How to install msu batch update. Types of installers and their keys for silent installation. How to determine the use of NSIS

    As one of the most common ways to disable automatic Windows updates, it is very common to disable the Windows Center service. Windows updates". At first glance, this is the right solution, ensuring that the end goal is achieved in the simplest way, but in fact, this approach can lead to big problems in the future when installing new programs. The fact is that many software products during installation update the components necessary for their functioning in Windows environment, including components that are Windows updates. If there are no updates required for the program being installed, then they are usually installed offline. To do this, use the offline update installer. wusa.exe and the Windows Update service. In particular, the installer wusa.exe can be done with the parameter /quiet, which sets the "silent mode" of installing updates with the absence of any messages on the screen. In addition, the installer may not correctly process the results of operations to install required Windows updates. With Windows Update disabled, at best, an error message 0x80070422 will be displayed on the screen:

In the worst case, you may receive a fatal error message when installing the program, or, even worse, there will be no error messages, but the installed software will not work. As a result, the user can spend a lot of time and effort on solving the problem that he himself caused by disabling the Windows Update service.

Therefore, the correct approach to disabling automatic updates assumes that the Windows Update service is not disabled. To save system resources, you can set the startup type to ”Manual”. The update service must be set to ”Do not check for updates (not recommended)”:

Control Panel - Windows Update - Adjust Settings

To prevent the Action Center warnings from being displayed, you need to disable the corresponding notification:

Control Panel - Action Center - Setting up Action Center.

These settings will not work. automatic update Windows and keep all the functionality of the standalone update installer wusa.

Hello dear readers.
Today, as I promised you, I will tell you about the most popular tools that create software installers.
Many of them are very simple, so they can be used not only by programmers and software manufacturers, but also by those who want to assemble the installer with their own hands.
However, the assembly of installation packages is not the topic of this article, the topic of my article is: what main keys are supported by certain installers, how to use them, and how to determine which installer is used for a particular program.

InstallShield

I'll start with the most voluminous, most beloved by large commercial software developers. InstallShield is a powerful professional tool for creating reliable installation packages.

With the help of Project Assistant, the developer goes through all the stages of creating an installer step by step. No training is required, all the basic features of InstallShield X Express can be learned within less than one day. Full integration with the Visual Studio .NET development environment, support for .NET, Linux, Web services and mobile applications.

You can meet him very often in paid products, for example:

As a rule, such installers do not cause difficulties, it is enough to run them with the “S” key, and the program will be installed in silent mode.
Note: If the “wait” parameter does not work, try using the “SMS” key
Example:

Start /wait setup.exe /s /sms

How to tell if Install Shield was used to package the installer

We open the file properties, on the “Details” tab in the “Description” and “Original file name” items, as a rule, the value “setup.exe” will be indicated, and in the “Product Name”: “InstallShield”.
In addition, running such an installer for a normal installation, as a rule, you will encounter such words:
InstallShield Wizard
Welcome to InstallShield Wizard for xxxxxxx
The InstallShield(R) Wizard will install, etc.

Naturally, all this can be written in English.

Windows Installer Service (*.msi)

Well, what can I say about this ... Technology Windows Installer Service (MSI) is the de facto standard in the world system administrators involved in the distribution and support of software for desktop and server Windows versions. MSI format is supported by all large systems configuration management (Microsoft SCCM, CA Unicenter, and many others), and for some software distribution systems, it is even the only supported format.

All installers packed with Windows Installer have the extension “*.msi”.
Program examples:

This type of installer supports the following options for silent installation:
"qb" and "QN".
When using the "QB" key, the installation progress will be displayed, but no questions will be asked to the user, nor will the "Cancel" button be displayed.
Example:

Start setup.msi /qb

Next key: "qn"
Using given key the installation process will be completely hidden. Installation progress will also not be displayed.
Example:

Start setup.msi /qn

It should be noted that some programs require a computer restart after installation. To avoid this, use the properties (REBOOT=ReallySuppress) by enclosing it in quotes along with the key.
Example:

Start setup.msi "/qb REBOOT=ReallySuppress"

