---
title: "EXE Installer Guide"
id: "kb-installers-exe"
psadt_target: "4.1.7"
last_updated: "2025-12-07"
verified_by: "maintainer"
source_ref: "ReferenceKnowledge/V4Assets/PSAppDeployToolkit"
tags: ["exe", "installers", "guide", "inno-setup", "nsis", "installshield", "v4.1.7"]
---
# EXE Installer Guide
EXE installers are the most common format for Windows application installation. Unlike MSI, there's no standard format - each EXE may use different technologies with different silent arguments.
## Common Installer Types
### Inno Setup
**Identification**:
- File description contains "Inno Setup"
- Temp folder created: `%TEMP%\is-*`
- Registry: Check for Inno Setup entries
**Silent Arguments**:
```powershell
# Very silent (no UI at all)
/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART
# Silent with progress bar
/SILENT /NORESTART
# With logging
/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /LOG="C:\Logs\install.log"
# Custom install directory
/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /DIR="C:\MyApp"
# No icons
/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NOICONS
# Specific tasks
/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /TASKS="desktopicon,quicklaunchicon"
```
**PSADT Example**:
```powershell
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /CLOSEAPPLICATIONS /RESTARTAPPLICATIONS'
```
### NSIS (Nullsoft)
**Identification**:
- File description contains "Nullsoft" or "NSIS"
- Resources contain "NSIS" strings
- Temp folder: `%TEMP%\nst*` or `%TEMP%\nsb*`
**Silent Arguments**:
```powershell
# Silent
/S
# With install directory
/S /D=C:\MyApp
# Note: /D must be last parameter and without quotes even if path has spaces
```
**PSADT Example**:
```powershell
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/S'
```
### InstallShield
**Identification**:
- File description mentions "InstallShield"
- Setup.exe with setup.iss or setup.ini
- May extract to temp folder with InstallShield files
**Silent Arguments**:
```powershell
# Basic silent (InstallShield 2015+)
/s /v"/qn"
# With logging
/s /v"/qn /l*v C:\Logs\install.log"
# Response file
/s /f1"setup.iss"
# With MSI properties
/s /v"/qn INSTALLDIR=\"C:\MyApp\" REBOOT=ReallySuppress"
```
**PSADT Example**:
```powershell
# Modern InstallShield
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/s /v"/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"'
# With response file
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList "/s /f1`"$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.iss`""
```
### WiX Burn
**Identification**:
- Bootstrapper that installs multiple MSIs
- Often shows chained installations
**Silent Arguments**:
```powershell
# Silent
/quiet /norestart
# With logging
/quiet /norestart /log "C:\Logs\install.log"
# Passive (progress UI only)
/passive /norestart
```
**PSADT Example**:
```powershell
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/quiet /norestart'
```
### Advanced Installer
**Silent Arguments**:
```powershell
# Silent
/exenoui /qn
# With logging
/exenoui /qn /l*v "C:\Logs\install.log"
```
### ClickOnce
Not recommended for enterprise deployment. If required:
- Extract with `/layout` parameter
- Deploy extracted files
- Consider repackaging as MSI
### Squirrel
Used by Electron apps (e.g., Slack, Discord):
```powershell
# Silent install (usually auto-updates)
--silent
# Specific version
-s
```
### Actual Installer
```powershell
# Silent
/S
# Uninstall
/U /S
```
## Detection Methods
### Identifying Unknown Installers
1. **Check file properties**:
```powershell
$file = Get-Item "setup.exe"
$versionInfo = $file.VersionInfo
$versionInfo.FileDescription
$versionInfo.ProductName
$versionInfo.CompanyName
```
2. **Extract and inspect**:
```powershell
# Many EXEs are self-extracting archives
# Try 7-Zip to extract and inspect
& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" x setup.exe -oextracted
```
3. **Run with /? or --help**:
```cmd
setup.exe /?
