Summary

This article provides information on the setup.exe command line parameters.

Synopsis

This article provides information on the command-line parameters that can be passed to a Setup.exe, an installation package authored with the InstallShield product.

Discussion

Like the compiled .msi file, Setup.exe can accept a number of command-line parameters. Using these parameters, data, such as the language in which the setup should run and whether to launch Setup.exe silently, can be included on the command-line. Parameters can also be passed through the Setup.exe directly to the .msi file.

NOTE: Command-line options that require a parameter must be specified with no space between the option and its parameter. For example, Setup.exe /v"ALLUSERS=2" is valid, while Setup.exe /v "ALLUSERS=2" is not. Quotation marks around an option's parameter are required only if the parameter contains spaces. If quotation marks are part of the actual parameter they need to be proceeded by the backslash symbol (\). For example, Setup.exe /v"INSTALLDIR=\"C:\Program Files\My Company\""

Several of the command-line arguments apply only to specific project types or InstallShield product versions. For the most complete information, please refer to the InstallShield Help Library for article for your version of InstallShield. These articles are referenced in the Additional Information section below.

Setup.exe accepts the following command-line parameters:

Special Installation Modes

• /a: Administrative installation(Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /i: Advertise mode (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /x: Uninstall mode (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /uninst: Uninstall product (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /removeonly: Uninstall product (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /instance=<InstanceId>: Specific instance (Basic MSI projects only)

Silent Installations

• /p: Specify password (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /r: Record mode (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /s: Silent mode
• /f1: Specify alternative response file name (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /f2: Specify alternative log file name (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)

SMS Data

• /m: Generate MIF file (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /m1: Specify serial number in MIF file (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /m2: Specify locale string in MIF file (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)

Download and Cache Locations (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)

• /ua: Specify URL for InstMsiA.exe
• /uw: Specify URL for InstMsiW.exe
• /um: Specify URL to .msi package
• /b: Cache installation locally

Passing Data to the Installation

• /v: Pass arguments to Msiexec (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /z: Pass arguments to CMDLINE variable (InstallScript MSI projects only)

Debugging

• /d: Debug InstallScript
• /debuglog: Generate a log file for debugging, includes logging of bundled prerequisites (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)

Miscellaneous

• /f: Specify alternative compiled script (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only, InstallShield version 12 and earlier)
• /L: Setup Language ID
• /w: Wait (Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /SMS: Wait (InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /delayedstart: Delay initialization of the setup (InstallScript projects only)
• /deleter: Do not clone Setup.exe process when debugging (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only, InstallShield version 11.5 or earlier)
• /extract all: Package's files should not be run but simply extracted (InstallScript projects only)
• /h: Clone release to a temporary location and run from that location (Basic MSI and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /runfromtemp: Always clone and and run from the temporary location
• /clone_wait: Wait for the cloned setup process to complete before exiting (InstallScript projects only)
• /hide_progress: Suppress all progress dialogs
• /hide_splash: Suppress splash screen (InstallScript and InstallScript MSI projects only)
• /hide_usd: Suppress update dialog box for multiple installations (InstallScript projects only)
• /ig: Specify the value of the system variable INSTANCE_GUID (InstallScript projects only)
• /installfromweb: Specify the full path (or URL) to the installation media files (Disk1) (InstallScript projects only)
• /media_path: Specify the full path (or URL) to the installation media files (Disk1) (InstallScript projects only)

Additional Information

For additional information Setup.exe Command Line Parameters, please take a look at the following InstallShield helpnet library article Setup.exe and Update.exe Command-Line Parameters