SmartCode Solutions Web Forum » SmartCode VNC Manager » General Discussion » Msiexec problem

Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:31:01 GMT

Hi,

I've a Batch file (under Windows 2000 Professional) that I need to deploy.

If I execute this Batch file manually on a client computer, everything is OK.
If I try to execute it from my computer to the remote client, the Batch file encounters problems...

One of the jobs of this Batch file is to install an application with the MSIEXEC (Microsoft Windows Installer). When I execute the Batch file from my computer (VNC) to the remote client (The one I've tested the Batch on), the operation fails and terminates at the step to use the MSIEXEC.

No error is shown, but the Batch file is no more executed and the progress bar is complete.
Could someone help me, please ?

Thanks :)

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:31:01 GMT

Héhé very good news !
I've tested it, and that works perfectly :P.

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:16:17 GMT

Nyphel,
I've good news for you. The hang bug has been fixed and the archive unrars just fine.

We have re-uploaded 3.6.20.0 with the fixed included. Since most probably you had installed .20.0 build before, you should uninstall it first and then install the fixed .20.0.

Thanks for your help with fixing the bugs!

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:01:46 GMT

I'll try to send it, but I'm not sure that will possible... The archive is about 45MO :w00t:

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 05:04:23 GMT

could you please send the archive to us so we could debug the problem here? I know you had sent the file before, but after fixing the support files bug we deleted the file and no longer have it.

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:43:54 GMT

[quote]
So I've 3 stranges problems :
- The files are said uploaded but they aren't, or they're lost somewhere...
- The deployment "freeze" when I uncompress an archive with 7-zip comand line
- My Batch file is deployed in ADMIN$, but seems to be executed in ADMIN$/system32.
[/quote]

With this new version of saertCode VNC Manager, my support files are perfectly upload ;) (even if the file is very big, like 50MO, or if there is an important number of small files).

My Batch file is deployed in ADMIN$, but it still seems to be executed in ADMIN$/system32.
This is not Very problematic.

The deployment "freezes" when I uncompress an archive file (7-zip, WinZip, Winrar, Alpha zip, ...) [b]only if the archive is too complex (lots of files, lots of directories, height about 7 sub-directories, ...)[/b]. In my tests, the first 40 small files are well uncompressed for an amount of 2.35MO. The next file, an application file that is about 5.15MO, isn't uncompressed and the deployment freezes. This file should be uncompressed in a new sub-directory that contains another sub-directory (Height + 2).
If I create another archive that contains only 4 files (even if 2 of thoses files are about 5.5MO), the 4 files are well uncompressed on the remote computer.

I don't understand the problem.
Perhaps is it the number of files ?
Perhaps is it the height of the directory ?
Perhaps the access path becomes too long ? (But it doesn't seems to be that)

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:25:46 GMT

I believe 3.6.20.0 has a fix for the issue reported in this thread.

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:11:22 GMT

Could you send us the external tools config file: %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Smart Code\VNC\Manager\external_tools.xml as well as the msi file (and support files if any) so we could try to run them here?

At the moment we are a bit busy preparing ServerX release. But as soon we finished with the release we will start investigating the problem. The files could be send to support@s-code.com

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 31 May 2007 10:21:40 GMT

It's so strange...

I've prependes my Btach file with
[quote]
echo Repertoire courant : %CD%
chdir ..
echo Repertoire courant : %CD%[/quote]
The %CD% variable holds the current directory.

[u][b]So here is my Batch file :[/b][/u]
[quote]
echo Repertoire courant : %CD%
chdir ..
echo Repertoire courant : %CD%
:: 7za x veilleur.7z -y -- COMMENTED
msiexec /i "Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn

echo.
IF exist "7za.exe" echo FICHIER {7za.exe} YES
IF NOT exist "7za.exe" echo FICHIER {7za.exe} NO !

echo.
IF exist "veilleur.7z" echo FICHIER {veilleur.7z} YES
IF NOT exist "veilleur.7z" echo FICHIER {veilleur.7z} NO !

echo.
IF exist "Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" echo FICHIER {msi} YES
IF NOT exist "Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" echo FICHIER {msi} NO !

echo.
IF exist "system32/7za.exe" echo FICHIER {system32/7za.exe} YES
IF NOT exist "system32/7za.exe" echo FICHIER {system32/7za.exe} NO !

echo.
IF exist "system32/veilleur.7z" echo FICHIER {system32/veilleur.7z} YES
IF NOT exist "system32/veilleur.7z" echo FICHIER {system32/veilleur.7z} NO !

echo.
IF exist "system32/Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" echo FICHIER {system32/msi} YES
IF NOT exist "system32/Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" echo FICHIER {system32/msi} NO !
[/quote]

[u][b]And here is the output :[/b][/u]
[quote]
------------------------------------------------------------
Computer address: GUILLAUME_GARCI
------------------------------------------------------------
Retrieving a local path for the share: ADMIN$
C:\WINNT\
Opening network share: \\GUILLAUME_GARCI\ADMIN$
Return code: 0
Uploading executable file: D:\INSTALLEURS\veilleur.bat
Uploading support files.
7za.exe - OK
veilleur.7z - OK
Executing remote command. Please wait...

