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This tip explains how to bypass the installation wizard and perform a silent installation on the command line for VanDyke Software Windows applications, including SecureCRT®, SecureFX®, the VanDyke ClientPack utilities, and the VShell® server.

Silent Installation of VanDyke Software Applications

If you are installing VanDyke applications on a number of Microsoft Windows machines, it can be time-consuming to run the installation wizard on each machine. Or, if you are upgrading your software, you may want a quick way to install the software and keep all your current settings.

A silent installation allows you to bypass the wizard panels and run the installer non-interactively from the command line. When run silently, the installer accepts all default settings, or keeps all of your existing settings if you are upgrading.

These instructions apply to SecureCRT, SecureFX, and VanDyke ClientPack for Windows versions 6.0.x and later, and VShell server for Windows version 3.5.x.

Silent Installation of Client Applications

Here's how to silently install SecureCRT 6.0.x, SecureFX 6.0.x, or VanDyke ClientPack for Windows 6.0.x or later client applications. This example assumes you have a copy of the installer already downloaded to a local c:\Installers directory. In the command, substitute the correct name of the .exe you are installing.

1. Log in to the machine where you want to install the software.
   
   
2. For SecureCRT 6.0.x and later, open a command prompt, change directory (cd) to the location of the installer, and then type:

   scrt60.exe /s /v"/qn"

Silent Installation of VShell Server 3.5.x for Windows

This example of how to silently install VShell 3.5.x assumes you have a copy of the installer already downloaded to a local c:\Installers directory. In the command, substitute the correct name of the .exe you are installing.

1. Log in to the machine where you want to install the software.

2. For VShell 3.5 and later, open a command prompt, cd to the location of the installer, and then type:

          VShell35-x86.exe /s /v"/qn"

Installing VShell 3.5.x silently may require a reboot of your server. You can control the reboot behavior through the use of an answer file, which also allows you to override the installer's default settings. Here is an example of an answer file.

Here are the steps for using an answer file with VShell 3.5 or later.

1. Create an answer file.

2. If you do not want the installer to reboot your machine at the end of the installation, add the following line to your answer file:

           AUTO_REBOOT=NO

   To allow the installer to reboot your machine, add the following line:

           AUTO_REBOOT=YES
   
   Note: Since Microsoft Windows only loads authentication modules during startup, the machine must be rebooted in order for the public-key authentication module (vdspka10.dll) to be loaded and used by the Windows operating system, allowing public-key only authentication with VShell. Before reboot, you can still use a combination of password and public-key authentication.
   
   If you are upgrading, and the vdspka10.dll file has not been changed by VanDyke since your last installation or upgrade, a reboot is not required. The vdspka10.dll file does not change very often. If vdspka10.dll has changed, and you do not reboot, public-key authentication may fail. Rebooting may solve this problem.

3. Save the answer file and copy it to each machine where you want to install VShell 3.5.x (or store the file on a network file server that is accessible to each target machine).
   
   
4. At a command prompt, type the following command (in place of path_to_answer_file, specify the full path to your answer file):

   VShell35-x86.exe /s /v"/qn ANSWERFILE=\"path_to_answer_file\""

Note: Answer file installations are possible with current VanDyke Software client and server installations. An answer file is a configuration file that can be used by the installer to modify default parameters. This is a more complex choice than the command-line method outlined above, but provides more control over the installation process and can be used to tailor larger deployments to your specific environment. If you have questions about how to use answer files with VanDyke software installations, please contact VanDyke Software Support.