The Ultimate Itunes Unattended Guide

[durex]

Another quick question for ya Pry... any idea how to change the installdir of the iPod stuff? I install iTunes to an alternate path using INSTALLDIR, but the iPod dir still gets created in Program Files.

[Dumpy Dooby]

First, how to take the iTunes installer out of the package without the QuickTime stuff:

1. Open your %TEMP% folder and erase all folders there, it will be easier to find the iTunes temporary folder.

2. Start iTunesSetup.exe. DO NOT CLOSE THE WINDOW!

3. Look inside the newly created folder in your %TEMP% folder (in my case it has the name "_isD8")

4. You'll see the iTunes.msi file. And that's it. No QuickTime!!! You can use all the switches with this file, such as: ISSETUPDRIVEN=0 ASSUME_MEDIA_DEFAULTS=1 ASSUME_QT_DEFAULTS=0 ALLUSERS=1 SILENT_INSTALL=1 /QN

Second, how to examine the iTunes.msi file:

There's a great utility called ORCA. It's a part of Windows Installer SDK. Of course you may download the entire SDK from Micro$oft, but you may find this utility alone if you try... It's nice and handy and you can inspect the MSI packages for switches and all, and you can also modify the packages. So download it, open the iTunes.msi file and look for the "Property" table. Here you go!

BUT! As far as I know you'll also loose the iPod functionality and you won't be able to burn CDs. I was inspecting these things two or three months ago, so I can't say for sure what you'll have to do to make the iTunes work after such unconditional installation, but in other words the problem is that in this case of installation iTunes doesn't register some services and stuff as it does during the ordinary installation. So good luck to you on this hard way named "I can't stand QuickTime"!

And please explain me this thing: Does the QuickTime alternative use the native codecs taken out of the QuickTime installation or it has it's own codecs compatible with QuickTime? That's important for me 'cause I like iTunes mainly for it's great sound made by the QuickTime codecs, and I doubt that the codecs supplied with the QuickTime alternative can produce the same great sound (if they are not the native QuickTime codecs of course).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

QTAlt comes with the native Quicktime codecs.

[PryGuy]

Another quick question for ya Pry... any idea how to change the installdir of the iPod stuff?  I install iTunes to an alternate path using INSTALLDIR, but the iPod dir still gets created in Program Files.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry for delay, friends! Well, I'm not familiar with the iPod players actually, going to buy the iPod Shuffle though. And so I do not know about such things, but allow me to repeat it again, the idea of changing the install paths seems to be strange to me 'cause there's a wonderful proverb "When in Rome do as Romans do.", in other words "When in Windows do it the way Micro$oft does it", cause I think installing your stuff in other directories is:

1. Dangerous cause even if you'll be a lucky one to install the stuff where do you want it to be installed you don't know how the other software will react on it.

2. Makes your %SYSTEMDRIVE% untidy!

3. DOESN'T WORTH IT!!! Cause changing the INSTALLDIR you get so many problems I can't really imagine.

[durex]

Well, personally, since my 1st Win 3.1 comp Ive always installed my applications to other locations than the Program Files directory. I have sub-dirs of my sys drive such as 'internet', 'entertainment', 'multimedia', etc... and have never had a problem with it. It makes it MUCH easier to track stuff down as opposed to sifting through 100 dirs in the progfiles folder. but thats just my personal preference.

thanks for the response regardless

[scp2]

First, how to take the iTunes installer out of the package without the QuickTime stuff:

1. Open your %TEMP% folder and erase all folders there, it will be easier to find the iTunes temporary folder.

2. Start iTunesSetup.exe. DO NOT CLOSE THE WINDOW!

3. Look inside the newly created folder in your %TEMP% folder (in my case it has the name "_isD8")

4. You'll see the iTunes.msi file. And that's it. No QuickTime!!! You can use all the switches with this file, such as: ISSETUPDRIVEN=0 ASSUME_MEDIA_DEFAULTS=1 ASSUME_QT_DEFAULTS=0 ALLUSERS=1 SILENT_INSTALL=1 /QN

Hi!

Thanks a lot for those instructions! And I also want to get rid of the standard QuickTime package and therefore I use the alternative codecs. But what confuses me is your explanation above. If I extract the temporary files there's only that iTunes.msi next to a ISScript8.Msi. So I believe the QuickTime components must reside in the iTunes.msi as well. But how could one get rid of them if this is true? They don't seem to be in a separated file or whatever as your explanations imply.

[jrf2027]

4.9 was just released. Anybody know if the current syntax still works? I'd test it myself but I'm going to be on vacation until next week. Please let us know if you have success!

[Fritz_Saxi]

@jrf2027 regarding 4.9:

i've used it with

ITUNESSETUP.EXE /S /V"ISSETUPDRIVEN=0 ASSUME_MEDIA_DEFAULTS=0 ASSUME_QT_DEFAULTS=0 ALLUSERS=1 SILENT_INSTALL=1 /QN"

and it worked fine

Edited June 29, 2005 by Fritz_Saxi

[PryGuy]

Yeah, mates! I also confirm that 4.9 works fine!

[leonx81]

iTune 5.0 just got out, I confirm that 5.0 works fine with the current syntax!!

Edited September 8, 2005 by leonx81

[PryGuy]

iTune 5.0 just got out, I confirm that 5.0 works fine with the current syntax!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can't say it works fine actually; it doesn't want to wait till the installation end...

[Fritz_Saxi]

Not working for me either, the process disappears after a while

and nothing happens. Might have to try it on vmware.

[rikgale]

try

iTunesSetup.exe /S /V"SILENT_INSTALL=1 INSTALL_DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=0 ASSUME_QT_DEFAULTS=0 ASSUME_MEDIA_DEFAULTS=1 ALLUSERS=1" /w"

works for me

[Fritz_Saxi]

try

iTunesSetup.exe /S /V"SILENT_INSTALL=1 INSTALL_DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=0 ASSUME_QT_DEFAULTS=0 ASSUME_MEDIA_DEFAULTS=1 ALLUSERS=1" /w"

works for me

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

should that be a /w or a /q?

[soporific]

I can confirm this method works for itunes 6.05 ... Kudos to the method creator!!

[Hectic]

Yes, Thanks PryGuy for this giude! I've had trouble trying to get itunes to silently install for a couple weeks now. I was able to unpackage and seperate itunes and quicktime with little problem, then was able to seperately install quicktime silently using a setup.iss file and the prefs. file thats saved in the Docs & Settings folder to make it Pro. As for itunes, I tried the setup.iss file and a few different switches, but during the batch file run, the itunes installer still pops up! I'll give this a try and hopefully that should fix my problem. Thanks!