I have had to reinstall my operating system today and there a ton of programs that I need to install, not to mention quite a few configurations to make after installing them!
I heard some people are using batch files to automate this process with unattended installers.
Is there a program that can generate a batch script for the executable files you hand to it? (If there isn't one, there should be.)
How would I go about writing a batch file for an unattended installer?
Best Answer
This is dependent on what programs you wish to install. There are various installer systems out there (NSIS, MSI, Installshield, ... off the top of my head) and each will usually have command-line switches you can use to perform a silent installation. For Microsoft Installer packages (MSI), there is the
/qswitch to perform an installation without a GUI. So a sample line may look like this:Instead of making batch scripts there are easier tools to make a custom, unattended Windows installation that will prepare all your software for you. NLite and the MSFN Unattended Guide come to mind.
Another alternative is to make a full backup after all your desired programs are installed and configured using Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image. I always end up kicking myself with this solution though. Right after I think everything's fine and I perform a backup, there's always 1 piece of software I forget to install.