Using the InstallShield *.msi extension

Starting with version 7, InstallShield can create files with the "*.msi" extension. they in turn can be separate files and in conjunction with setup.exe,
For example as OBI
The latter, in turn, are of two types:
"InstallScript MSI" and "Basic MSI". InstallScript MSI uses traditional InstallShield keys. Basic MSI is a separate interesting story.
To automatically install an application using the Basic MSI, you need to specify the "/s /v"…" switches. The ellipsis must be replaced with keys that must be passed directly to the Windows Installer (msiexec). In other words, if you want to install the application completely invisibly and avoid rebooting, then use this command

Start setup.exe /s /v"/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"

Windows Update Offline Installer *.msu

Due to this information often required, edited the article :-), adding the keys for *.msu to it as well.
msu are offline Windows update installers. Once you download updates, you can install them even without the Internet and you won’t have to download them again.
All of these installers have an *.msu extension and support the following command line switches.

/quiet - Quiet mode without user interaction. All windows will be hidden. If a reboot is required after the update, it will be done.

/norestart - Use this switch with quiet to avoid rebooting.

/warnrestart - When used with quiet, will warn that a restart will be performed.

/promptrestart - When used with quiet, you will be prompted to restart the computer.

/forcerestart - When used with quiet, a so-called force restart will be performed, i.e., all applications will be forcibly closed and the computer will restart.

/log - Specifies logging and the path to the log file.

Start c:\updates\kb3456246.msu /quiet /norestart /log:update.log

Inno Setup

Great, free tool to create installers that support scripts on PASCAL language quite easy to learn and easy to use.
Inno setup can register libraries and ActiveX components, create encrypted installers, change the registry, and launch external applications, but this is only a small part of what Inno Setup can do, even too small….
It should be noted that the help system is quite well written and supported by numerous examples.

Inno Setup is not inferior to many systems for creating installers, and leaves some of them far behind in terms of convenience and capabilities, although it is free, in truth, I like it more than all those listed in this article, which helped me out many times.

Inno Setup has recently been increasingly used to create installation packages, not only developers free programs, but also commercial products, for example:

Hmm, I signed it, I'll talk about the main thing.

Inno Setup supports two main keys for silent installation, they are "SILENT" and "VERYSILENT".
Example:

Start setup.exe /verysilent
Start setup.exe /silent

Sometimes there is a small problem: a window pops up asking if you want to continue the installation. To hide this window, use the "SP-" key.
Example:

Start setup.exe /VERYSILENT /SP-

How do I know if Inno Setup is being used to package a program?

Run the installer, in the window that opens, open the system menu (ALT + SPACE "Space")
Select "ABOUT Setup" or "About",
A window will open with the following text:
About Setup
Inno Setup version 5.4.0 (a)Copyright (C) 1997-2010 Jordan RussellPortions Copyright (C) 2000-2010 Martijn LaanAll rights reserved.Inno Setup home page:http://www.innosetup.com/RemObjects Pascal Script home page :http://www.remobjects.com/psInno Setup Preprocessor home page:http://ispp.sourceforge.net/
OK

Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS)

Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) is a program designed for easy and fast creation of professional installation packages. The program allows software developers to create a compressed win32 exe file, with the ability to check its integrity. Has no limit on the number of files included in the distribution. Uninstall function is supported. Built-in own virtual machine turns this product into a complete professional tool.
Examples:

Installers created with the free NSIS run with the “S” key.
Example:

Start setup.exe /S

Be careful, the key must be in uppercase, otherwise it may simply not work.
You can use the “D” key to specify the installation directory.
Example:

Start setup.exe /S /D=c:\myprogram

How to determine the use of NSIS

All installers created with NSIS have a very similar interface, study the installation process of Winamp carefully and you will be able to easily determine if NSIS is being used.

WISE Installer

After digging around on the Internet, here is what a beautiful description I found for him:
Wise for Windows Installer allows professional developers to quickly create reliable packages.MicrosoftI using the latest technologies Microsoft's Windows Installer. The unique features of Wise for Windows Installer help both small and large development teams create installation packages for any type of platform, including workstations and pocket computers, application and web servers, and mobile devices Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Pocket PC, Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, Palm OS and smartphones.

The Wise Installation Studio program will allow you to special efforts create installation packages for applications operating system Windows Vista, 64-bit versions of Windows and the mobile platform Windows Mobile 5. This package supports the Windows Installer format (MicrosoftI), and also has its own format - WiseScript (.EXE).

