Windows batch files - uninstall & install application, start service

AARRRGH

Hello

I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience with Windows batch files?

I want to create a batch file which does the following -

Uninstalls a piece of software
Waits until uninstall is complete
Installs a piece of software (using a path either from a file or a prompt)
Waits until install is complete
Starts a windows service
Deletes the contents of a folder

Have any of you done anything like this before?

Is it straightforward?

Thanks

Ginger

You can use Windows Scripting to do this example

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scripts/apps/user/usapvb01.mspx?mfr=true

Then its install the program

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scripts/apps/user/usapvb01.mspx?mfr=true

Installing Windows Service and other things

http://www.activexperts.com/activmonitor/windowsmanagement/adminscripts/services/

Martyr

i'd recommend checking out WMI as Ginger mentioned, but it also depends on the kind of app you're installing/uninstalling..for example does it just consist of a few files/registry entries? if so you could probably remove/install using batch file.

REG command can modify registry entries for example.

might be worth looking at windows installer (if your target apps are msi files) also as this can be automated for install/uninstall using scripts.

A user can install an MSI package in quiet mode, bypassing this phase entirely, by running the msiexec.exe command-line utility with the /qn (or /qb or /qr) option and specifying on the command line all the information that the wizard would normally gather. Therefore, any actions that occur in the user interface sequence will not be performed during a silent installation.

when accessing services, you can use the COM methods Ginger linked but there is also SC command (Service Control) which is much faster for remote access.(if you require it)

Starts a windows service
Deletes the contents of a folder

I use SC command for services.

sc config SERVICE_NAME stop

sc \\REMOTE_COMPUTER config SERVICE_NAME start= disabled

Deleting contents of folder can be done with RMDIR

rmdir /S /Q C:\folder

if you had to execute the batch file remotely, there is PSEXEC from sysinternals for that.

psexec -u %DOMAIN%\%USERNAME% -p %PASSWORD% \\COMPUTER -c install.bat

Ginger

Or look at SMS or its successor SCCM for updating machines in a windows domain