Dell All-in-one

[Jeremy]

The software I would like to integrate into my girlfriend's unattended install to save her some space. It comes with a bunch of bloated software but the All-In-One has a GUI that you use for all operations. I want to make it so this is already installed and ready to go as soon as Windows loads. I have learned quite a bit about Unattended lately and I want to learn how to integrate advanced programs now. Can someone help me? I can make a screenshot of the files on the CD if anyone needs it.

[rendrag]

what kind of installer is the AiO? (right click setup and go to properties)

[Jeremy]

Setup Properties

[Swimming_Bird]

we'd need the advanced page or you can use the setup type finding program.

but most AIO programs for those just silently call a bunch of other installs anyways, look through the cd's files to look for that s***

[Jeremy]

Advanced page of what?

Yes, a bunch of other installers are installed along with it but I want my Printer's main program installed, that's it. I have EXEs, DLLs, INFs, INIs, etc.

So what can I do?

[Jeremy]

Guys?

[Jeremy]

So I just put the installers in $Progs$? Do I put comments in the cmdlines.txt?

[rendrag]

so then you would just find your printer's installer and run that...

by advanced he meant version... there should be an installer type or something there.

check http://unattended.msfn.org/intermediate/apps/intro.htm for the installer switch

[Jeremy]

Ok, so far I've found image viewing software that's only Trial. It doesn't get installed by default anyway so that's garbage.

Next are the actual Drivers for the Scanner function and for the Printer itself. There are many subdirectories but they are for other languages.

Next are the Fax drivers. We don't use this feature of the All-In-One, anyway, so I don't want to bother with that.

Next is a Trial installer for ABBYY FineReader 5.0 Sprint. To us this is garbage. It gets installed by default which irritates me.

Next is the installer for the Printer. Everytime I try to run this it says this.

Next is a folder just for help files and crap. Don't need those.

Next is the readme in many translations. Don't need that, either.

And finally, a diagnostic tool that I don't think we've ever used.

So therefore we have a bloated Dell All-In-One installer package and since I love to save space, I want to know how to just skip everything and get right to the essentials: The installation of our Printer and Scanner functions and the drivers for them so that once Windows is installed and loaded, we are ready to Print. Remember, there is a GUI that goes along with this Printer that allows us to manipulate pictures that have been scanned and to Print.

So, can I just put the folders with the installers and DLLs and etc files in $Progs$ and experiment with the different unattended installs to see which one works? I have VMware Workstation installed. Is it cmdlines.txt that I comment the commands into? Anymore tips would be great, thanks.

[Jeremy]

Guys?

[rendrag]

you could try just throwing it all in %progs% and experimenting, but if you knew what type of installer they were, it'd save you a lot of time.

Are you suprised that something from Dell is bloated and full of useless garbage?? haha

when you get the error for the printer, how are you running the install? i.e. through the intial AiO popup or manually?

[Jeremy]

Ok... so can you give me detailed steps on how I can identify what kind of installer it is, rendrag?

So I don't even have to put comments into, for example, the cmdlines.txt? I just throw everything in $Progs$? I'll try that. Thanks.

[rendrag]

sure...

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...l=switch+finder

download the switchfinder... It doesn't find everything, but I've had good success using it if I didn't know the installer type.

You can also try finding the installer type by right-clicking the .exe file and go to properties. Generally under Version you'll see Copyright... It will usually say Copyright XYZ installer. That may also come in handy in finding out the installer type.

Some installers execute and call other installers. If that's the case there are 2 potential ways you can get the extracted installers.1

1. Usually the initial setup.exe allows you to extract the files (make sure you have WinRAR installed). You can right-click the .EXE and extract the files to a new folder, or however you want to do it.

2. You can have it extract the setup files, and just copy them out of your temp directory. Before running the setup you want to go to Start -> Run -> %temp% and clean out your temp directory... then run setup. While the setup is still open, go back to your temp directory and see what's there. If there's an file with a .MSI or .EXE extension, copy them out.

Once you know the installer type, from http://unattended.msfn.org, mouse over Intermediate Users -> Applications, and see if at the bottom of that list you see the installer type you have. Click the corresponding setup type, and that page will have your switches.

Hope that helps/makes sense

as far as putting it in the %ProgramFiles% directory, you can, but if it's a setup file that needs to run to install the program (most do), you need to call that installer. Best way is to follow the batch scripting method found here, or however you generally run installers with your uA CD

[Jeremy]

This is messed up. Neither EXE will actually run. Bah, I will just wait until Windows is done and then try to install the Printer stuff and delete the garbage afterwards. Too much hassle to save a few 100 KBs.

[InTheWayBoy]

I just so happened to be playing with a few 922's this weekend...looks like Dell has made their setup routine obscenely too complicated, relying on many scripting functions instead of your standard exe setup. Also note that the setup, in it's original form, WILL NOT RUN FROM ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE CD! This is probably due to some bonehead coding an adsolute path somewhere, so if it's not run from the root of a drive it doesn't execute. Seen it before, but I thought they got past all that. I know none of this helps, but it at least gives you some more info.