[RESOLVED] batch file to uninstall and install program

[steve_rm]

Hello,

I am using the following bat file to install my application on a user computer. However, the client want to be able uninstall the application if the application is installed, and then install the new version of the application.

However, I have 2 problems.

1) how can I detect if the application is installed or not?

2) If it is installed, how can I uninstall it?

The application is a C# 2005.

Many thanks for any advice,

@ECHO OFF
:: Copy the configuration file
copy config.xml "%AppData%\DataLinks.xml"

:: Search for the CONFIG file, if this doesn't exit then the user doesn't have the .Net framework 2.0
SET FileName=%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\CONFIG
IF EXIST %FileName% GOTO INSTALL_DIALER
ECHO.You currently do not have the Microsoft(c) .NET Framework 2.0 installed.
ECHO.This is required by the setup program for CAT Dialer
ECHO.
ECHO.The Microsoft(c) .NET Framework 2.0 will now be installed on you system.
ECHO.After completion setup will continue to install CAT Dialer on your system.
ECHO.
:: Install the .Net framework and then run setup to install the CAT Dialerr 
PAUSE
ECHO Installing... this could take serveral minutes...Please wait....
START /WAIT NetFx20SP2_x86.exe
:: If the user cancels the installation of the framework exit batch file
IF errorlevel 1 GOTO EOF
Start CATSoftphone.exe
ECHO ON
EXIT

:: .Net framework has been skipped contine to install the dialer.
:INSTALL_DIALER
ECHO *** Skiped Dotnet Framework 2.0.50727 ***
ECHO Installing... Please wait...
START CATSoftphone.exe
ECHO ON
EXIT

[Quiver318]

Batch files are pretty limited as installers and I would recommend using something like the Inno Setup 5 installer (which is free) or the AutoIT scripting language (which is free), but with being said; you just try to run the uninstaller which is typically found with in the installation directory or under the Window installer directory (if it is an MSI isntaller). If it runs, it is was intalled. If not, it was not. Either way, you just keep going with your script after you try running the uninstaller.

You could also use the IF EXIST command to see if any main components already exist, but this would only work if the user installed to the default directory.

Good Luck!

[Dungeon Keeper]

I'm just giving some advices, i haven't tested nothing of this

IF EXISTS filepath

This batch command can check if a file exists

You can write to some file.BAT some data that your installer is doing

If it creates a directory you write to taht file
rd directory_name

if it makes/copies a file you add a command
del file_name

etc..

When that file is called it will execute those commands and probably unistall your program

Edit:
Command
@echo del C:\test.txt >> Anotherfile.Bat
will open Anotherfile.Bat for append and add a "del C:\test.txt" to it.

[Dungeon Keeper]

You could also use the IF EXIST command to see if any main components already exist, but this would only work if the user installed to the default directory.

Application can be installed anywhere on disk, but a uninstall file can be somewhere else at a known position.

For example \uninstall\MyApp_uninstall.bat

Batch files are pretty limited as installers

[silver767]

for my bat installers, i packed install files into 7-zip(makes it alot smaller) and used a bat installer with zipp.exe, works pretty good, i will have to look closer on it for detecting and uninstalling

[steve_rm]

Hello,

I managed to solve my problem. I was very simple, I am surprised I didn't think of it before.

However, as I am using MSI I just set the 'removepreviousversion' to true and changed the product code.

This now removes the previous version so there is no need to change anything about my bat file.

Thanks for all the advice,

[steve_rm]

Hello,

I managed to solve my problem. I was very simple, I am surprised I didn't think of it before.

However, as I am using MSI I just set the 'removepreviousversion' to true and changed the product code.

This now removes the previous version so there is no need to change anything about my bat file.

Thanks for all the advice,

[krockz]

Hi !
I am trying to do something similar. Where can i look for "removepreviousversion" in the MSI file ?
I am using ORCA to edit the msi file.
Thanks in advance!