Silent Install and Unattended Activation

from Stardock Forums

Hello,

I just bought a license pack for Fences and would like to push it to my users with our deployment tool (WPKG). I already read that you can easily install with the /s option, but activation is not covered by this.

 

Is there a way to activate Fences unattended? I don't really want to mail the serials around or wander to every workstation individually.

 

Secondly: Is there a way to check (via script or registry key) if the activation was successful? Maybe a file that starts existing once the software is activated?

fences
73,507 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Please contact corpsupport@stardock.com if you have not already.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Just mailed them. Though I'm a bit disappointed. If there's a procedure (and it should - why bother offering volume discounts if you can't manage "volumes") then it belongs into the documentation.

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

We bought some licenses recently too. We had to setup a license server.
We also received an ini file that needs to be put in the same folder as the installer is in when running it.
In that case the application will automatically be activated in the background

 

Here's what the accompanying 'Client_readme.txt' says:

***

Fences 2.01
-----------

Corporate installer

This build of Fences requires the Fences license server be running on your local network
and the Fences2_lic.ini with your activation key.

The setup program (which supports /s for silent installs) will copy Fences2_lic.ini to
C:\ProgramData\Stardock\Fences and Fences will automatically attempt to activate against
the server.

Fences.exe /activate can be used to forcibly attempt activation and Fences.exe /deactivate
will attempt to deregister the license from the server (this is performed on uninstall).
If you deactivate Fences in a session, you must either reboot or use the /activate switch
to force reactivating it again in that session.


System requirements

Windows 8/7/Vista/XP with the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
are required to run Fences.

Fences requires the .NET Framework 2.0 or later be installed.
Windows XP users can download .NET Framework 3.5 (includes 2.0) from
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=21.

***

I'm facing difficulties to create a silent uninstall package (for future use + to be able to replace any copies already installed)

Are you able to do a silent installation and uninstallation that leaves the settings untouched (so they don't have to set it up again)?

 

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting joeriputtevils, reply 3
Are you able to do a silent installation and uninstallation that leaves the settings untouched (so they don't have to set it up again)?
End of joeriputtevils's quote

Settings are stored in the registry and the uninstall/install will not modify those.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 4
Settings are stored in the registry and the uninstall/install will not modify those.
End of Zubaz's quote

Thanks. That's good to know.
How can I make the uninstall really silent? Even when using "/S" it still shows  a dialog box saying "Do you want to remove all of Fence's settings and saved backups?"
I don't want to see that and want to keep the settings.

 

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Unfortunately I probably didn't buy enough licenses to get a "corporate" installer.

 

Unfortunately, support did only answer half of my question. I know now how to detect if a Fences installation is activated. I'm still unable to activate it.

 

Unless support is able to answer, I'll count this as "fail" and Stardock will join the ranks with Ultraedit and others that are flagged as "too much hassle to license - avoid if possible".

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

I've responded to the case.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

yep thanks for that. As the answer was negative I will certainly prefer other alternatives should my company consider your software again. I nearly costs us more to activate the software than to buy it :)