/XP scripts that you're making won't accidentally be run on win98/95.

[Windopain]

Great, thank you all for the timely responses.

One other basic problem I've run into that I haven't yet found a straight-forward answer to is how to simply make a registry entry (keys and values)? I've still been using a .reg file, but it looks like the .inf in RunOnce is linked directly to the registry; yet the many posts I've looked at that have discussed various registry entries made through it look a bit complicated. What's to it?

[MHz]

I do not know what autoit file you have but...

What I've been trying tonight is to make a .bat file that runs an installer .exe and then runs a AutoIt script (.exe) using start /wait. I seem to always be getting an error stating that my .bad can not be found though.

You should be running the autoit file from registry key inserted from runonceex?

That autoit file should execute the installer?

[MHz]

Here is a sample runonceex in batch and in autoit style. This should give you some idea's for your project. Once you get the syntax right, it's downhill from there on.

[Windopain]

You should be running the autoit file from registry key inserted from runonceex?

That autoit file should execute the installer?

Well, I would run the autoit .exe from the registry key, but I want to have a few other commands run first (which are running in the .cmd I am trying to run from RunOnceEx). I'll take a look at the file you attached after I see how my latest attempt works. Thanks!

Windopain