How to run msi installer in cmd as admin using C#

Question

I have an msi installer that I need to install it silently from the C#

Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo.FileName = "cmd.exe";
process.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = @"C:\temp\";
process.StartInfo.Arguments = "msiexec /quiet /i Setup.msi ADDLOCAL=test";
process.StartInfo.Verb = "runas";
process.Start();
process.WaitForExit(60000);

noting that the cmd command is working fine if I manually run it from the cmd as admin

when I run it I just get the cmd screen in admin mode but the command does not executing

Please check this Link http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16926232/run-process-as-administrator-from-a-non-admin-application — kishore V M, Sep 09 '14 at 06:40
when I run it I just get the cmd screen in admin mode but the command does not executing — Ateeq, Sep 09 '14 at 06:41
Why won't you just run msiexec instead of cmd? And just in case you can set WindowStyle to Hidden. — PTwr, Sep 09 '14 at 06:54
yeah but I get en exception : The system cannot find the file specified — Ateeq, Sep 09 '14 at 07:00
you need to mention full path of msi process.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Format(" /qb /i \"{0}\" ALLUSERS=1", sMSIPath); — V2Solutions - MS Team, Sep 09 '14 at 07:03
@V2Solutions-MSTeam , I did that but it's still the same I just get the cmd runs as admin nothing else , could you please check the example above and edit it ? — Ateeq, Sep 09 '14 at 07:12
I guess you need to quote the parameter string in `Arguments`. Otherwise the parameters are interpreted as parameters to `cmd.exe`, not to `msiexec`. — Thorsten Dittmar, Sep 09 '14 at 07:15
I have checked your code but I got error cannot find file specified. Process process = new Process(); process.StartInfo.FileName = "msiexe.exe"; // process.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = @"C:\temp\"; string path = System.IO.Directory.GetCurrentDirectory() + "\\Setup1.msi"; process.StartInfo.Arguments = "msiexec /quiet /i " + path; process.StartInfo.Verb = "runas"; process.Start(); process.WaitForExit(60000); — V2Solutions - MS Team, Sep 09 '14 at 07:33
Oh, as discussed here multiple times, `GetCurrentDirectory` does not necessarily return the directory you think! Depending on how and from where you start you application, this may differ from the directory the `exe` resides in! — Thorsten Dittmar, Sep 09 '14 at 07:53

score 14 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 09 '14 at 18:57

as V2Solutions - MS Team mentioned , the solution is to change the following

process.StartInfo.FileName = "msiexe.exe"

and the code will be

Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo.FileName = "msiexec";
process.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = @"C:\temp\";
process.StartInfo.Arguments = " /quiet /i Setup.msi ADDLOCAL=test";
process.StartInfo.Verb = "runas";
process.Start();
process.WaitForExit(60000);

this works for me :)

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 12 '16 at 07:24

5

This is also going to help you:

Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo.FileName = "msiexec.exe";
process.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Format("/qn /i \"{0}\" ALLUSERS=1", @"somepath\msiname.msi");
process.Start();
process.WaitForExit();

answered Dec 12 '16 at 07:24

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The string.Format was the missing piece for me – Gregg L May 11 '18 at 17:19

How to run msi installer in cmd as admin using C#

2 Answers2