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Silent Install for TOP Server V5.x/V6.x

[PDF version here]

Table of Contents

Overview

This document intends to discuss the switches that are available for the server installation, and how they are used to create and execute a silent installation.

Server Install Switches

Switches are case sensitive, and must be in lowercase characters. Descriptions of the switches are as
follows:

/? – Help

This switch displays all available switches.

/q[x] – Installation Mode

This switch manages the user interface.

  • /qn – Silent Installation Mode
    This switch performs a silent installation. This method requires the install INI file (including all user-specified installation settings). To obtain an INI template, use the "/w" switch.

  • /qf - Full Installation Mode
    This switch is the default setting for a full installation interface.

  • /qb – Silent Installation Mode with Progress Bar
    This switch performs a silent installation, but also displays a progress bar.

/p – Hard Drive Check Override

This switch allows the server installation to override or bypass the hard drive check (which verifies that the server is not being installed to removable media). This switch is helpful because some permanent drivers may be incorrectly reported as removable media.

/lv – Verbose Logging

This switch increases the level of messages that will be logged to the install log. An install log is kept of the installation’s progress by default, and will be placed in a temporary folder. The default location is usually Documents and Settings\<User>\Local Settings\Temp, and can be verified through the System Environment Variables.

As of version 5.5, the default behavior is verbose logging.

/w – Write Installation INI

This switch records the installation, and writes the install INI file to the folder in which the installation executable is running. To perform a silent install, users must run the install with a "/qn" or "/qb" switch. The INI file must reside in that folder.

/x – Uninstall


This switch uninstalls the server.

Creating the Silent Install INI File

The silent install INI file directs the installation process. For more information, refer to the instructions below.

  1. To start, you need to create the install INI file. Run a Windows Command Prompt with Admin permissions (perform a Windows search for “CMD”, right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator”.
  2. Next, run the server install using the "/w" switch. For example, enter "C:\topserver.exe /w". (if the installer is located in the C: drive – include the path according to the location of the installer.)
  3. This launches the installer, allowing you to step through the installation, specifying the options you want to include during a silent installation later.
    1. Note 1: Users can modify the installation at any time by manually editing the INI file.
    2. Note 2: Comments in file (which are the lines that start with a semicolon) explain the meaning of all keys (which are the lines that contain an equal sign).
  4. The resulting INI file is created in the same directory as the EXE installer with the name TOPServerV6.ini (or TOPServerV5.ini, if you’re still using a legacy version)

Running the Silent Install

For more information, refer to the instructions below.

  1. To start, open the Command Prompt.
  2. Next, run the server install using the "/qf" switch to display the user interface.
    1. Note: The INI file must reside in the same folder as the installation executable.
  3. Verify that the settings specified in the INI file are reflected in the user interface. Then, modify the INI file as necessary.
  4. Repeat the validation process until the installation runs as expected.
  5. Next, use the "/qn" switch to run the installation without the user interface. For example, enter "C:\topserver.exe /qn".
    1. Note: The user interface and installation options may change if more features and drivers are added to the server. As such, it is recommended that a new INI file be created with each new server release. This will ensure its interoperability with the server installation executable.