Microsoft Self-Extractor Switches

Summary

• This article provides an overview of the command-line switches supported by Microsoft Self-Extractor packages in Windows Client environments.
• It lists the available switches, their descriptions, and offers guidance on determining supported switches for specific packages.
• Information is also included on data collection for Microsoft support in deployment scenarios.

Action Items

• None identified in the content.

Overview of Self-Extractor Packages

• A Self-Extractor package is a self-extracting executable (.exe) file used to install software, updates, or hotfixes.
• Users can launch the .exe by double-clicking or via the command line.

Supported Command Line Switches

• Not all switches may be available in every package; use /?, /h, or /help to see options for a specific package.
• Supported switches include:
  • /extract:[path]: Extracts package contents to a specified folder; prompts if not specified.
  • /log:[path to log file]: Enables verbose logging; requires an existing folder and file name.
  • /lang:lcid: Sets user interface language for multi-locale packages.
  • /quiet: Runs package in silent mode.
  • /passive: Runs update with no user interaction.
  • /norestart: Suppresses restart prompts after update.
  • /forcerestart: Forces a restart when update finishes.
  • /?, /h, /help: Displays help message with available switches.

Data Collection for Support

• For troubleshooting and Microsoft support, users should collect deployment-related information using TSS, as described in the referenced Microsoft instructions.

Decisions

• No decisions recorded — The content is informational.

Open Questions / Follow-Ups

• None noted.