For Windows 7 clients, if the application install requires user interaction, a message will typically flash on the task bar (the Console 0 message). To avoid this I normally add the "runasuser" directive to the service zcreate and other zservice methods. For example:

zcreate --> runasuser.exe c:\installs\myapplication\setup.exe /i
bdelete --> runasuser.exe c:\installs\myapplication\setup.exe /u

When the zcreate method runs, any messages that are normally displayed will now appear directly on the desktop.

Normally use the bdelete method for uninstall (instead of zdelete) if the uninstaller uses a file like setup.exe that will be removed when the service is uninstalled by Radia.

Runasuser.exe resides in the Radia agent directory so its path location isn't required in the methods. If you already have a silent switch assigned in the zcreate method such as /silent or /qn this needs to be removed or /qn can be changed to /qb (display basic panels).

There are two ZSERVICE attributes that may be important, UIOPTION and UIOPTMSI, however I have never needed to modify these so the default values are probably sufficient.

Similar to runasuser.exe, there is another executable in the Radia agent directory that can be called from within batch scripts or vbscripts. This executable is named execrau.exe. This executable has more or less the same function as runasuser, to avoid the console 0 flashing taskbar messages, but it can be called from within scripts, whereas runasuser.exe can only be used in the ZSERVICE methods.

Steve

Steve, will runasuser still have system level rights to perform software installations?  I thought it would run in the logged on user's context and not have elevated rights.  Thanks for the info about execrau.exe -- I was not aware of that program.

Casey,

You are correct. From the admin user guide:

Note that the method modifier runasuser cannot be used with the method modifier hide; these are
mutually exclusive. In addition, since runasuser runs the method under the user session, the user
must have sufficient privileges to perform the operation.

I know some customers do give their users admin rights. Also I'm not totally sure how ZSYSACCT interacts with runasuser.

Steve

Is there any way to do this running the install under the system account and not as a user? Our User do not have Admin rights.

Yes, there is a away: use Microsoft's ServiceUI.exe tool - it is part of MDT. It's very simple, it's a stand alone executable (no pre-requisites) and you run it e.g like this:

ServiceUI.exe -process:explorer.exe YourSetup.exe

This will instruct the tool to launch YourSetup.exe and to direct all visible content/interaction to the user context that explorer.exe is running in. You MUST run ServiceUI.exe itself in SYSTEM conext, otherwise it's won't do anything.

One thing though: using a tool to essentially overcome session zero isolation obviously adds a risk - imagine running a setup that allows browsing the file system or an HTA that doesn't suppress the right click: the user could be able to manipulate/launch stuff with system rights - e.g. RegEdit or MMC. So be careful with what you launch, highlight the potential risk to your customer and let them approve it - otherwise you might get into trouble ;-)

Awesome! Thank you Axel. The ServiceUI worked. I am using it in the Radia Self Service Manager to install a USB driver with one prompt that could not be silently answered. This will save time on many manual install that no longer need to be done. Thank you!