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First: I know there are other questions that ask similar/the same thing, I have looked at them tried all of them but no solution has helped.

The problem: We use Epson Iprojection (downloaded from here: https://www.epson.co.nz/products/projectors/software/) However I can not find a way to get an MSI out of it (I am starting to think there is no MSI bundled in the .exe), and I can not seem to install it through CMD on computer start using AD. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Timothy
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  • [Sending you a link](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1547809/extract-msi-from-exe/24987512#24987512) as a start. Can't look at this right now. – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 00:28
  • I have looked into that and doing further research I have found there is no MSI bundled in the .exe, So now I need to find out how to install it through cmd as /s does not work – Timothy Apr 17 '19 at 00:46
  • On first glance I couldn't see it in the [itninja.com package database](https://www.itninja.com/software/epson/browse/all/1/100) either. – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 00:50
  • Do you have the option to capture the setup? [Using a repackaging tool](https://stackoverflow.com/a/52451546/129130)? – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 12:10
  • As far as I can see it's a wrapped native InstallShield installer. Run `setup.exe` and then look in `%temp%` folder for a sub-folder with GUID name (like `{27CDEEE8-B6F2-45a7-A48E-696862573D9B}`). Inside you'll find an `InstData` subfolder with another `setup.exe`. – montonero Apr 17 '19 at 12:36
  • For the record: when you have Installshield installed there is a tool called `IsCabViewer.exe` which allows you to view non-Microsoft CAB files. It is an odd tool designed for inspection of cabs, and there is no extract feature for all files that I know about. Gives you an idea of what the package does though - if it is resisting all efforts to work via AD. My advise: get on the phone with the vendor if you have a large distribution you need to REALLY work. Try to capture the setup first though so you have something to discuss. Explain benefits of MSI format for AD use too? – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 13:54
  • @SteinÅsmul Just looking inside of .cab will give almost nothing. To understand the logic, OP should decompile an installation script. And this task is not for the faint of heart. – montonero Apr 17 '19 at 14:59
  • There is some value looking inside the CAB file to determine what technology you are dealing with: Win32, Drivers, DCOM, COM, .NET, GAC, etc... But nothing revolutionary, no. I dislike silent response files a lot, I go for repackaging quickly and check if that works (no guarantee), and then I try calling the vendor to check for clues or better options or a very real option that one should not forget: ditch the whole software and choose an alternative one with a better deployment solution. Not always possible, but an alternative that should be used more. Bad deployment can kill a good product. – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 17:06
  • This really is a weird setup. I found another download here: https://ftp.epson.com/drivers/iProj_2.22.exe. It seems to be an Inno setup wrapper EXE containing the Installshield Installscript setup you refer to. They should really clean this up. Not sure why they would be doing that. All of us who have had to deal with 10000 PCs know how important it is to **NOT** get creative when doing deployment and setup design. Standards! End of rant :-). – Stein Åsmul Apr 17 '19 at 21:56
  • @SteinÅsmul tell about standards to IBM or Oracle... – montonero Apr 19 '19 at 07:52
  • @montonero Maybe you have encountered the [Oracle Universal Installer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/51624645/129130) since you say that? Or some other tech? Not to get into too much detail, but we all really struggle with all these solutions that can't be tamed for large scale deployment. Great tools they may be - despite flaws - but large scale deployment requires standards above all. Don't get creative vendors. [Core MSI benefits](https://stackoverflow.com/a/49632260/129130)? – Stein Åsmul Apr 19 '19 at 11:00
  • @SteinÅsmul for the last 7 years I've seen a tons of weird installers. Oracle and IBM are number one about weirdness. Numerous drivers from almost every vendor are number two. – montonero Apr 19 '19 at 13:36
  • Yes, I have seen a lot too. I haven't seen a single, large package without some sort of problem. Btw, [driver installation is changing](https://stackoverflow.com/a/51845307/129130). So they tell me :-). It is quite unclear, but it seems Microsoft wants to distribute drivers primarily via Windows Update in the future? [Roadmap for Device and Driver Installation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/roadmap-for-device-and-driver-installation--windows-vista-and-later-). – Stein Åsmul Apr 19 '19 at 14:22

3 Answers3

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Vague Answer: Let me try to formulate an answer out of those messy comments above. I only briefly tested this software, it might not deploy as badly as expressed. Remember that this is a generic answer for whoever would find this in the future, and not for OP per-se (there is no real answer in here).

Due Diligence: I always try to consult package tip databases if I have problems with a package. Somebody, somewhere will have seen the same problem (eventually).

Silent Installation: Silent installation of legacy setups is usually possible (not always), but never really reliable. For Installshield it involves recording answer files (setup.iss) that record dialog answers. However, unknown dialogs can show up suddenly on some systems (low disk space, reboot prompts, unexpected lock or application in-use warnings, unexpected service running warnings,etc...) and hence halt the install unexpectedly as the response file has no recorded value for the dialog in question. This particular Epson setup also has an unfortunate reboot requirement on uninstall that is hard to deal with for large scale deployment (spontaneous reboot likely - without warning).

