Install AutoSteps

You install PerformanceGuard AutoSteps on the computers that should run your AutoSteps scripts.

Before you start

• The computer must meet the AutoSteps Requirements: 64-bit Windows, PerformanceGuard agent 7.3 or newer, and .NET Framework 4.6.2 or newer.
• You need local administrator rights on the computer.
• Decide which Windows account AutoSteps should run as. We recommend a dedicated account, see Security Recommendations for AutoSteps.

Quick installation

Double-click the installer (.msi) file to install AutoSteps. The wizard shows these steps:

1. Accept the end-user license agreement.
2. In Enable AutoLogon, enter the Username, Password and, for a domain account, the Domain of the Windows account that AutoSteps should run as. The installer checks the credentials when you select Next. If they’re invalid, you get the message The credentials entered were invalid, please try again.
3. Select the installation folder. The default is C:\Program Files\PerformanceGuard\AutoSteps.
4. Select Install.

AutoLogon

To let scripts interact with the desktop, AutoSteps needs a user name and password. The installer also turns on Windows’ built-in automatic logon for this account, so scripts run again after a restart. The logon information is not stored securely on the computer. Restrict both the account and the computer, and use account impersonation where possible.

If you select Skip in the Enable AutoLogon step, the installer doesn’t configure automatic logon.

The installation usually takes less than a minute. There is no need to restart the computer after installation.

Tip

AutoSteps doesn’t start automatically until the next logon or restart. To start it now, open the installation folder (usually C:\Program Files\PerformanceGuard\AutoSteps) and run AutoSteps.exe. The AutoSteps icon appears in the Windows notification area.

Command-line installation

You can also install AutoSteps from an elevated command prompt:

• PowerShell

msiexec /i "PerformanceGuard AutoSteps.msi" AUTOLOGON_USERNAME=xxxxxx AUTOLOGON_PASSWORD=xxxxxx

Replace xxxxxx with the user name and password of the account that AutoSteps should run as.

Installation options

Silent installation

If you install AutoSteps on multiple computers, you may want to keep the installation completely transparent to the end users. In that case, add the /qn (quiet, no user interface) parameter:

• PowerShell

msiexec /i "PerformanceGuard AutoSteps.msi" AUTOLOGON_USERNAME=xxxxxx AUTOLOGON_PASSWORD=xxxxxx /qn

In a silent installation, the installer doesn’t check the credentials. Make sure that they’re correct.

Installation parameters

Specify these parameters for a silent installation:

Name	Description
AUTOLOGON_USERNAME	User name of the Windows account that runs AutoSteps and is used for automatic logon to the computer.
AUTOLOGON_PASSWORD	Password of the Windows account that runs AutoSteps and is used for automatic logon to the computer.
AUTOLOGON_DOMAIN	Domain of the Windows account. Required if the account is a domain account.

Logging

A log file helps PerformanceGuard support diagnose problems. To write the log to installLog.txt, add these parameters:

• PowerShell

msiexec /i "PerformanceGuard AutoSteps.msi" AUTOLOGON_USERNAME=xxxxxx AUTOLOGON_PASSWORD=xxxxxx /qn /L*v! installLog.txt

Even without these parameters, Windows Installer writes a verbose log of each AutoSteps installation to the %TEMP% folder of the user who runs the installation. If the installation fails, the error dialog has a link to this log.

Repair

A repair reinstalls the AutoSteps files if they have been corrupted or overwritten. It doesn’t change the AutoSteps configuration. To repair, run the installer again, or select AutoSteps in Programs and Features, and then select Repair.

Upgrade

See Upgrade AutoSteps.