Installing/updating client without admin rights

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searay
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Installing/updating client without admin rights

#1 Post by searay » 2023-02-01 19:42

I work in enterprise IT and am trying to package FileZilla for our end users, the vast majority of whom are not local admins on their devices. I can easily install it under the system account for all users, of course, but this installs in Program Files and thus the updater prompts for admin rights. However, even using the /user=current parameter still installs to Program Files and prompts for admin rights, both to install and to update. As far as I can tell, the only difference between /user=all and /user=current is that the former puts start menu shortcuts in every user profile. Is this parameter actually supported? Is there any way to do an actual per-user install that doesn't require admin rights, or is this something that requires FileZilla Pro?

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#2 Post by botg » 2023-02-02 08:44

The UAC prompt is not mandatory to accept, it can be declined.

You can either select a different installation directory in the installer itself, or pass the directory to the installer with /D as last argument.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#3 Post by searay » 2023-02-02 21:07

A properly configured "current user" installer on Windows should 1. never generate a UAC prompt, and 2. not install to Program Files. Both of those things defeat the whole point of installing just for the current user. I am aware that you can decline the prompt and I am aware that you can change the install directory, but that doesn't solve the problem. It should install silently.

As I said in my original post, this is in an enterprise environment. "Decline the UAC prompt" doesn't fly when I'm packaging something for 40,000 end users. Especially given that we can't rely on FileZilla's auto-updater because, again, it always generates a UAC prompt. We are going to have to explore alternatives (likely WinSCP, which functions properly in both regards) if there's no way to configure the correct behavior in FileZilla.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#4 Post by botg » 2023-02-03 08:33

How do you deploy software that doesn't allow any form of "current user" installation?

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#5 Post by searay » 2023-02-03 13:38

I have no clue why you're asking that question, that's not even remotely the problem. Our deployment tool allows for installing as the current user - when the installer is configured properly. FileZilla is not. It installs to Program Files and generates UAC prompts, neither of which should happen when installing only for the current user. Run through the WinSCP install process and you'll see how this is supposed to work. "Current user" installers do not require admin rights, do not generate UAC prompts, and typically install into the user profile folder by default.

searay
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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#6 Post by searay » 2023-02-03 18:14

Ah, just realized I misunderstood your question. We can deploy software like that by installing it with the system user account. However, the primary problem I am trying to solve is that we cannot rely on FileZilla to auto-update because the installer will always generate a UAC prompt. In attempting to solve this problem I tried to change our installer to install as the current user, only to learn that the FileZilla installer is incapable of actually doing so.

Let me be clear: we need to be able to install and update FileZilla without the creation of any UAC prompts. If this is not doable then we will likely have to deploy a different FTP client. I'd prefer sticking with FileZilla, as it is what our users are familiar with. But it's not worth the constant effort of having to update our deployment package every time a new version comes out.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#7 Post by botg » 2023-02-06 07:53

There is a /skipuac argument for the installer.

Code: Select all

FileZilla_3.63.1_win64-setup.exe /S /skipuac /user=current /D=C:\somewhere\
In environments with automated deployments you can suppress the update mechanism through fzdefaults.xml, see fzdefaults.xml.example for instructions.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#8 Post by searay » 2023-02-06 13:47

I'm not looking to suppress the update mechanism, I'm looking for it to work automatically without generating a UAC prompt. The /skipuac argument would help with the /user=current install, but it's still going to generate a UAC prompt when it tries to update.

Current user installers are supposed to install to the user's profile by default and not generate a UAC prompt, and to be able to update with the same behavior. I remain confused as to why FileZilla is configured with a /user=current parameter that doesn't actually do anything.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#9 Post by searay » 2023-02-10 16:02

So is it possible to get the auto updater to work without generating a UAC prompt, or should I explore other clients?

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#10 Post by botg » 2023-02-13 08:47

Not currently. In a future version perhaps.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#11 Post by botg » 2023-02-13 10:48

Tomorrow, please try updating to tomorrow's nightly build with the built-in update mechanism.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#12 Post by searay » 2023-02-16 18:04

I installed the 2/14 nightly build but it simply says no updates are found.

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#13 Post by botg » 2023-02-17 08:57

Did you obtain the nightly build with the built-in update mechanism?

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#14 Post by searay » 2023-02-17 17:27

No - I honestly assumed I misread that comment. How does one use the built-in update mechanism to update to nightly releases?

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Re: Installing/updating client without admin rights

#15 Post by boco » 2023-02-19 11:54

Go into the Settings - Updates, and change the builds to check for to "Stable, beta and nightly versions".
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