Recently I need to reorder the pre-req installation for a InstallShield installer package that has pre-reqs and MSI inside it. That means I’ll have to extract all the pre-req EXE and MSI files and write batch files to call them, then the installer again for the core software, all done silently.

I learned:

• Administrative install (/a switch) only extracts the core firmware, not the pre-req files
• /b”<target-folder>” extracts the pre-reqs as .prq files
• Need to steal the extracted .exe files by monitoring temporary folder as they go
• /s doesn’t always silent installs. Some with MSI packed inside the .exe files requires the ‘silent’ request passed to the MSI by adding /v/qn (/v passes the switch to the MSI, which is /qn, which means silent in this case)
• .NET before v2.0 requires different switches to install without prompting for license agreement, namely

  /q:a /c:"install /q"

   

I was asked to install McAfee Enterprise Antivirus v8.8 as a favor to somebody else’s client, turns out this piece of 5h1t is a nightmare.

After I installed the agent, the main software won’t proceed to install. I looked up error code 1603 in the MSI log and upgraded a fresh Windows XP to SP3 and updated Windows Installer to 4.5, set the time back (somebody suggested potential certificate problem) and it still fails.

Without being compensated for my time, I gave up and tried to uninstall it through Add/Remove programs. Now the uninstaller complained that the program cannot be uninstalled in managed mode. Normally, I’m quite understanding towards programmers since their job is wrestling complexities, but this time there is no excuse: if you add an item in Add/Remove programs, people are expected to be able to uninstall it directly from there by definition!

After some digging, being unable to uninstall McAfee is a known common problem. The IT-crowd at University of Oregon has written an article with the solution. It boils down to running:

C:\Program Files (x86)\McAfee\Common Framework\frminst.exe /remove=agent

I bet even stoners are more competent packaging the software for release! How much productivity across the world they have drained by shipping out an incompetent software bad as malware!

Stay away from McAfee. Won’t install it even if they pay me $8k. Refuse to service anything McAfee without charging an exorbitant sum, or you won’t make your lost time back.