Install File

Select the primary component of an install step, the installer file. All PDQ Deploy installs include one or more files with one of them being the primary file.

IMPORTANT: If the application has more files than the setup file, be sure to select the Include Entire Directory option, listed below the Additional Files section.

To include other files, such as configurations or dependent installs, use the Additional Files option (see below).

For more information on the types of installs files and their options, see Supported Install Files.

File Details

Shows details about the selected file such as its size, publisher, and version (if available).

Mouse over the information for additional details.

Parameters

Additional parameters to include in the command line.

Be sure to include any silent options here, if needed. For more information, see Silent Install Options below.

To assist with finding silent parameters, click search online.

Additional Files

Select any additional files for the install that are not in the main install file folder, such as an MSI transform or an answer file.

Unlike the Include Entire Directory option, files included here are placed in the same directory as the install file. Note that if all the additional files you need are already in the same folder as the main install file, it’s easier to use the Included Entire Directory option.

Include Entire Directory

Includes all files (and sub-directories) in the same folder as the main install file.

Unlike Additional Files, this option maintains the directory structure (including all sub-directories).

MSI Options

For MSI, MSU, and MSP installs there are a number of options which can be passed to msiexec.exe (.MSI, .MSP) or wusa.exe (.MSU) as part of the install.

•Operation: Install is the most common option, but Repair and Uninstall are available if you need them (for .MSI and .MSP).

•Restart: Some installs require restarts to complete the installation (such as when files are in use). You can decide how restarts are handled. The (not set) option does not include an option for restarting and uses the install’s default option or you can include another option on the Command Line (see below).

•Quiet: Most often you will select this option (for more information, see Silent Install Options below).There may be times when you want to use a different command line option than /qn or when the install doesn’t work properly with this option.

For additional information, see Supported Install Files.

Success Codes

Executable and batch installs typically report success with a return code of 0 (zero) but some also return success with other return codes. Usually these are warnings or other informational return codes that you can safely ignore. When creating an install, you can provide a comma-separated list of return codes that are considered a success. Any install that does not return one of these codes is flagged as an error and the return code displays.

For example, the default codes of 1641 and 3010 are MSI codes indicating that the installation was successful but a reboot was started (1641) or a reboot is required (3010).

For a comprehensive list of Windows system error codes, see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681381(v=vs.85).aspx.

Command Line

You can add additional command line options here and see the final command line that will be executed on the target computer.

Select the Custom option to edit the command line directly.

NOTE: It is generally unnecessary to customize the command line here. To add additional parameters or switches to a command, you should use the Parameters field.

Product documentation

Vendors often list silent parameters in their documentation, usually along with other install configuration command line options.

Web searches

It is likely that others have been looking for the same silent option online. Searching for “install acrobat silently” for example yields a number of hits.

In PDQ Deploy, after adding your install file to the Install Step of a package, you can also click search online to assist your online search.

Video: PDQ Live! Google Fu: The Art of Finding Silent Parameters

Ask the install

Many install files include an option that provides command option information. This is often referred to as a Usage Statement or a Usage Window.

1.Open a command window (cmd.exe) and cd to your setup directory.

2.Try running the install file (for example, setup.exe) with a /? option.

This sometimes (not always) opens a window that shows different options for installing silently (as well as other options).

For example, /q for installing silently, /qu for silent uninstall.

Other applications might list ways to auto accept license agreements, or install to different directories. These extra parameters are enabled by each software vendor, so they vary from product to product.

Trial and error

There are a number of silent options which are used repeatedly. Options we see include: /S, /q, /qn,       -silent, /p:silent, -option, and “silent”.

PDQ Support

If all else fails, reach out on Discord or contact support for assistance. We are asked this question quite often and may be able to point you in the right direction.