Users will also enjoy the benefits innovative technology Altiris Software Virtualization Solution, embedded in Wise Installation Studio, which allows you to create virtual application archives (.VSA) and ensures that there are no conflicts between the products you install.

Besides, a new version Wise Installation Studio integrates with Nalpeiron's PRO-Tector Standard. This solution allows developers to create test versions software products and provides reliable protection of intellectual property from illegal use.

But that's bad luck, it seems the project died ...
oh well, let's not talk about sad things ...

Installers created with WISE Installer accept the standard "S" key.
Example:

Start setup.exe /S

I don't know what type the installer is or I can't determine its type

In this case, use the "s" key, as a rule it works.
Example:

Start setup.exe /s

Manufacturers of software and drivers that provide a unique installer generally adhere to this standard.

Recently, in the news about fresh cumulative updates, we began to give links where you can download .cab or .msu assembly data files. In this article we will understand why they are needed and how to use them.

What are CAB and MSU files

In Windows 10, there are several file formats that are used to update certain system components. This:

• ESD files. They are an encrypted and highly compressed ISO image. Used to install major updates (assemblies in which not only the index changes, but also the main number). With their help, you can, for example,.
• CAB or MSU files. They are, one might say, archives. Used to install small updates - cumulative, security updates, updates Adobe Flash player and so on.

All mechanisms for working with these files are built into the system. That's what the Update Center uses - it just downloads desired file, and then automatically does what is described in this instruction. The disadvantages of this approach are the inability to install any updates offline, which some users need from time to time.

I note right away that in Windows 10, the CAB or MSU file of some kind of cumulative update also contains all previous cumulative updates! There is no need to first, for example, install assembly 14393.187, then - .189, then - .222. It is enough to immediately install the latest package.

Where to download the Windows 10 update MSU file

How to install CAB and MSU

1. Download the CAB or MSU file.
2. Move it to a folder with some short path. That is, it is better that the path to the file be, for example, C:\CAB\update.cab, but not C:\Users\Public\Downloads\Folder\CAB Files\CabFile1\update.cab.

Installing the cab files

Installing MSU files

With them, everything is a little easier. They can be installed even by double-clicking on them. But there is a way to do this through the console.

Sometimes wusa.exe and other errors system errors EXE could be related to problems in the Windows registry. Several programs can use the wusa.exe file, but when those programs are uninstalled or changed, sometimes "orphaned" (invalid) EXE registry entries are left behind.

Basically, this means that while the actual path to the file may have been changed, its incorrect former location is still recorded in the Windows registry. When Windows tries looking up these incorrect file references (file locations on your PC), wusa.exe errors can occur. In addition, malware infection may have corrupted the registry entries associated with Windows 7 Home Premium. Thus, these invalid EXE registry entries need to be repaired in order to fix the root of the problem.

Manually editing the Windows registry to remove invalid wusa.exe keys is not recommended unless you are PC service professional. Mistakes made while editing the registry can render your PC unusable and cause irreparable damage to your operating system. In fact, even a single comma in the wrong place can prevent your computer from booting up!

Because of this risk, we highly recommend using a trusted registry cleaner such as %%product%% (Developed by Microsoft Gold Certified Partner) to scan and repair any wusa.exe-related registry problems. Using a registry cleaner automates the process of finding invalid registry entries, missing file references (like the one causing your wusa.exe error), and broken links within the registry. Before each scan, an automatically created backup copy, which allows you to undo any changes with a single click and protects you from possible damage to your computer. The best part is that fixing registry errors can drastically improve system speed and performance.

A warning: Unless you are an advanced PC user, we do NOT recommend manually editing the Windows Registry. Incorrect use of the Registry Editor can lead to serious problems and require reinstalling Windows. We do not guarantee that problems resulting from misuse of Registry Editor can be resolved. You use the Registry Editor at your own risk.

