$cs.Shell_Execute

Description

Executes a command with optional arguments and returns its exit code. Use this instead of Start-Process for running installers and other external commands from a PowerPack — it’s the standard way to run an MSI/EXE and capture its result.

Syntax

$cs.Shell_Execute(string command, string arguments = “”, bool wait = true, int windowstyle = 0, bool mustexist = false, string workingdirectory = “”)

Parameters

command (String)

Executable to run, for example msiexec.exe or the full path to a setup.exe in the kit folder. The command is started directly, not through the Windows shell, so you can’t pass a document such as an .msi file here — run it through msiexec.exe instead. If the command can’t be found or started, the function throws an exception.

arguments (String)

Arguments for the command. Default is empty.

wait (Boolean)

Wait for the command to complete before returning. Default is $true. If $false, the process is started asynchronously and 0 is returned immediately.

windowstyle (Int32)

Window style for the command: 0=hidden, 1=normal, 2=minimized, 3=maximized. Default is 0 (hidden).

mustexist (Boolean)

Check that command exists before executing; returns 5 without running anything if it doesn’t. The check looks for the file at the exact path in command and doesn’t search PATH, so use a full path. Default is $false.

workingdirectory (String)

Working directory for the command. Default is empty.

Return value

Integer. The process’s exit code if wait=$true, or 0 immediately if wait=$false.

Example

PowerShell

$cs.Shell_Execute("msiexec.exe", "/i `"$Packageroot\kit\GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.Msi`" /QN REBOOT=REALLYSUPPRESS ALLUSERS=1")

Install an MSI with the log written to $global:AppLogFolder, so it’s automatically uploaded and visible in the CapaInstaller Console:

$MsiPath = Join-Path $global:Packageroot "kit" "7zip.msi"
$LogPath = Join-Path $global:AppLogFolder "7zip_Install.log"
$Arguments = "/i `"$MsiPath`" /qn /norestart /log `"$LogPath`""

$Result = $cs.Shell_Execute("msiexec.exe", $Arguments)
if ($Result -ne 0 -and $Result -ne 3010) {
  $cs.Job_WriteLog("7-Zip installation failed with exit code: $Result")
  Exit-PSScript $Result
}

Run an EXE from the kit folder with mustexist=$true so a missing installer fails fast with a clear exit code instead of a confusing native error, and a specific working directory:

$SetupExe = Join-Path $global:Packageroot "kit" "setup.exe"
$Result = $cs.Shell_Execute($SetupExe, "/S /v/qn", $true, 0, $true, (Join-Path $global:Packageroot "kit"))
if ($Result -eq 5) {
  Exit-PSScript -exitcode 1 -exitmessage "setup.exe was not found in the kit folder"
} elseif ($Result -ne 0) {
  $cs.Job_WriteLog("Installation failed with exit code: $Result")
  Exit-PSScript $Result
}

$cs.Shell_ExecuteWithTimeout