Unattended install, silent vs. quiet

[DarrenKr]

In our organization we are just starting to use AutoIt. We already do a lot of VBscripting and autoit promises to simplify and accelerate our coding. We have one particular install that drew us to AutoIt. There are no command line switches available to this program's install and it has to open a GUI. We have autoIt configured to click 'next, next, next, finished' and it works great when people want to install this product on demand.

The problem is not all of our customers know they need this application. We'd like to roll it out to all our PCs, but we don't want the user to see the install happen. While our current Unattended install works it requires the window to have focus, someone has to be logged into the PC, and the person is aware that an install is happening.

I read the following thread about starting autoit as a service:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17581

Before I continue down my testing I wanted to confirm that it is possible for AutoIt to interact with a hidden window that is being run as a service.

Any thoughts?

[TerarinK]

For one you will need to distribute the product as a finished product, i.e. with it on the CD, have some systems to transmit it over the web/email. I know that if you do start a service that likes to check on your site for any updates, I would advise you to do it in Windows Task Scheduler as it will accomplish the same thing and you enable the users to pre-define any option they want to set onto the product. Something that is hard for the customer to do if you have a service without a window or option available to them.

However it seems like your company specializes in computer install/updates? Why, not have an application that a users can run that search for every know product you offer, and then send the ones you have for install/updating. This could be the best way of performing your task and you dont create a lot of stuff with it.

I would setup three unique installing features one for Silent for those inactive (the one you want), Quiet for those still active and Active confirmation based on all step of the installation. Each has its up and down but offering them all them all to the customer is the best benefit to them.