setup.exe /help
setup.exe --help
setup.exe -h
```
4. **Check online resources**:
- Silent Install HQ (silentinstallhq.com)
- Winget manifests (github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs)
- Vendor documentation
## Universal Arguments to Try
When installer type is unknown, try these in order:
```powershell
# Try these arguments (most common silent flags)
$silentArgs = @(
'/S', # NSIS
'/s', # Various
'/silent', # Various
'/quiet', # WiX, various
'-s', # Various
'-silent', # Various
'/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES', # Inno Setup
'/qn', # MSI wrapper
'--silent', # Electron/Squirrel
'-q' # Various
)
```
## PSADT Best Practices for EXE
### Handle Unknown Exit Codes
```powershell
$result = Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/S' `
-PassThru
switch ($result.ExitCode) {
0 { Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Installation successful" }
1 { Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Installation completed with warnings" -Severity 2 }
3010 { Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Restart required" -Severity 2 }
default {
throw "Installation failed with exit code: $($result.ExitCode)"
}
}
```
### Wait for Child Processes
Some installers spawn child processes:
```powershell
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/S' `
-WaitForMsiExec # Wait if MSI operations are triggered
# Or manually wait for a specific process
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" -ArgumentList '/S'
do {
Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
$installer = Get-Process -Name 'installer_child' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
} while ($installer)
```
### Handle Wrapped MSI
Many EXE installers are MSI wrappers:
```powershell
# Check if it's extracting to temp
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/s /v"/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"'
# Or extract first
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" `
-ArgumentList '/extract /a'
# Then find and install the MSI
$msi = Get-ChildItem -Path "$env:TEMP" -Filter "*.msi" -Recurse | Select-Object -First 1
Start-ADTMsiProcess -Action Install -Path $msi.FullName
```
## Uninstall Methods
### Registry-Based Uninstall
```powershell
# Find uninstall command
$app = Get-ADTApplication -Name 'Application Name'
$uninstallString = $app.UninstallString
# Parse and execute
if ($uninstallString -match 'msiexec') {
# MSI uninstall
$productCode = [regex]::Match($uninstallString, '\{[A-F0-9-]+\}').Value
Start-ADTMsiProcess -Action Uninstall -Path $productCode
} else {
# EXE uninstall
$uninstallPath = $uninstallString -replace '"', ''
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath $uninstallPath -ArgumentList '/S'
}
```
### Common Uninstall Arguments
| Installer Type | Uninstall Arguments |
|----------------|---------------------|
| Inno Setup | `/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART` |
| NSIS | `/S` |
| InstallShield | `/s /v"/qn"` or response file |
| WiX Burn | `/uninstall /quiet /norestart` |
### Uninstall with Cleanup
```powershell
# Uninstall application
$app = Get-ADTApplication -Name 'Application Name'
if ($app.UninstallString) {
# Execute uninstall
$uninstallPath = ($app.UninstallString -split ' ')[0] -replace '"', ''
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath $uninstallPath -ArgumentList '/S'
}
# Clean up remaining files
Remove-ADTFolder -Path "$env:ProgramFiles\Application" -ContinueOnError
Remove-ADTFolder -Path "$env:ProgramData\Application" -ContinueOnError
Remove-ADTRegistryKey -Key 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Application' -Recurse -ContinueOnError
```
## Complete PSADT v4.1.7 Example
```powershell
#Requires -Version 5.1
[CmdletBinding()]
param (
[ValidateSet('Install', 'Uninstall', 'Repair')]
[string]$DeploymentType = 'Install',
[ValidateSet('Interactive', 'Silent', 'NonInteractive')]
[string]$DeployMode = 'Interactive',
[switch]$AllowRebootPassThru,
[switch]$TerminalServerMode,
[switch]$DisableLogging
)
# Session configuration
$adtSession = @{
AppVendor = 'Publisher'
AppName = 'Application Name'
AppVersion = '1.0.0'
AppArch = 'x64'
AppLang = 'EN'
AppRevision = '01'
AppSuccessExitCodes = @(0)
AppRebootExitCodes = @(1641, 3010)
