Jump to content

Need help with Expression Web silent install!


Triel

Recommended Posts


Ok, it failed to install. I think I have the path wrong.

When it states /config <config file> am I correct to assume it means exp. /config %CDROM%\Expression Web\Web Designer\config.xml to be the path to the file? Or do I have the address typed wrong?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, let me see if I understand you correct.

All I have to do is remove it from the folder it is in (Designer.WW or something like that) and place it in the same directory as the setup.exe (which would be the root of the program)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Ok, for months I have tried to look for a way to install Expression Web with an XML and other ways. I have failed in all. Even when I call the XML from the run screen I only see it start without using a bit of my XML. I tried to just let it install, after making a few changes to the setup and customizing parts on the XML, and this failed also. I was reading on other forums and websites that I am not the only one that is stuck. When I post the question on the Expression Web MS forum I got no response.

I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised. I ended up just allow Office 2007 to install EW through the Admin setup MSI and told my Unattended installer to run it as an attended setup. Really hurts the time managment system to have to keep an eye on all my computers just to insert one key.

If someone has found a way, but has just not see this post yet, please assist me with this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised.

Yeah, or user error, which is usually the case, right? :lol:

Perhaps you are making this more complicated than need be. Just create a config.xml file and put it in the Updates directory. Then run setup, no switches required. All too easy. My config.xml file for the Academic Version of Expression Web:

<Configuration Product="WebDesigner"> 

<Display Level="Basic" CompletionNotice="No" SuppressModal="no" AcceptEula="yes" />

<PIDKEY Value="AAAAAAAA55AAAA5AA5A5AAAA" />

<Setting Id="Reboot" Value="ReallySuppress" />

</Configuration>

The PIDKEY value is your product key without dashes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess I will just chalk it up to MS releasing things that do not work like advertised.

Yeah, or user error, which is usually the case, right? :lol:

Perhaps you are making this more complicated than need be. Just create a config.xml file and put it in the Updates directory. Then run setup, no switches required. All too easy. My config.xml file for the Academic Version of Expression Web:

<Configuration Product="WebDesigner"> 

<Display Level="Basic" CompletionNotice="No" SuppressModal="no" AcceptEula="yes" />

<PIDKEY Value="AAAAAAAA55AAAA5AA5A5AAAA" />

<Setting Id="Reboot" Value="ReallySuppress" />

</Configuration>

The PIDKEY value is your product key without dashes.

I wish I could say that worked, but i would be wrong. That is the same way I have tried it in the past. I have the retail version and when I place the file in the updates directory it just acts like it is not there. When I place it in the root and command line it like this

"D:\PROGRAMS\$Done$\MS Expression Web\setup.exe" /config D:\PROGRAMS\$Done$\MS Expression Web\config.xml

nothing happens. It does not even give me the dialog box stating what the switches are. Oh yeah, I even tried the above with quotes and it just starts like I never asked it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, that's because I messed up (recall my smarta$$ "user error" comment). Looks like the config.xml file that needs to be edited is located in the WebDesigner.WW directory. I made a copy of the original and then dropped mine in, overwriting the original. I am no longer pestered for the product key but still have a dialogue or two to get past. Right now I'm getting prompted to install or customize the install. I'm still poking around.

I thought my previous method worked, but in retrospect I was probably just installing/uninstalling on a single machine and leaving behind data in the registry. I need to get this working on a clean install soon myself, will post back with any results.

The ONLY information I could find re this topic was HERE. Looks like the config.xml file might need a reference to an .msi /q combination to install silent?

Edit: Looks like that's the config.xml file to be working with: I can enter the product key, user and company name, bypass the EULA, etc., but I keep getting stopped by the "Install Now/Customize" dialogue. Guess I could AutoIt . . . but it would be nice to .xml the whole show.

Edit/Edit: I punted and went with AutoIt (too easy). I edited the config.xml script found in the WebDesigner.WW directory as per above and then ran the following script from the root directory:

Run( @ScriptDir & "\setup.exe")
WinWaitActive("Microsoft Expression Web", "" )
Sleep(2000)
Send('!i')
Sleep(5000)
ProcessWaitClose('setup.exe')

Here's my script, place it next to setup and run it: COMPILED SCRIPT

If you encounter issues, use Task Manager to kill the "install.exe" process and PM me with any gripes or suggestions.

