Google Earth

For most organizations Google Earth is a regular part of their users toolbox. From an administrator’s stand point Google Earth has always been one of those challenging applications that requires previous versions to be uninstalled before installing new versions.

There are many ways to obtain installed software's GUID keys which can be used for removal. I will write something about how I obtain the GUID’s for all installed applications in another post. For now let’s focus on GE.

The simplest way to gather your currently installed Google Earth GUID is to simply go into your local machines Start > All Programs > Google Earth folder then right click on the “Uninstall Google Earth” link and go into properties.

In the target box you will find your current version’s GUID key, which can easily be copied.

After you have obtained your currently installed version’s specific GUID key. Now you can prepare a simple batch file using the msiexec command to silently uninstall the application.

Below is an example to remove Google Earth version 5.0.

msiexec /x{C2D129C0-7508-11DF-9F1B-005056806466} /quiet

Now you have a better idea of how to silently remove GE, let’s look at how to silently install GE. You will want to download and install 7-Zip, this is a freeware app that will allow you to extract the contents of the Google Earth executable. After you have extracted the contents of the “GoogleEarthSetup.exe” to a shared folder accessible by all your clients.

Below is an example to silently install GE version 6. (You can install other versions using the same method)

msiexec /i"\\servername\share\GE6\content\Google Earth.msi" /qn /qb

Here is an example of a simple batch file that will first uninstall the previous version 5.0, then install the new version 6.0 of Google Earth. It’s a great idea to use the “start /wait” to ensure that the task completes before moving onto the next line in the batch file.

@echo off

rem uninstalling GE 5.0

start /wait msiexec /x{C2D129C0-7508-11DF-9F1B-005056806466} /quiet

rem installing GE 6.0

start /wait msiexec /i"\\servername\share\GE6\content\Google Earth.msi" /qn /qb

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, and I hope this info helps others.

Regards,
Joseph La Placa Jr

.NET Framework 4.0 Silent Batch Methods

Here are simple to the point methods, that will allow you to install, repair and remove the .Net Framework 4.0. My examples are specific to the latest 4.0, but can be used for previous versions as well, with minor changes.
Below are a few of the command switches I used in my scripts.
/passive = Sets passive mode; displays the progress bar to indicate that installation is in progress, but does not display any prompts or error messages to the user.

/LCID = Installs the language pack specified by LCID and forces the displayed UI to be shown in that language.
/norestart = Prevents the Setup program from rebooting automatically.
Below are examples of how to Install, Repair & Remove .NET 4.0. These can be easily modified and incorporated into any batch file.
Silent unattended installation:It’s important to include “” if there are spaces in your file path.
It is recommended to reboot the system, but for my application the reboot is handled manually and bypassed during initial setup.

“\\server\share\dotNetFx40_Full_setup.exe" /passive /norestart /LCID 1033

Silent Repair:

"%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Extended\setup.exe" /repair /x86 /x64 /ia64 /parameterfolder Extended /passive /norestart

"%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Client\setup.exe" /repair /x86 /x64 /parameterfolder Client /passive /norestart

Silent Removal:

"%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Extended\setup.exe" /uninstall /x86 /x64 /ia64 /parameterfolder Extended /passive /norestart

"%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Client\setup.exe" /uninstall /x86 /x64 /parameterfolder Client /passive /norestart

The above code can be easily incorporated into a batch file, logon script, or gpo. I hope this helps others without the need to decipher anything. If you found this helpful, please follow me.

Regards,
Joe La Placa Jr