Passing msiexec switches through vbscript

Question

I'm trying to silently install MSI packages through a vbscript but when I try to pass switches through all I get is the blank command prompt and the Windows Installer tooltip opens.

Here's a couple ways I've tried this below, but I get the same thing each time.

Dim objShell
Set objShell = Wscript.CreateObject ("Wscript.Shell")
objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "AppleApplicationSupport64.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"
objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "AppleMobileDeviceSupport6464.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"
objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "iTunes6464.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"
objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "Bonjour64.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"
objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"
Set objShell = Nothing

Second way I tried

Dim objShell
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
objShell.Run("""%userprofile%\Desktop\Deployment\AppleApplicationSupport64.msi""") + "/quiet" + "/norestart"
objShell.Run("""%userprofile%\Desktop\Deployment\AppleMobileDeviceSupport6464.msi""") + "/quiet" + "/norestart"
objShell.Run("""%userprofile%\Desktop\Deployment\iTunes6464.msi""") + "/quiet" + "/norestart"
objShell.Run("""%userprofile%\Desktop\Deployment\Bonjour64.msi""") + "/quiet" + "/norestart"
objShell.Run("""%userprofile%\Desktop\Deployment\AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi""") + "/quiet" + "/norestart"
Set objShell = Nothing

It doesn't seem to go past the msiexec command. How can I get it to run the entire string together the full command to install the packages?

Lews Therin Lews Therin · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-07T22:04:41

It looks like you are missing some spaces in your commands that you are sending to the shell. I'll just examine the first command as an example. Here's what you wrote:

objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec" & "/i" & Chr(34) & "AppleApplicationSupport64.msi" & Chr(34) & "/quiet" & "/norestart"

And here is the command that that statement builds:

msiexec/i"AppleApplicationSupport64.msi"/quiet/norestart

You are getting that Windows Installer window because it doesn't understand the command with no spaces. Instead, add some spaces inside the string like so:

   objShell.Run "cmd /c msiexec " & "/i " & Chr(34) & "AppleApplicationSupport64.msi" & Chr(34) & " /quiet" & " /norestart"

The above will format the command as:

msiexec /i "AppleApplicationSupport64.msi" /quiet /norestart

That should resolve your issue.

Passing msiexec switches through vbscript

1 Answers