Link 4 Silent Install

[dagathon]

http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=160298

 

I didn't want to resurrect such an old thread, so I created a new one.

 

I've found that if I run the current version of the Corsair Link installer, I'm able to get very close to a full on silent install in Powershell:

 

.\"Corsair LINK Installer v4.6.0.86.exe" /quiet

 

This runs and does install the product, but it's not entirely silent. I'm still prompted by Windows with two Security dialogues for the two drivers that get installed.

 

USBXpressDrivers and HydroDrivers have security catalogs that aren't fully trusted. So you're instead prompted by Windows 10 to "trust" drivers from Corsair. So, you have to click "Install" twice, once for each driver, and that's the only user interaction.

 

However, I want to eliminate even that amount of interaction because I'm trying to create a fully silent installer so I can create a Chocolatey package (http://www.chocolatey.org) for Corsair Link. I'd go with an AutoIT script, but that means installing AutoIT, creating a script and packaging it all up. I really want to avoid that because I try to avoid adding more software to my system than I actually need.

 

The funny thing about this is that the CUE software is packaged and distributed as an MSI, so the silent install is just to run:

 

msiexec.exe /i CorsairUtilityEngineSetup_2.11.115_release.msi /qn

 

That's it, you're done.

 

Is there any chance we can convince Corsair to package Link with a properly signed catalog that won't cause the Windows Security dialogues? Or maybe repackage as an MSI so I can just use the /qn switch?

 

I honestly have no idea how to even get this feedback or request back to the right people at Corsair. And I haven't found a way around the Security dialogues that doesn't require a reboot of the machine.

[MisterJ]

dagathon, I am installing v4.6.0.86 using /Q. I have found a simple but unorthodox method to get around the driver messages. After running the Link installer, I searched in the "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository" directory for Corsair text and found two folders of drivers. I copied these folders and injected them into the Install.wim file and did an Unattended install. This is how I always install Windows, so was not out of the way for me. I get no driver messages. The names of the folders in my W10 Pro x64 system are:

hydros7289.inf_amd64_0bdf95d7c867ab27
siusbxp.inf_amd64_abb84f3e28ac561f

I cannot find either of these drivers installed in my system and I suspect W10 does not really even need these drivers but is using generic Windows USB driver(s).

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy, John.

[dagathon]

Hey MisterJ,

 

I've gotten a little further along with this after finding that when the package unpacks, it drops 4 folders in C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\

 

Applications...

{d7bab0fb-7a25-4bd1-bccb-03502dd4c16c}

{198959B9-4ACC-49F3-9199-2E7E684DA3FA}v4.6.0.86

 

Drivers...

908C09DE28BB3CC09601DA5D4E1F44BECC9DF18F

0863BB2B339E05CC0ED3B4029E0DB3F92CFE72F5

 

This lead me to the state.rsm file which when opened reveals that the Corsair Link 4 install is a Wix Bundle.

 

Wix Bundles can be extracted if you install the tool kit and then use:

 

PS C:\Users\<user>\Downloads> cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\WiX Toolset v3.10\bin\"

PS C:\Program Files (x86)\WiX Toolset v3.10\bin> .\dark.exe "C:\Users\<user>\Downloads\Corsair LINK Installer v4.6.0.86.

exe" -x c:\out

Windows Installer XML Toolset Decompiler version 3.10.3.3007

Copyright © .NET Foundation and contributors. All rights reserved.

 

Corsair LINK Installer v4.6.0.86.exe

PS C:\Program Files (x86)\WiX Toolset v3.10\bin>

 

Now, the contents of the package are in c:\out and the meaty bits are in C:\out\AttachedContainer. That has the two drivers and the CLink4Setup.msi files.

 

I think from there I can use:

 

dpinst.exe /U HydroS7289.inf /S

dpinst.exe /U siusbxp.inf /S

msiexec.exe /i CLink4Setup.msi /qn

 

This is a pretty hefty way of doing this. Installing wixtoolset, downloading the Link 4 installer, extracting it, manually installing the three pieces, cleaning up all the pieces so you're not leaving a bunch of random files all over the target system.

 

The Wix bundle has some additional requirements from the BootstraperApplicationData.xml, like NetFx45Web needs to be installed. I can't tell if that's required for Wix or Link 4 yet though. I need to do some further testing and digging.

[dagathon]

For driver injection in the image, you're using https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/commercialize/manufacture/desktop/dism-driver-servicing-command-line-options-s14 t?

 

Like this for example:

 

Dism /image:C:\test\offline /Add-Driver /driver:C:\test\drivers\mydriver.inf /ForceUnsigned

 

Did you need /ForceUnsigned to make it work?

 

I'm also considering trying out https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744334(v=ws.10).aspx

 

Which probably means using pnputil to add the two drivers before running the .msi install. Since I'm trying to set this up as a chocolatey package, offline servicing or driver injection isn't going to get what I want.

[MisterJ]

dagathon, you have proposed a lot of work. I am not super unhappy with a few replies to the installer. If I want to go further, I will probably use AutoIt as I have used before for this same problem (also a water cooler!).

I did use DISM to inject the drivers but did not need to use /ForceUnsigned which surprised me. Here is my code:

DISM  /Add-Driver /Image:%Mount% /Driver:%Components%\Drivers\ /recurse %LogLevel%

The symbolics resolve to the paths to my installation files. The interesting thing is that the Corsair drivers are not installed, just in the FileRepository folder. If you have time to experiment, you might try simply copying the files there and see if the installer skips them and the messages.

Enjoy, John.

[dagathon]

MisterJ,

 

I'm approaching this as a challenge to drive a bit of creative problem solving. I know that most people don't care about clicking a few "Install" prompts to the drivers to let them install manually.

 

Please, don't feel like I'm heaping my hopes and dreams in a pile at your feet, haha! If you've gotten it to work the way you need it for your purposes, that's awesome. I hope the work I put in on this helped you out. :)

 

I still want to continue working on getting this to silent install completely, without user intervention. It's looking like AutoIT might be the easiest way to get this to work, save for Corsair signing their drivers properly so they don't force a prompt anymore.

[MisterJ]

I understand your goals, dagathon, for I have been there. I have been doing unattended installs since XP. I install Windows and almost all my applications using automated scripts and Windows Setup. It has always been my goal to never have to be present. This is a lofty goal but not unattainable just a lot of work. Autoit is a good alternate but it too goes awry occasionally and I need to give it a push. My W10 installation has about five interventions required. I hope you are having fun, as I have, but after a while, I just accept a few prods.

Enjoy, John.