Repackaging: Personally I would try to capture the install using a repackaging tool. Most of these are expensive, but can output MSI, MSIX or other deployment package types. Repackaging fails when the package contains complex, custom logic that - for example - create dynamic content (ciphers, unique GUIDs, etc...) and in a number of very specific technical cases.

Contact Vendor: If you capture an MSI that doesn't work, why not try to send it back to the vendor with some comments on how hard this software is to deploy and maybe mention the major benefits of MSI? I would tell them you have to ditch the whole software from your network if they can't deliver a deployment solution that works. Time is of the essence. "Some solutions are only free if your time is worthless" (quote from Joel Spolsky himself - slightly out of context, but the same issue: we need solutions that work in a timely fashion).

Note: I once had to compile a special setup to deal with a client's deployment problem that was our fault. Deployment problems need fixing at a standardization level. Standards!

Stein Åsmul
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  • So I have done the "due diligence" (or at least I think I have) part, I have also worked with someone else to find a solution and ITNinja does not have the program I am using (altho from what I can tell they have the old version before it was rebranded, at least that is what I think). Silent Install is as far as I know not an option (used -s in CMD). and I have contacted the Vendor, however, I have not gotten a response. – Timothy Apr 20 '19 at 08:55
  • What happens when you install the capture? I assume you have done a capture? – Stein Åsmul Apr 20 '19 at 16:06
  • Either I did it wrong, or it does not work (I think it is because it installs drivers) – Timothy Apr 22 '19 at 02:45
  • Maybe look for [**the driver files**](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/components-of-a-driver-package) and try to install them manually after you have installed the package that doesn't work? Try to do so using [**`dpinst.exe`**](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ff544842(v=vs.96)) (found this [**quick sample**](https://www.itninja.com/blog/view/dpinst-exe-silent-install-drivers)). Driver files are the **`*.cat`**, **`*.inf`**, **`*.dll`** and similar files. – Stein Åsmul Apr 22 '19 at 02:54
  • I think the drivers would need to install before the package, as the package will not install without them But I cannot get it to install, I am going to contact Epson and see what they say, (I have done this and they have not responded, so I am going to try another way of contacting them) – Timothy Apr 30 '19 at 05:42
  • Try calling them. And ask for "*the guy who actually made the setup*". Get to the right people and anything is fixable. I bet you will not reach them though. Can you install manually on a terminal server and let people use the thing from there? Probably not for this kind of tool. What about a virtual where people can install themselves manually? Just thinking alternatives... Given that you have this hardware it is hard to throw out the software and find alternatives I would guess? You could install it on the staging OS image for the SOE - as a last resort? (I wouldn't recommend it). – Stein Åsmul Apr 30 '19 at 11:05
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Buried within the single-exe download is iProjection_inst.exe, some sort of wrapper that prompts for language selection, and doesn't seem to have a standard "non-interactive" mode.

Inside this is instData\Setup.exe, a vintage "full screen" InstallShield installer with external ini / cab files.

Running this with Setup.exe /? doesn't give any command line arguments, as it would for a modern InstallShield setup.exe.

Although it supports recording an answer file via Setup.exe /r, when I try to replay the answer file with Setup.exe /s it seems to still prompt for EULA, and then fails to install.

So this is really a design flaw in the innermost installer to do with the dialog sequence.

Assuming Epson won't fix it and repackaging is too hard, a hacky alternative is to use Powershell to automate the UI of instData\Setup.exe once the "Welcome" screen is showing, but I don't think this will work running as an AD script.

$wshell = New-Object -ComObject wscript.shell
$aName = "Epson iProjection Setup"
function Next() { 
  if ($wshell.AppActivate($aName)) { 
    $wshell.SendKeys(' '); 
    start-sleep 1;
  } 
}
function AcceptEula() {
  if ($wshell.AppActivate($aName)) {
   $wshell.SendKeys("{TAB}"); 
   $wshell.SendKeys("{TAB}"); 
   $wshell.SendKeys(' '); 
   start-sleep 1;
  } 
}
Next; AcceptEula; AcceptEula; start-sleep 20; Next;
Peter Wishart
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I know this is an old thread but it looks like it may be easy now. The latest 2.41 from here

http://www.downloads.epson.com.au/DownloadFile.asp?filename=iProV2411Win%5FWEB%2Eexe&path=Drivers

seems to have an MSI in it. Just jump into the %temp% folder and organize by date so you can see the latest files. Run the installer and a new folder named with a GUID should show up, in my case {27CDEEE8-B6F2-45a7-A48E-696862573D9B}.

Under this folder there is a series of InstData folders like InstDataX64 where you can find an MSI.

SYNACKNZ
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