The script runs setup without any switches (it's looking to the config.xml file in WebDesigner.WW by default, so please ensure it has been edited as per above) then waits for the Install/Customize dialogue. When the dialogue appears the Install button is clicked after a two second delay. The script next pauses for five seconds to ensure that setup has begun, then waits for setup to finish before exiting. There are four (4) Office 2007 critical updates related to the Expression Web install as of this writing that get installed along the way by extracting the .msp file from the update and placing each in the "updates" directory (KB934391, KB934062, KB932080, AND KB934393). You need to implement that. Works just fine now, if you don't mind the default installation.

Edited by blinkdt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Just to follow up on this, I recently laid hands on my school's volume license version (locked in a safe for the past year or more) and placed the config.xml file copied from WebDesigner.WW alongside setup.exe in the directory root, customized it, and everything worked fine. No need for switches, nada. My config.xml looks like this:

<Configuration Product="WebDesigner">

<Display Level="basic" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="no" AcceptEula="yes" />

<!-- <Logging Type="standard" Path="%temp%" Template="Microsoft Expression Web Designer Setup(*).txt" /> -->

<PIDKEY Value="AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE" />

<!-- <USERNAME Value="Customer" /> -->

<!-- <COMPANYNAME Value="MyCompany" /> -->

<!-- <INSTALLLOCATION Value="%programfiles%\Microsoft Expression" /> -->

<!-- <LIS CACHEACTION="CacheOnly" /> -->

<!-- <SOURCELIST Value="\\server1\share\Expression;\\server2\share\Expression" /> -->

<!-- <DistributionPoint Location="\\server\share\Expression" /> -->

<!-- <OptionState Id="OptionID" State="absent" Children="force" /> -->

<Setting Id="Reboot" Value="ReallySuppress" />

<!-- <Command Path="msiexec.exe" Args="/i \\server\share\my.msi" QuietArg="/q" ChainPosition="after" Execute="install" /> -->

</Configuration>

Nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to follow up on this, I recently laid hands on my school's volume license version (locked in a safe for the past year or more) and placed the config.xml file copied from WebDesigner.WW alongside setup.exe in the directory root, customized it, and everything worked fine. No need for switches, nada.

I follow your new method, but installation is in default mode. In the past I used your previous method with the next script to install full:

; Run the installer
Run("setup.exe")

; Choose the installation you want
WinWait("Microsoft Expression Web", "")
Sleep(2000)
WinActivate("Microsoft Expression Web", "")
ControlClick("Microsoft Expression Web", "", "NetUIHWND_CatalystFlexUI1", "left", 1, 304, 274)

; Customize how Microsoft Expression Web will run
WinWait("Microsoft Expression Web", "")
WinActivate("Microsoft Expression Web", "")
Send("{ENTER}")
Send("{DOWN}")
Send("{ENTER}")
ControlClick("Microsoft Expression Web", "", "NetUIHWND_CatalystFlexUI1", "left", 1, 545, 450)
Sleep(5000)
ProcessWaitClose("setup.exe")

Sleep(2000)

; Delete MSOCache folder
DirRemove(@HomeDrive &"\MSOCache", 1)

Any chance to install full using the config file only?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@radix: That's exactly what I did.

1. Locate the config.xml 'answer file' file found in the WebDesigner.WW directory.

2. Copy it to the root, alongside Setup.exe.

3. Modify it. Use THIS as a guide.

Now you don't need to specify a path to the config.xml. In the past, when I put the config.xml in the "Updates" directory it didn't work at all. Keeping it in WebDesigner.WW did not work completely unattended (I used AutoIt to click one button). Placing it alongside Setup.exe did the trick. Now just run Setup.exe, no switches required. And remember: I'm using a volume license version now, not my single install retail disk. Hope that helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@radix: That's exactly what I did.

It works fine, but doesn't install full (run all from my computer).

I changed one line to disable the cancel button (X from upper right):

<Display Level="Basic" CompletionNotice="No" SuppressModal="No" NoCancel="Yes" AcceptEula="Yes" />

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...