COMPLETELY silent driver installer

[Gerard Sweeney]

Hello, all..

I thought I'd posted this earlier, but it doesn't appear to be here - so second time lucky :-)

This may or may not be a feature request..

Is there any way for the new V4 driver to be COMPLETELY silent? As in, the largish Promethean "flame" box doesn't appear when the driver is configuring itself. It does rather give the game away that something is running in the background :-)

If there isn't, could I ask that it be made so for the next version?

Cheers,
Gerard

[Peter Lambert]

Hi Gerard
Most of us here a non-techie, but I think I do have an intermediate experience of techie and user, but I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you referring to install or something that happens when you connect a board after boot up?

[Gerard Sweeney]

Hi, Peter..

When you run the MSI installer for V4, the user sees the large Promethean "configuring driver" box appear at the bottom right of the screen while the driver is installing....

The MSI is still running silently - so you don't see that part, but you do see the Promethean logo pop up.

Cheers,
Gerard

[Neil Calverley]

Hi Gerard

What version of the v4 Activdriver do you have?

To answer your question, yes the driver should install completely silent.

If you are running the MSI with the ‘/qn’ totally silent switch, then the installer should detect this and also hide the screen you are referring to.



Neil.

[Gerard Sweeney]

Hi, Neil..

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you..

I've just tested it out using the 4.1.9.36. Using the /qn switch with this driver, I still see the "Lighting the flame" splash screen pop up for a few seconds.

Syntax used: msiexec /qn /i "\\server\share\path\activdriver.msi"


Tested on Windows 2000 SP4 with second release of Windows Installer 3.1. Which covers the vast majority of our PCs.


Don't get me wrong - this isn't a MAJOR hassle, by any stretch of the imagination. It would be nice if it could be fixed, though (erm, assuming the fault isn't at my side.. Which given the last few days isn't a huge stretch of the imagination!!)..

Cheers,
Gerard

[Neil Calverley]

Hi Gerard

It appears you are quite correct. I’ve just been testing this and sure enough on the 4.1.9.36 version the screen does briefly appear.
Not sure what went on there as I also tested the older v4.1.8.126 driver and it was fine, and also tested the latest driver v4.1.10.35 which is also fine.

So looks like a minor bug must have crept in that release which has now been fixed.

Amidst my testing I also found that when updating any older v4 driver in silent mode the same screen also appears in every release version. This is something we will look to fix for the next driver release.

So well spotted as I would never have found this one… [clap]



Cheers

Neil.

[Gerard Sweeney]

also tested the latest driver v4.1.10.35 which is also fine.


Is this driver publicly downloadable yet? On the downloads site, http://www.prometheanworld.com/uk/server/show/nav.598 it still shows 4.1.9.36.

Cheers,
Gerard

[Stuart Collins]

No, sorry, not yet. It's still being tested to make sure it doesn't fall over ;)

[Gerard Sweeney]

:)

No problem - I just thought I'd check in case there was another download page I wasn't aware of!

Cheers,
Gerard

[Neil Calverley]

Hi Gerard

Just in case you are interested and hadn't noticed yet, the new Activdriver v4.1.10.35 in now available for download...:)

[Gerard Sweeney]

Good stuff..

I'll try to have a play with it shortly... Right now, I've got 1000001 other things on the backburner...

Whoever called the 7-odd week period when there are no pupils or staff in the schools "a holiday" clearly wasn't an ICT Technician!!! :)


Cheers,
Gerard

[Neil Calverley]

No worries, just thought i'd let you know +wave+

Also just to point out that this new driver does not have those new fixes mentioned for the silent uninstall or the Calibrate icon.
That will have to be the next release as this one was already completed...

Oh yes, forgot you lot up there finish earlier than our schools for your Summer Hols...and i know what you mean, a good friend of mine also works in IT for a School and often complains that it's his busiest time :)

Neil.

[Gerard Sweeney]

Also just to point out that this new driver does not have those new fixes mentioned for the silent uninstall or the Calibrate icon.


Interestingly enough, I've just had a look at the newer driver (V 4.1.10.35), as various folk here seem to be having problems with 4.1.9.36 (no board found and/or board freezing) and from a couple of test installs, it now does appear to obey the silent install instruction (hurrah!)...

So thanks to whoever did the installer - I'll see about testing my background uninstaller/installer script now :)

Cheers,
Gerard