Automating the Installation process for CS

I am trying to create an automated installer for my computer, (PC) and I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way, currently, of automating the installation process for PhotoShop CS? It is a single license, for my home computer, and I am tired of having to get all the disks out and reinstall everything everytime Windows (currently XP) decides to kark it, as it does usually about once a year. I know I am being lazy here, but if I can generate an automatic installation process that selects all the options I need, enters the serial and other details in the appropriate places, at the right times, then all I have to do is to set and forget, get on with other things I should do, and just change the disks to the next program when I need to.

Thanks for any help here

"Colin" wrote in message

I am trying to create an automated installer for my computer, (PC) and I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way, currently, of automating the installation process for PhotoShop CS? It is a single license, for my home computer, and I am tired of having to get all the disks out and reinstall everything everytime Windows (currently XP) decides to kark it, as it does usually about once a year. I know I am being lazy here, but if I can generate an automatic installation process that selects all the options I need, enters the serial and other details in the appropriate places, at the right times, then all I have to do is to set and forget, get on with other things I should do, and just change the disks to the next program when I need to.
Thanks for any help here

Colin
What you want is an "unattended installation" which is something that I have only seen with operating systems and inlvolves slipstreaming a scripts file or similar to the CD.
I'd be finding out why my PC falls over every year instead.

HTH
MH

Mike Hyndman wrote:

"Colin" wrote in message

I am trying to create an automated installer for my computer, (PC) and I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way, currently, of automating the installation process for PhotoShop CS? It is a single license, for my home computer, and I am tired of having to get all the disks out and reinstall everything everytime Windows (currently XP) decides to kark it, as it does usually about once a year. I know I am being lazy here, but if I can generate an automatic installation process that selects all the options I need, enters the serial and other details in the appropriate places, at the right times, then all I have to do is to set and forget, get on with other things I should do, and just change the disks to the next program when I need to.
Thanks for any help here

Colin
What you want is an "unattended installation" which is something that I have only seen with operating systems and inlvolves slipstreaming a scripts file or similar to the CD.
I'd be finding out why my PC falls over every year instead.
HTH
MH

Hi Mike, Thanks for responding. I know why it falls over, it is Microsoft's 95% solution, and the crap that programs put into the registry. I am in the unfortunate position of having to evaluate programs for a variety of purposes, and so I am constantly putting them on and taking them off and few have clean uninstall routines, very few. So my registry is two or three times what is normal (for other people) size. You may want to look at your registry after installing and removing programs Nero 6 and 7 a couple of times, or Adobe CS programs, I know I can create registry restore points, and I do, but that does not prevent Windows from getting slower and slower and generating errors, like out of memory messages when I open a 200K document and I have 1024Mb of RAM that sort of thing. It is just that I find it easier to do a clean reinstall than try to fix some of those issues. So anything that can speed the process up, or simplify it, I am all for.

Cheers

"Colin" wrote in message

Mike Hyndman wrote:

"Colin" wrote in message

I am trying to create an automated installer for my computer, (PC) and I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way, currently, of automating the installation process for PhotoShop CS? It is a single license, for my home computer, and I am tired of having to get all the disks out and reinstall everything everytime Windows (currently XP) decides to kark it, as it does usually about once a year. I know I am being lazy here, but if I can generate an automatic installation process that selects all the options I need, enters the serial and other details in the appropriate places, at the right times, then all I have to do is to set and forget, get on with other things I should do, and just change the disks to the next program when I need to.
Thanks for any help here

Colin
What you want is an "unattended installation" which is something that I have
only seen with operating systems and inlvolves slipstreaming a scripts file
or similar to the CD.
I'd be finding out why my PC falls over every year instead.
HTH
MH