COMMAND OUTPUT BEGIN----------------------------------------

Connecting to remote service ... Ok

Repertoire courant : C:\WINNT\system32
Repertoire courant : C:\WINNT

Extraction des ressources en cours...

FICHIER {7za.exe} NO !

FICHIER {veilleur.7z} NO !

FICHIER {msi} NO !

FICHIER {system32/7za.exe} NO !

FICHIER {system32/veilleur.7z} NO !

FICHIER {system32/msi} NO !
[/quote]

Like you can see, my Batc script is deployed in C:\WINNT.
When is is executed, it is from C:\WINNT\system32
And the ressources theoricaly uploaded aren't in C:\WINNT... And they aren't in C:\WINNT\system32.

[b][u]So I've 3 stranges problems :[/u][/b]
- The files are said uploaded but they aren't, or they're lost somewhere...
- The deployment "freeze" when I uncompress an archive with 7-zip comand line
- My Batch file is deployed in ADMIN$, but seems to be executed in ADMIN$/system32.

If someone has an idea... Or at least an explication ? :D

Thanks for your help.

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 31 May 2007 09:01:11 GMT

[b]Here is my Batch file :[u][/u][/b]
[quote]
7za x veilleur.7z -y
msiexec /i "Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn
[/quote]

Like you can see it, I'm french ;)

[b]7za[u][/u][/b] stands for 7-zip command line : it allows me to compress/uncompress archives (.7z, .zip, ...) without user interaction (no gui, no pause, no questions, ...).
x : for uncompress
-y : for answering "yes" to all questions (would you like to replace the old files ?, etc.)
The archive in question (veilleur.7z) contains 2 directories, used by my Windows Installer (.msi).

[b]msiexec[u][/u][/b] is the Microsoft Installer, used in order to install my application.
/i : for install
/qn : no user interface

I certainly do something bad, because I've found that only my Batch file is uploaded on the client. The output panel says me that the [u]7za.exe[/u] and the [u]veilleur.7z[/u] were uploaded too, but they aren't... (I'had a look to the script editor and unchecked the options for deleting files after script execution).
So, if my archive isn't uploaded, it can't be uncompressed.
So, if my archive isn't uncompressed, the msiexec can't be performed.
So, If I can resolve this problem, everythig should be good...

Or not ! :crazy:
I took a USB-key and copied manually the file on the remote client (in C:\WINNT, that is the ADMIN$ directory used by smartCode when deploying on this remote computer) and I've relauchend the deployment...
Here is the output :
[quote]
------------------------------------------------------------
Computer address: GUILLAUME_GARCI
------------------------------------------------------------
Retrieving a local path for the share: ADMIN$
C:\WINNT\
Opening network share: \\GUILLAUME_GARCI\ADMIN$
Return code: 0
Uploading executable file: D:\INSTALLEURS\veilleur.bat
Uploading support files.
7za.exe - OK
veilleur.7z - OK
Executing remote command. Please wait...
[/quote]
And the deploying output freeze at this point.
If I comment the 7-zip uncompress step, the script fails (cause he can't install the .msi).

Perhaps should I try with another compressor ?
Yes... But I need a quiet deployment. WinZip, WinRar, AlphaZip don't understand command line tasks.

Perhaps should I make auto-uncompressing archives ?
Yes... But I need a quiet deployment. WinZip, WinRar, AlphaZip and 7-zip use graphical user interfaces and want the user to answer questions before unpacking the archive.

Certainly there is something wrong in my method... But I've followed the help documentation and I've searched on the net... Without success.

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Thu, 31 May 2007 06:43:29 GMT

Let us know about outcome of your experiments and whatever you were able or not to run msiexec successfully.

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 31 May 2007 05:38:48 GMT

I've pointed the problem : in reality it's not MSIEXEC that cause the deployment to fail, it's the uncompressing step before the MSIEXEC step.

I upload a 7-zip archive with my Batch script, that contains the files and directories for the MSIEXEC installation. In order to be sure that 7-zip is accessible from the script, I upload the 7za.exe too... (7-zip for command line).

In fact, it seems that my files aren't uncompressed like they should be. I test the existantce of my .msi installer with some [u][i]IF EXISTS "my_installer.msi"[/i][/u], and the output says me that the file doesn't exists :D

Thanks for your help, I'll see what can I do.

RE: Msiexec problem

Nyphel — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:19:30 GMT

[quote]msiexec /i "Installeur Veilleur de messagerie\Veilleur de messagerie.msi" ALLUSERS=1 /qn[/quote]

/i = Install the product
/qn = No user interface

Perhaps should I test with the /quiet option too...

RE: Msiexec problem

Support (s-code) — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:14:48 GMT

In its current implementation the Remote Exec feature is unable to run desktop interactive processes (support for interactive processes is going to be available in v4.0). I suspect that msiexec could be failing for this reason. To workaround this problem you might try to run msiexec in the silent mode, so it won't try to create any UI.