Support: Installer Syntax - MSI Windows Installer

Tested on:

Windows 7 Enterprise 32 bit

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Windows XP SP2 32 bit

Page updated April 2012

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MSI Windows Installer installation syntax:

Default silent install switches:

/i package.msi /qn REBOOT=REALLYSUPPRESS ALLUSERS=2

Install Switches

Please Note: Some MSI installs can be uninstalled using Control Panel, but isn't recorded in:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{GUID}

but is only recorded in

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\{GUID}

Vendors website

CommandLine Options

MSI Errors

Explore Package Knowledge Base

Install Switches

If any - shows vendor dependant switches, like e.g.

Commandline switches:

/L Language id

/S Hide initialising box. For silent background use: /S /v/qn

/V switches for MsiExec.exe

/UA <url to InstMsiA.exe>

/UW <url to InstMsiW.exe>

/UM <url to msi package>

/US <url to IsScript.msi>

/UA <url to InstMsiA.exe>

/a [package]

Installs a product on the network

/ALLUSERS=1

Shortcuts for the application is placed in "all users" instead of the current user profile

/f p,o,e,d,c,a,u,m,s,v

a - Forces all files to be reinstalled
c - Reinstalls a product when a file is missing or the stored checksum value doesn''t match the calculated value
d - Reinstalls a product when a file is missing or a different version of a file is installed
e - Reinstalls a product when a file is missing or an equal or older version of a file is installed
m - Rewrites all required computer-specific registry entries
o - Reinstalls a product when a file is missing or an older version of a file is installed
p - Reinstalls a product only when a file is missing
u - Rewrites all required user-specific registry entries
v - Runs from the source file and re-caches the local product

/i [package]

Installs the specified product

/j u,m [package]

Advertises a product. u is current user; m is all users

/l i,w,e,a,r,u,c,m,p,v,+,![log file]

a - Action startups
c - Initial User Interface (UI) parameters
e - All error messages
i - Status messages
m - Out-of-memory
p - Terminal properties
r - Action-specific records
u - User requests
v - Verbose output
w - Non-fatal warnings

/p [patch]

Applies a patch. To patch an installed Administrator image, you should also use the /a switch

/q n,n+,b,b+,b!,r,f

b = Basic UI
b! = Basic UI w/no Cancel button
b+ = Basic UI w/modal dialog box at end
b- = Basic UI w/no modal dialog box at end
n = No UI
n+ = No UI except modal dialog at end
r = Reduced UI
f = Full UI