Summary: Total Commander automatic installation howto.
Date: Around 2009
Refactor: 29 December 2024: Checked links and formatting.

Total commander has a built-in configuration file which lets you configure an automatic installation. This is quite easy to configure the file to your needs and create an automatic installation. Because the configuration file is built-in you need to get the configuration file. Follow these steps to create an automatic installation:

• Start Windows explorer and navigate to your temporary folder, probably c:\documents and settings\local settings\temp
• Delete all files not currently in use
• Leave the window open, this will make it more easy to find the installation files
• Now startup the total commander executable by double clicking the file
• Wait until the unpacking is done (probably just a few seconds)
• Go back to the open window of your temporary files, you'll notice there is a new folder with a random name. Navigate to this folder
• Copy all files to a different location and close the installation which is still waiting for your input
• Open the “install.inf” file with your favorite editor and edit this line:

auto=0

to

auto=1

This will make your automatic installation. Also consider if you want to have a desktop icon and program group in your start menu. These are on by default and set with this setting:

mkgroup=1
mkdesktop=1

Change the value to “0” to disable them. Also note the installation directory. It's configured with this setting:

Dir=c:\totalcmd

You need this setting to know where to copy the license to.

• You're now done with the file so save it
• If you click the install.exe which you copied previously the installation will automatically start and Total Commander will be configured the way you've set it up.

If you're also the lucky man who has bought a license don't forget to copy the license file to the installation directory.

My script for automatic installation.

@echo off
Color A

echo "Installing Total Commander... "
rem Edit install.inf for other settings
rem In this install no desktop icon will be created
install.exe
echo "Installing Total Commander... done"
echo "Copying license... "
copy wincmd.key c:\totalcmd\wincmd.key
echo "Copying license... done"
Pause

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