I searched high and low for specific information on installing AutoCAD Object Enablers (OE) from an .msi, which would permit IT to push installation silently, without user intervention.

Sadly, bits of information were scattered all over the Internet, so hopefully this thread will bring it together for AUGI members.

This is a step-by-step guide, with the caution that the silent install will need to be performed with admin privileges. I presume this due to some registry keys being written to HKLM. If you find otherwise, please let us know.

The first step is to extract the .msi file from the downloaded .exe file. It is crucial to get the correct .msi file for the application to which you will add the OE. Here is how you accomplish the task:
  1. Start the .exe application for the OE.
  2. Proceed thru the dialogs, selecting the correct target application in the setup dialog.
  3. Start the install, but do NOT close the setup dialog when the install is complete.
  4. Use Windows Explorer to browse to %Temp% (you may type that in Explorer's address bar).
  5. Copy the .msi file that you find there to a network location. The filename will start with a temporary filename but end with a full description. For example, a setup of AutoCAD Architectural 2009 OE for DWG TrueView 2009 created this .msi file: 6a.tmp_DWG_TrueView_2009_-_English_(United_States).msi.
  6. Do NOT rename the file. The .msi file created during the initial install stores its original filename.

Whew.

Now you have a valid .msi file to use for the silent install. Below is a sample that presumes the .msi file is located in H:\Test, where the /i command switch finds the file and does the install.

Code:
msiexec /norestart /passive /l*v "%temp%\OE Install.log" /i "H:\Test\6a.tmp_DWG_TrueView_2009_-_English_(United_States).msi"
Other command switches are:
/norestart, make sure a reboot isn't forced (not an issue with this OE, but it is habit).
/passive, display a progress bar. You could use /qb! instead to not display a progress bar.
/l*v, write a verbose log to the location specified. Note that I use the %temp% parameter to make sure the log file goes to the Temp folder, wherever it may be located.