Help and quick reference option. Displays the correct usage of the setup command including a list of all switches and behavior. The description of usage can be displayed in the user interface. Incorrect use of any option invokes this help option.

Example: msiexec /help

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /?.

Quiet display option. The installer runs an installation without displaying a user interface. No prompts, messages, or dialog boxes are displayed to the user. The user cannot cancel the installation. Use the /norestart or /forcerestart standard command-line options to control reboots. If no reboot options are specified, the installer restarts the computer whenever necessary without displaying any prompt or warning to the user.

Examples:

msiexec /package Application.msi /quiet

Msiexec /uninstall Application.msi /quiet

Msiexec /update msipatch.msp /quiet

Msiexec /uninstall msipatch.msp /package Application.msi / quiet

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /qn.

Passive display option. The installer displays a progress bar to the user that indicates that an installation is in progress but no prompts or error messages are displayed to the user. The user cannot cancel the installation. Use the /norestart or /forcerestart standard command-line options to control reboots. If no reboot option is specified, the installer restarts the computer whenever necessary without displaying any prompt or warning to the user.

Example: msiexec /package Application.msi /passive

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /qb!- with REBOOTPROMPT=S set on the command line.

Never restart option. The installer never restarts the computer after the installation.

Example: msiexec /package Application.msi /norestart

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer command line has REBOOT=ReallySuppress set on the command line.

Always restart option. The installer always restarts the computer after every installation.

Example: msiexec /package Application.msi /forcerestart

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer command line has REBOOT=Force set on the command line.

Prompt before restarting option. Displays a message that a restart is required to complete the installation and asks the user whether to restart the system now. This option cannot be used together with the /quiet option.

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer command line has REBOOTPROMPT = "" set on the command line.

Uninstall product option. Uninstalls a product.

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /x.

Uninstall update option. Uninstalls an update patch.

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /I with MSIPATCHREMOVE=Update1.msp | PatchGUID1[;Update2.msp | PatchGUID2] set on the command line.

Log option. Writes logging information into a log file at the specified existing path. The path to the log file location must already exist. The installer does not create the directory structure for the logfile.

The following information is entered into the log:

• Status messages
• Nonfatal warnings
• All error messages
• Start up of actions
• Action-specific records
• User requests
• Initial UI parameters
• Out-of-memory or fatal exit information
• Out-of-disk-space messages
• Terminal properties

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /L*.

Note  For more information about all the methods that are available for setting the logging mode, see Normal Logging in the Windows Installer Logging section.

Install product option. Installs or configures a product.

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer Command-Line Option is /I.

Install patches option. Installs one or multiple patches.

Note  The equivalent Windows Installer command line has PATCH = [msipatch.msp]<;PatchGuid2> set on the command line.