AppProcessesToClose = @(@{ Name = 'appname'; Description = 'Application Name' })
AppScriptVersion = '1.0.0'
AppScriptDate = (Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd')
AppScriptAuthor = 'IT Admin'
RequireAdmin = $true
}
# Initialize
$ErrorActionPreference = [System.Management.Automation.ActionPreference]::Stop
try {
Import-Module -FullyQualifiedName @{ ModuleName = "$PSScriptRoot\PSAppDeployToolkit\PSAppDeployToolkit.psd1"; Guid = '8c3c366b-8606-4576-9f2d-4051144f7ca2'; ModuleVersion = '4.1.7' } -Force
$iadtParams = Get-ADTBoundParametersAndDefaultValues -Invocation $MyInvocation
$adtSession = Open-ADTSession @adtSession @iadtParams -PassThru
}
catch {
$Host.UI.WriteErrorLine((Out-String -InputObject $_ -Width ([System.Int32]::MaxValue)))
exit 60008
}
# Deployment functions
function Install-ADTDeployment {
[CmdletBinding()]
param()
$adtSession.InstallPhase = "Pre-$($adtSession.DeploymentType)"
Show-ADTInstallationWelcome -CloseProcesses $adtSession.AppProcessesToClose -CloseProcessesCountdown 300
Show-ADTInstallationProgress
# Check for existing installation
$existing = Get-ADTApplication -Name 'Application Name'
if ($existing) {
Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Removing existing version: $($existing.DisplayVersion)"
$uninstallPath = ($existing.UninstallString -split ' ')[0] -replace '"', ''
if (Test-Path $uninstallPath) {
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath $uninstallPath -ArgumentList '/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART'
}
}
$adtSession.InstallPhase = $adtSession.DeploymentType
# Inno Setup installer
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\setup.exe" -ArgumentList '/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /CLOSEAPPLICATIONS'
$adtSession.InstallPhase = "Post-$($adtSession.DeploymentType)"
# Verify installation
$installed = Get-ADTApplication -Name 'Application Name'
if (-not $installed) {
throw "Installation verification failed"
}
Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Successfully installed version: $($installed.DisplayVersion)"
# Post-installation configuration
Copy-ADTFile -Path "$($adtSession.DirFiles)\config.xml" -Destination "$env:ProgramFiles\Application\config.xml"
}
function Uninstall-ADTDeployment {
[CmdletBinding()]
param()
$adtSession.InstallPhase = "Pre-$($adtSession.DeploymentType)"
Show-ADTInstallationWelcome -CloseProcesses $adtSession.AppProcessesToClose
Show-ADTInstallationProgress
$adtSession.InstallPhase = $adtSession.DeploymentType
$app = Get-ADTApplication -Name 'Application Name'
if ($app) {
$uninstallPath = ($app.UninstallString -split ' ')[0] -replace '"', ''
Start-ADTProcess -FilePath $uninstallPath -ArgumentList '/VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART'
}
$adtSession.InstallPhase = "Post-$($adtSession.DeploymentType)"
Remove-ADTFolder -Path "$env:ProgramFiles\Application" -ContinueOnError
Remove-ADTFolder -Path "$env:LocalAppData\Application" -ContinueOnError
}
function Repair-ADTDeployment {
[CmdletBinding()]
param()
Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Repair requested - performing reinstall"
Uninstall-ADTDeployment
Install-ADTDeployment
}
# Invoke deployment
try {
& "$($adtSession.DeploymentType)-ADTDeployment"
Close-ADTSession
}
catch {
Write-ADTLogEntry -Message "Unhandled error: $(Resolve-ADTErrorRecord -ErrorRecord $_)" -Severity 3
Close-ADTSession -ExitCode 60001
}
```
## Troubleshooting
### Silent Install Not Working
1. **Verify installer type** - Wrong arguments for installer type
2. **Check for UAC prompts** - May need to run elevated
3. **Look for pop-ups** - Some installers have uncloseable dialogs
4. **Check prerequisites** - Missing runtime dependencies
5. **Try response file** - Create via recorded installation
### Creating Response Files
For InstallShield:
```cmd
setup.exe /r /f1"C:\setup.iss"
```
This records your choices to setup.iss, then use:
```cmd
setup.exe /s /f1"C:\setup.iss"
```
For Inno Setup - use INF file:
```ini
[Setup]
Lang=en
Dir=C:\Program Files\MyApp
Group=MyApp
NoIcons=0
Tasks=desktopicon
```
### Finding Exit Codes
Check vendor documentation or test installation:
```powershell
$process = Start-Process -FilePath "setup.exe" -ArgumentList "/S" -Wait -PassThru
$process.ExitCode
```
