How to install multiple setup.exe with vbscript

[Edfirst]

I have been tasked with creating a script to install a set of software applications to various pc's, these are legacy apps and will not package to allow msi deployment with GP, so this has to be done the hard way.
What i need is some guidance on the objShell or some help cobling together some code that will allow each of these apps to be installed without the exit codes messing up the next install, as some have weird processes that start during their install which ignores the exits and this then starts the next which messes everything up.

here is what i have so far;

Dim objShell, objApp, i

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

objApp = " ""C:\To-Install\LegacyApp\Setup.exe"" "
exCode = 0
exCode = objShell.Run(objApp, 1 ,True)
Set oShell = Nothing

this is the code to actually start the install, there are a few other things that each app needs but the problem lies in the installations, hope someone can help an average scripting guy who's pulled all his hair out.....cheers....Ed

 

[mrmovie]

the 'hardway'? creating an msi just so you can deloy using GPO, then actually using GPO to install packages in humble opinion is for crazy people.

i would advise creating a custom script (if you have no other packaging methods) for each 'application' that you want to install. have the custom script live in a folder such as:

\\server\share\packages\Adobe_Acrobat_Reader_V10.0_EN\install.vbs

the install.vbs for each package can then do all the specific tasks for that specific application installation.

On top of that you will need a controlling process which decides which packages to run on which machines

I Hear, I Forget
I See, I Remember
I Do, I Understand

Ronald McDonald

 

[Edfirst]

Thanks mrmovie for your comments, i agree i am not a fan of GP deployments either, but it does have some equal benefits when you have a lot of pc's to maintain eh....?

Well back on topic, i currently have each app in a shared location on the server, and each folder has a script in it that either kicks of the install instance, or if not scriptable opens up the location of the install folder and an instruction file that the tech needs to follow, kind of a manual answer file....lol....

The problem is that some times some pieces of software get missed but the shortcuts are deployed by GP and this looks bad as the software does not work, therefore the logon script i want needs to kick each script in turn so that nothing is missed so to speak depending on the licence and the location of the pc, that i am designing too.

I am going to have a tinker this weekend as i found a good post on here on how to check if a process is still running and if i can do that then that may go a long way to help me and others who seam to ask the same as me all over the net but no disclosure to the answer, which i will remedy if i get this sussed....

any further input or direction would be a big help too..

cheers.....Ed