Installing applications via .xml

[benowen187]

I wonder if anyone can throw some light on this...

Basically I have a Vista image deployed through WDS, which works fine. However I’m at the point now where I want apps installed as part of the procedure (Office etc) but I cant work out where to place the command to kick off the install. You can place the runsynchronous command in both the specialize and audituser sections, but neither seem to ever work. I've tried with a UNC path with credentials, and tried using the distribution share with local paths, but the app install is never called. - help!

I'm sure its something simple that I have missed! Cheers for people’s help in advance

Ben

[Br4tt3]

Well, not the AuditUser section, perform it from the specialize section, I have tried adding several commands that are to be executed using the runsynchronous section of the .xml file which all worked out well..

Is it .exe/.msi/scripts that u wanna install or what?

[benowen187]

Anything, specifically office I’ve been trying to do but nothing works, it either skips the install completely or bombs out with an error. Is it my syntax that is wrong? Can I not just specify a unc path to an .exe? (and add the credentials of course) Sorry to be cheeky but do you have a example of one that works for you??

Many thanks

Ben

[Br4tt3]

Well, I think that there might be one diffrence, I dont execute something external to the Vista machine, I copy the applications down locally before executing them, if u wanna perform the install external to the installing machine I would imagine that u would have to map the network drive prior to executing the .exe file:

net use z: \\my_server\my_share /user:domain\my_user my_password

and then:

z:\my_app /some_switch¨

anyway, here is one example straight out of the BDD box:

<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Deployment" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
			<RunSynchronous>
				<RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
					<Path>cmd /c net user Administrator /active:yes</Path>
					<Description>EnableAdmin</Description>
					<Order>1</Order>
				</RunSynchronousCommand>
			</RunSynchronous>
		</component>

Also, r u performing the install as the built in administrator or as another dude with Admin permissions? UAC maby? depending on ur UAC local policies.....

[benowen187]

Ahh yea that’s an idea, i'll give it a go - cheers! (i'm using the administrator account)

You have lead me onto another dumb question now, which is how have you got the install files being copied to the local machine? I've tried creating a wim file using imagex, and then using the imageinstall section to push the files down, but this just seems to get ignored during the install?

Sorry for the dumb questions here, I really appreciate peoples help.

Cheers

Ben

[Br4tt3]

I have tried the imageinstall feature as well, and YES, it copied the files within the image (.wim) down or applied them..... but I dont use it right now. For now, I am using BDD to create and deploy one single appliction into my Vista builds which it is performing without any problems (even though there is other problems... ). BDD does this using scripts that are executed from either WinPE or from within full Vista. I would suggest that u download BDD 2007 and try it out, it's free and not that difficult to set up.

If u dont wanna use BDD I would suggest that u copy the files down to the machine from within a script that is executed within WinPE 2.0. WinPE 2.0 is free of charge, download it and try it, it's awsome.

[benowen187]

Thanks for all the info, I'm going to be busy testing this all out!

Cheers again