Easy way of making Silent Installs with WinRAR (example installs MCE T

[EneergE]

Hello. I just was able to successfuly get this trick to work. These steps will install the beautiful MCE theme silently (or any other programs you desire) using WinRAR. The MCE theme is the default theme that is on Windows Media Center Edition. It is just a prettier, more up-to-date version of the Luna theme. If your interested in the theme, I have it hosted at http://www.eneerge.net.

This is a Microsoft certified theme, so the theme dll hack will not have to be applied for the theme to work. The installer will also install in a windows environment just in case you would like to install it after the OS.

Required applications:

WinRAR

Optional applications:

Nlite Addon Maker (Link) - this makes things much much easier.

NOTE: I used an older version to create my MCE install. I experienced a few bugs, before it would successfully make the addon, so maybe the new version fixed the bugs.

Steps:

1) Download MCE Theme from www.eneerge.net

2) Unzip the Royale.Zip to a folder outside of the root (C:\) directory. C:\Royale\ is a perfect directory.

The reason for unzipping outside of the Root directory, is because we will be creating a folder that is identical to your OS' folder.

3) Navigate to C:\Royale or the folder you unzipped to.

4) If there is a subdirectory named "Royale". navigate into it, otherwise continue to the next step.

5) Right click on the "Royale Theme for Win XP.exe" installer and select "Open with WinRAR."

6) WinRAR should display two directories within the installer named "Resources" and "Web."

7) Extract these two folders to a different directory or subdirectory, but do not navigate into it.

8) This is the part that requires your intervention. You must rename the folder you just extracted to. The new name must be the exact same name as your OS' folder. Normally this is named "Windows". So if you do not edit your default OS folder name, then rename the folder you extracted to "Windows". To anyone who edits their default OS path, then you must rename it to that name.

The reason for changing the folder name to your OS' same folder name is because the installer your about to create will install to C:\ (or whatever your main harddrive letter is). So the full path it will be installing will be C:\Windows\Resources\ and C:\Windows\Web (or C:\whatever_your_os_directory_is\ )

10) After successfully renaming the folder to your OS' folder name, right click on it and select "Add to archive." Make sure it's WinRAR's 'Add to Archive'. 7zip and many other Zip programs may add this to your right-click menu as well. WinRAR's has their icon to the left of it, which is a purple book.

11) Make these Changes to the Options:

General Tab:

Compression: BEST (or whatever you prefer)

Archiving Options: "Create Solid Archive" and "Create SFX Archive"

Advanced Tab:

Click on "SFX Options..." button

In the dialog that appears, in the 'Path to Extract' box, enter "C:\" or your harddrive's drive letter. (Usually this is "C:\" so use it if your unsure)

Click "Ok"

12) Now all you have to do is create the archive by selecting the "OK" button at the bottom.

13) Once the archive is finished. The name of the archive will likely be "OS FOLDER NAME".exe unless you changed it in the WinRAR settings. You can either rename it or leave it as is. The filename will not affect its properties.

14) Now here's where Carnificina's Addon Maker comes in handy. You must create an addon file for the SFX archive WinRAR made. Open the nlite add-on maker by Carnificina.

15) Under "Files of Program" in the Addon maker, use the directory of the SFX exe archive you just created earlier.

16) Installation file should be the SFX exe archive.

17) Under Command for Silent Installation use "/S" (without the quotes of course).

18) Fill in the rest of the info as you like.

19) Click "Make File" button.

20) Program will create you you an addon file. (If the file size of the addon is HUGE, delete the generated file and try again. I had this problem a couple of times before it got it right.)

21) Include the file generated by the addon maker in nlite.

Congratulations! You have successfully set up the MCE Theme.

You can use these steps to install similar programs such as CPU-Z... Just change the "Path" (where we used C:\) in WinRAR to whatever path you would like to install to.

Don't use these steps to install programs such as Nero. These programs require registry entries and other settings to be installed into different directories. These steps are for installing simple programs such as this theme, CPU-Z and many other simple stand-alone programs. However, if you were to research the program your trying to create a silent install for, you could probably use this method. Example: Include a "Windows" folder. Include a "Program files\Program Name" Folder. Etc. The possibilities are end less. Then you could run .reg files to enter the registry keys, etc.

!!NOTE!!: The MCE theme will not be the applied theme when you start windows, it will simply be available to use. I'm working on creating settings to make it apply it as the active theme, but right now this theme will have to be enabled in "Display" properties.

Thanks all for your time and if anyone needs to host an addon or script, just let me know on this forum. In case you are unable to create your own MCE Theme or CPU-Z silent installers, I will be uploading them to my site within the week.

MCE Theme Download

Good luck!

Edited May 10, 2006 by EneergE

[sleepydvdr]

There's actually an easier way to do this. The Royale theme does not need to be extracted. It is available as download. Click here for just one website that offers it. There are tons of sites you can download it.

No need to use WinRAR. Just add it to your unattended .cab file with the /s switch applied to the ENTRIES_ROYALE.INI file. Mine looks like this:

[general]
builddate=
description=Royale Theme for XP
language=English
title=Royale
version=1
website=

[EditFile]
I386\SVCPACK.INF,SetupHotfixesToRun,AddProgram

[AddProgram]
royale.exe /s

To to make it the default theme when Windows is finished installing, open the winnt.sif and add these two lines to the very end of it:

[Shell]
CustomDefaultThemeFile = "%WinDir%\Resources\Themes\Royale.theme"

This method worked for me. But nice work you did yourself. It will also work, of course.

Edited May 12, 2006 by sleepydvdr