Hi Mike, Thanks for responding. I know why it falls over, it is Microsoft's 95% solution, and the crap that programs put into the registry. I am in the unfortunate position of having to evaluate programs for a variety of purposes, and so I am constantly putting them on and taking them off and few have clean uninstall routines, very few. So my registry is two or three times what is normal (for other people) size. You may want to look at your registry after installing and removing programs Nero 6 and 7 a couple of times, or Adobe CS programs, I know I can create registry restore points, and I do, but that does not prevent Windows from getting slower and slower and generating errors, like out of memory messages when I open a 200K document and I have 1024Mb of RAM that sort of thing. It is just that I find it easier to do a clean reinstall than try to fix some of those issues. So anything that can speed the process up, or simplify it, I am all for.
Cheers

Colin,

Commiserations, ;(
I got around a similar problem a couple of years ago by fitting my PC with removable drive caddies. It currently uses two, with the OS of choice installed on each, all my apps, internet etc., is installed on one. The other only has PS on it.(no internet, therefore no virus etc., running in the background, slowing things down, I "slave" it once a week and check it with the other drive's systems) The PC also has two internal hard drives used for scratch and storage etc. At start-up I only need to switch on the "drive of the day" If you do a lot of software evaluation, maybe just a have a drive (in caddy) dedicated to this.

Regards
Mike H

On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:59:11 +0100, "Mike Hyndman" wrote:

"Colin" wrote in message

I am trying to create an automated installer for my computer, (PC) and I do not want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way, currently, of automating the installation process for PhotoShop CS? It is a single license, for my home computer, and I am tired of having to get all the disks out and reinstall everything everytime Windows (currently XP) decides to kark it, as it does usually about once a year. I know I am being lazy here, but if I can generate an automatic installation process that selects all the options I need, enters the serial and other details in the appropriate places, at the right times, then all I have to do is to set and forget, get on with other things I should do, and just change the disks to the next program when I need to.
Thanks for any help here

Colin
What you want is an "unattended installation" which is something that I have only seen with operating systems and inlvolves slipstreaming a scripts file or similar to the CD.
I'd be finding out why my PC falls over every year instead.
HTH
MH

In which case, next time you get problems with your OS, you could try the Windows forums, lot of knowledgable people there.
You shouldn't have to keep reinstalling if you are careful what you do.

Colin wrote:

Mike Hyndman wrote:

"Colin" wrote in message

<snip>

Hi Mike, Thanks for responding. I know why it falls over, it is Microsoft's 95% solution, and the crap that programs put into the registry. I am in the unfortunate position of having to evaluate programs for a variety of purposes, and so I am constantly putting them on and taking them off and few have clean uninstall routines, very few. So my registry is two or three times what is normal (for other people) size. You may want to look at your registry after installing and removing programs Nero 6 and 7 a couple of times, or Adobe CS programs, I know I can create registry restore points, and I do, but that does not prevent Windows from getting slower and slower and generating errors, like out of memory messages when I open a 200K document and I have 1024Mb of RAM that sort of thing. It is just that I find it easier to do a clean reinstall than try to fix some of those issues. So anything that can speed the process up, or simplify it, I am all for.
Cheers

I see two possible solutions here;

1. Perform a clean build of your preferred environment and then take an image of that environment so that you can re-image back to a known state with all of your standard applications intact and available.

2. Use a virtualisation product like Virtual PC or VMware Workstation for the evaluations.

Personally I use VMware Workstation and find it invaluable for doing this kind of work. I have a number of images ready to roll that I can install software onto for a limited period and then use the snapshot feature of VMWare to rollback the configuration prior to installing the application. Works great for me and is a huge time saver.

Of course if you need to perform your evaluation on 'proper' hardware then the virtualisation route may not be appropriate. Just a thought.

--
Regards,

JasonB

To reply replace NoSpam4me with blueyonder

Hi Jason,

What Mike suggests is great idea but the point you make about creating an easily restorable image is a valid point. I did muck about with ghosting some years back, but ran into problems with the ghost program wanting to image the whole C:\, wanting to create an image of about 4gig of programs and 6gig of blank space in the imaged drive. (I only keep a 10gig C:\, not a lot but works for me.) It may be time to go back and have another look at that as a possible solution. Never tried anything like Virtual PC and the only VMWare program I know is the Linux program that creates a virtual DOS shell to run XP in.

