[wpkg-users] silent install for latest Autodesk products

[Mark Nienberg]

I'm working on rolling out Autodesk Revit Structure 2008, but I think this will apply 
to all of the current Autodesk Autocad and Revit versions.  It seems Autodesk is 
using a different install program now.  I think they used to use Installshield? 
Maybe this new thing is their own invention.

The install is a two step process, like always.  First create a deployment on your 
network, then run a setup program on each workstation.  The setup program is a front 
end for various msi files that do the actual installation.  It checks for 
prerequisites and sets some parameters.

In my testing with WPKG I could not get a successful installation. WPKG starts the 
"setup.exe", and the setup eventually runs the msi to install the program, but then 
WPKG looks for and fails to find the uninstall string and reports that the 
installation failed.  Meanwhile setup is still running (I think) apparently calling 
other programs to do some final configuration, which may be when the uninstall 
program is actually configured.  In any event, it seems like a timing problem, where 
WPKG doesn't wait long enough before doing the "check", or more likely, setup 
indicates that it is finished when it really isn't.

I've kind of worked around it, but it is ugly.  Does anyone have any experience with 
this or any insight?

Sequence of events in the log:

WpkgService - Set script security context: successfuly done.
WpkgService - Network resource: successfuly connected
WSH - User notification suppressed.
WSH - Installing Revit Structure 2008...

MSI installer - Product: Revit Structure 2008 -- Installation operation completed 
successfully.

WSH - User notification suppressed.
WSH - There were the following errors:
	Package name: Revit Structure 2008
	Could not install Revit Structure 2008.
	Failed checking after installation.

WpkgService - Script execution: successfuly done
WpkgService - Network resource: successfuly disconnected

MSI installer - Product: Revit Structure 2008 -- Installation operation completed 
successfully.

MSI installer - Failed to connect to server. Error: 0x800401F0


I know what you are thinking (there is something wrong with the "check").  But if I 
restart the computer after this, then it finds the uninstall string and updates the 
local wpkg.xml file to include the Revit program without running the install again.

Thanks,
Mark



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