Before manually restoring Windows registry, you need to create a backup by exporting a part of the registry related to wusa.exe (eg. Windows 7 Home Premium):

1. Click on the button Begin.
2. Enter " command" in search bar... DO NOT PRESS YET ENTER!
3. Holding keys CTRL-Shift on the keyboard, press ENTER.
4. An access dialog will be displayed.
5. Click Yes.
6. The black box opens with a blinking cursor.
7. Enter " regedit" and press ENTER.
8. In the Registry Editor, select the wusa.exe-related key (eg. Windows 7 Home Premium) you want to back up.
9. On the menu File select Export.
10. Listed Save to select the folder where you want to save the Windows 7 Home Premium key backup.
11. In field File name enter a name for the backup file, such as "Windows 7 Home Premium Backup".
12. Make sure the field Export Range value selected Selected branch.
13. Click Save.
14. The file will be saved with .reg extension.
15. You now have a backup of your wusa.exe-related registry entry.

The next steps for manually editing the registry will not be covered in this article, as they are likely to damage your system. If you would like more information on editing the registry manually, please see the links below.

Operating room updates Windows systems issued in the form of packages with the expansion MSU or CAB. In the event that the regular functionality of the Windows Update service (Windows Update) does not work (specially disabled), the cumulative updates or security updates necessary for the system can be downloaded and installed manually offline. In this article, we will show you how to download and install updates in MSU and CAB format in Windows 10.

Where to download the Windows Update MSU file

Microsoft initially releases its updates and patches in the format CAB file. This is how your computer receives updates from Microsoft update servers or local server. For more convenient manual distribution of individual updates by customers through the catalog Microsoft updates, these CAB files are packed in a special format MSU(Microsoft Update Standalone Package).

How to extract CAB file from MSU update package

In some cases, when windows service Update, which the wusa utility uses, does not work correctly (try to run it first), you can't install the update in MSU format. In this case, you can manually unpack the MSU package, extract the update CAB file from it, and manually install it on the system.

To unpack the MSU package into the C:\Temp\kb4056887 directory (the directory must first be created), run the following command:

expand _f:* "C:\Temp\windows10.0-kb4056887-x64.msu" C:\Temp\kb4056887

Microsoft(R) File Expansion Utility Version 10.0.10011.16384
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Can't open input file: _f:*.
Adding C:\Temp\kb4056887\WSUSSCAN.cab to Extraction Queue
Adding C:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.cab to Extraction Queue
Adding C:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64-pkgProperties.txt to Extraction Queue
Adding C:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.xml to Extraction Queue
Expanding Files….
Expanding Files Complete…
4 files total.

As you can see, 4 types of files appeared in the directory:

• .xml file (Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.xml) - contains msu package metadata and is used by Wusa.exe
• .cab file (Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.cab - one or more) - directly the archive with the Windows update
• *pkgProperties.txt file (Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64-pkgProperties.txt) - contains package properties (release date, architecture, package type, KB reference, etc.)

Installing the update cab file in Windows 10

There are two ways to install the update CAB file obtained from the MSU package.

Most universal way install update from CAB file - utility DISM.exe. The install command might be:

DISM.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:c:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.cab

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.10240.16384
Image Version: 10.0.10240.16384
Processing 1 of 1 - Adding package Package_for_KB4056887~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.1.0
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

Note. Notice how quickly the package is installed via DISM compared to how fast the update is installed from .msu file but.

If you want to install the CAB package in silent mode and suppress the prompt to restart the computer after installing the update, the DISM command will be:

start /wait DISM.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath: c:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.cab /Quiet /NoRestart

In Windows 8 and Windows 7, you can install the update through the package manager Pkgmgr. Command:
start /w Pkgmgr /ip /m:c:"c:\Temp\kb4056887\Windows10.0-KB4056887-x64.cab"

Note. In Windows 10 / Windows Server 2016 package manager PkgMgr.exe is no longer supported. When you run it, you get a warning about the need to use DISM.exe to manage packages.

Note: The PkgMgr.exe has been deprecated. Please update your scripts to use dism.exe to extract, install, uninstall, configure and update features and packages for Windows.

Note. Please note that language Windows packages(MUI) are also distributed in CAB format. However, you cannot use the DISM command to install them. Instead, to install new languages ​​on the system, you need to use separate utility lpksetup.exe.

These instructions for manually installing cumulative (if you don't remember what it is, read the article about systems) and any other Windows updates apply to all supported OS versions: Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7 and Windows Server 2016 / 2012 / R2 / 2008 / R2 .