Thanks for the suggestion, it certainly gets around the issue of constantly changing disks and running setups and all that. Have to be a lot quicker....

JasonB wrote:

I see two possible solutions here;

1. Perform a clean build of your preferred environment and then take an image of that environment so that you can re-image back to a known state with all of your standard applications intact and available.
2. Use a virtualisation product like Virtual PC or VMware Workstation for the evaluations.

Personally I use VMware Workstation and find it invaluable for doing this kind of work. I have a number of images ready to roll that I can install software onto for a limited period and then use the snapshot feature of VMWare to rollback the configuration prior to installing the application. Works great for me and is a huge time saver.
Of course if you need to perform your evaluation on 'proper' hardware then the virtualisation route may not be appropriate. Just a thought.
--
Regards,

JasonB

To reply replace NoSpam4me with blueyonder

Colin wrote:

Hi Jason,

What Mike suggests is great idea but the point you make about creating an easily restorable image is a valid point. I did muck about with ghosting some years back, but ran into problems with the ghost program wanting to image the whole C:\, wanting to create an image of about 4gig of programs and 6gig of blank space in the imaged drive. (I only keep a 10gig C:\, not a lot but works for me.) It may be time to go back and have another look at that as a possible solution. Never tried anything like Virtual PC and the only VMWare program I know is the Linux program that creates a virtual DOS shell to run XP in.
Thanks for the suggestion, it certainly gets around the issue of constantly changing disks and running setups and all that. Have to be a lot quicker....

JasonB wrote:

I see two possible solutions here;

1. Perform a clean build of your preferred environment and then take an image of that environment so that you can re-image back to a known state with all of your standard applications intact and available.
2. Use a virtualisation product like Virtual PC or VMware Workstation for the evaluations.

Personally I use VMware Workstation and find it invaluable for doing this kind of work. I have a number of images ready to roll that I can install software onto for a limited period and then use the snapshot feature of VMWare to rollback the configuration prior to installing the application. Works great for me and is a huge time saver.
Of course if you need to perform your evaluation on 'proper' hardware then the virtualisation route may not be appropriate. Just a thought.
--
Regards,

JasonB

To reply replace NoSpam4me with blueyonder

acronis true image. enough said ;-)

leslie

Thanks Leslie, but we have drifted off topic, so it better end here. Thanks to Jason and Mike for their comments as well...

Cheers..

ushere wrote:

Colin wrote:

Hi Jason,

What Mike suggests is great idea but the point you make about creating an easily restorable image is a valid point. I did muck about with ghosting some years back, but ran into problems with the ghost program wanting to image the whole C:\, wanting to create an image of about 4gig of programs and 6gig of blank space in the imaged drive. (I only keep a 10gig C:\, not a lot but works for me.) It may be time to go back and have another look at that as a possible solution. Never tried anything like Virtual PC and the only VMWare program I know is the Linux program that creates a virtual DOS shell to run XP in.
Thanks for the suggestion, it certainly gets around the issue of constantly changing disks and running setups and all that. Have to be a lot quicker....

JasonB wrote:

I see two possible solutions here;

1. Perform a clean build of your preferred environment and then take an image of that environment so that you can re-image back to a known state with all of your standard applications intact and available.
2. Use a virtualisation product like Virtual PC or VMware Workstation for the evaluations.

Personally I use VMware Workstation and find it invaluable for doing this kind of work. I have a number of images ready to roll that I can install software onto for a limited period and then use the snapshot feature of VMWare to rollback the configuration prior to installing the application. Works great for me and is a huge time saver.
Of course if you need to perform your evaluation on 'proper' hardware then the virtualisation route may not be appropriate. Just a thought.
--
Regards,

JasonB

To reply replace NoSpam4me with blueyonder

acronis true image. enough said ;-)

leslie