AutoPatcher Forum

Hello

My goal is to use AP to automatically update a machine in one click of a button, including automatically installing remaining updates after every reboot.

I tried creating a basic startup script that simply says:

autopatcher.exe /answerfile:answer.aaf /unattend /minimal /log

But after the first reboot the same script runs meaning the same answer file will be processed.

Is there a way to tell AP to run a script before reboot every time the update process is completed?
This will allow me to set up a different answer file for every reboot stage so that the correct settings are processed at every specific stage.

This example gives a scenario where a different answer file is processed after each reboot:
Stage 1 (answer file 1) =
-Select Security Updates parent checkbox
-Select Adobe Reader checkbox
(AP will install the selected components, run a script to replace answerfile1 with answerfile2 in the startup folder and then reboot)

Stage 2 (answer file 2) =
-Select Security Updates parent checkbox

If I run answer file 1 at stage 2, the Adobe Reader installer will ask if I want to uninstall Adobe Reader, and that is not desirable...

Thanks for this amazing project!
Edited by Gantlett, 17 November 2009 - 03:49 AM.

> the same answer file will be processed
just add into your script the option /neverselectinstalled, that will bypass the already installed updates

[]s

Thank you!
Will give it a shot!

BTW, ran autopatcher /? and saw all the available switches. I'm intrigued by Slipstream. Will AP actually slipstream all the updates to an i386 folder? Will it know to slipstream the updates in the correct order? That is exciting!

Thanks again.

EDIT: Just tried neverselectinstalled and the Adobe Reader installer was launched again asking to repair or remove. This is the command I use:

autopatcher.exe /answerfile:answer.aaf /unattend /neverselectinstalled /minimal /log

Edited by Gantlett, 17 November 2009 - 10:58 AM.

> Will AP actually slipstream all the updates to an i386 folder?
yes, but i don't advise you to try that. the updates will be uncompressed and, at the end, you will have an i386 folder that doesn't fit in an 700MB cd anymore. to that, nlite works better. also, you need point the i386 folder. i know that i've found the right command-line to that once, but i don't remember where it is anymore

about the other issue, i must do certain tests and i can't do it from here. just one question: are you avoiding certain updates? if the idea is fully match WU, you can run autopatcher with an /recommended /neverselectinstalled , without an answers file, that will do the trick too. the option /recommended will select by default the updates that are required to match wu, also IE8 and wmp11. sadly, search 4 is at wu too...

by the way, an idea: what about do 2 answers files and 2 .cmd or .bat to run? with one .cmd file, you could do an script that could rename certain files to match an 1st or 2nd wave. of course, you may require the usage of IF EXIST and THEN to do the trick

[]s

Thank you for your help,
I will look into your suggestions tomorrow and get back to you with some answers!

Regards,
Gant.

Gant: no further word, what were your discoveries?

Wow, I totally forgot I promised an answer!

Anyway, I found that using /neverselectinstalled still causes the Acrobat installer to be launched every time, so I just removed Acrobat from the script.

I can't remember now what the script is exactly, but I followed your suggestions to create it and it works beautifully. As I said, the only problem I found was with Acrobat that would keep re-launching at every wave.
Edited by Gantlett, 06 January 2010 - 07:03 AM.