Install software using command prompt start comman

Question

I am trying to install software using command prompt using below command

start /wait /d "C:\abc" C:\Users\abc.exe /silent /norestart

I want to install software in c:\abc folder but it is installing in the software default directory. Is there any way to install it into the custom directory using the start command or are there any other alternatives to install the software on the target directory.

Answer 1

SHORT VERSION:

This may be the most "accessible" and "quick" explanation for your particular case: http://unattended.sourceforge.net/installers.php

If you are dealing with an MSI file, you should use the admin install feature to extract all the installation files first and then customize your install by setting public properties or utilizing a transform to configure the install. Details here: How to make better use of MSI files.

See the link towards the bottom to find a list of different parameters you can use for different types of setup.exe files.

---

DETAILS:

A setup.exe file can be "anything". It can be an old, legacy Installshield or Wise installer, a modern Windows Installer file (MSI) embedded in a setup.exe launcher, an Inno setup file (non MSI), an embedded Advanced Installer MSI setup, a compressed and self-extracting zip file, a unique and custom made installer (proprietary), or any number of other technologies, the list goes on and on and on - it is impossible to tell what tool or technology was used to create your setup.exe from the information supplied.

Just for reference, let's link to installsite.org's information on different setup technologies and available tools. Most likely your setup.exe is made using one of these tools:

• Non-MSI installer tools: http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/tt_nonmsi.htm
• Windows installer tools: http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msi/authoring.htm
• This may also be of help: Wix - How to run/install application without UI.

The point is, naturally, that every, different technology has its own way to enable silent installation and to customize installation parameters. So the first step for you is to determine what this file really is. Right click the file, select properties and check the details tab for any clues. Or just run the setup.exe interactively and see what the window title is (top window title bar). It will generally indicate what tool was used to create the setup.exe.

Rather than rewriting it all, and since it is a stackoverflow link (unlikely to be removed), I will just link to a similar answer on how to install setup.exe files silently: How can I use powershell to run through an installer?. See the "some links" section for links to documentation for various tools.