How to find switches for programs

MarcLister

MarcLister

MarcLister

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I've recently started a new job as the IT tech in a London school. At the moment I'm going round the staff laptops and either updating them with the latest Windows Updates or rebuilding them if they are running slow. I have to install various pieces of software and I was thinking that if I could write a batch script I could get it to install Sophos, Office, SMART board software (interactive whiteboard stuff) for me instead of me having to insert CD after CD and run installers, enter licence keys etc it could save me ages. I was thinking of copying all the installers to a network location and then running the batch script from each laptop.

So what I could do with is a way to "scan" each exe or detect which switches an exe has so that for Sophos I can enter the proxy details and the update source in the batch script and the licence keys for Office and the SMART board stuff. Anyone know a way to do this?
 
why don't you make one machine with all the software installed and then sysprep it and make a ghost image and then just go around and ghost all the computers. i guess you don't have volume license there.

you would have to use google to find the applications switches.

and example google search: "sophos silent install" comes up with the url http://www.sophos.com/support/knowledgebase/article/12827.html
 
msfn.org Software forum, also quite often googling the app name + "switches" or "silent install" will help
 
i do similar job at my local college where many staff have different laptops, different OS

so autoit is best one, you make a wee script and convert it to EXE with link to the actual setup files from network drive.

the script will send command, like click next, disable stuff, enter serial key automatically. very good
 
bledd. said:
msfn.org Software forum, also quite often googling the app name + "switches" or "silent install" will help
Click to expand...
Cheers Bledd. Was going to have a look there but I was suspicious that MSFN would only have switches for certain programs and not stuff like SMART etc. :)

wesley said:
i do similar job at my local college where many staff have different laptops, different OS

so autoit is best one, you make a wee script and convert it to EXE with link to the actual setup files from network drive.

the script will send command, like click next, disable stuff, enter serial key automatically. very good
Click to expand...
Nice one. I'll have a look at that.

The only thing with getting Sophos done automatically is that I can get the update source and the proxy address into the batch but each user has to have a network username and password put into the proxy bit to allow Sophos to access the school's Internet connection and then an LGfL username and password to actually connect to the Sophos update source. So unless I can find a way to get the batch script to prompt me for these two usernames and passwords I'll have to get Sophos installed automatically and then add the usernames and passwords afterwards. :(
 
It's the type of installer that the switches are usually specific for..

Some can use xmls to configure them (like Nod32)

I'd just hunt one by one for each application that you want it for
 
bledd. said:
It's the type of installer that the switches are usually specific for..

Some can use xmls to configure them (like Nod32)

I'd just hunt one by one for each application that you want it for
Click to expand...
So if I can find out what installer each program uses I'm half-way there? :)

wesley said:
do you have 'admin' account for sophos for updates only?
Click to expand...
Well the office staff have this but the teaching staff have to have their own usernames and passwords put in. Don't ask me why. :p
 
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