My MSI gets destroyed using psexec

Report · Jul 22, 2014

Every time I push a custom MSI with TRANSFORMS it will never install, it either just sits in the task manager forever or it errors right away. The Setup.exe... dont even try, nothing but issues with 1935 as I work in a large enterprise domain and networking and sccm are always pushing updates and the PC's are always pending a restart or have something installing in the background. I have a MSI that, when kicked off locally installs like a dream, every time. Now with about 180 Acrobat installs to do, the goal is to kick them off silently from my station. I have placed the install files (complete) on all the PC's locally. So in theory I should just need to use psexec to kick them off via CMD, but it fails every time. So i was thinking that if I can call them on the local PC and everything is perfect, and psexec messes up my syntax across the network then what if I created a .BAT that has the syntax to call the local MSI when clicked. Its my understanding that anything you can do from a CMD prompt you should be able to do using .BAT. I have been unsuccessful in creating a .BAT that will very simply execute this command:

msiexec /I "c:\drivers\adobe acrobat XI\acropro.msi" TRANSFORMS="c:\drivers\adobe acrobat XI\Acropro.mst" /q

I don't know much about .bat scripting so it is surly me messing up. But I know that if I sit at the local PC and kick off that exact command using CMD it installs every time like a dream. So the theory is to place the install files on the local, and place a .bat on each users desktop. They then should be able to simply click the .bat and the installer should kick off and install silently, right? Can any please help me with the syntax for the .bat? I just need it to say "go install this MSI" THANKS SO MUCH!

Report · Jul 22, 2014

Usually admins have one installer they run from a networked location. Anyway, the exact cmd line run in a bat file should work.

Doubt it matters, but the doc says /i (lowercase).

Do these examples help? 6 Windows cmd line and msiexec — Enterprise Administration Guide

Ben

Report · Jul 22, 2014

Thanks Ben, if I place the exact command that installs perfectly from CMD into notepad and save as .bat. When clicked it just opens the window in notepad and stays, which in my experience means that the command did not execute and something is wrong with my script. Do you know of or are able to list the syntax for a .bat that will simply execute: msiexec /i "c:\drivers\adobe acrobat XI\acropro.msi" TRANSFORMS="c:\drivers\adobe acrobat XI\Acropro.mst" /q

the error seems like the .bat cant figure out what to do after the acropro.msi" wonder if I remove the " " if that will help...

Report · Jul 22, 2014

I always open a cmd window and run mybat.bat. It helps to have @echo on. The window should report what's happening.

Ben

Report · Jul 22, 2014

Thanks, the idea is to have a "icon" (the .bat) placed on these users desktop which of course i can do in the background, then place the MSI, EXE, MST on their local c:. So what I am trying to do is make it so all they have to do is click the .bat on their desktop and it will kick off the msi located on the c. I should be able to do all this using psexec, but after hours and hours it simply will not install, unless it is kicked off on the local machine via cmd it enters the task manager and just sits forever.

Report · Jul 22, 2014

I recommend using one of the supported workflows described in the admin guide. Using psexec and your methodology is not something we describe or test. It could be a permissions issue or something, but I don't know.

Ben