Apple Safari is a graphical web browser developed by Apple. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Apple Safari from the command line using both the EXE & MSI installers.
How to Install Apple Safari Silently
Apple Safari Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to:
- Download the EXE to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: SafariSetup.exe /qn
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Safari Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Apple Safari |
| Vendor: | Apple Inc. |
| Version: | 5.34.57.2 |
| Architecture: | x86 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | SafariSetup.exe /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | MsiExec.exe /x {C779648B-410E-4BBA-B75B-5815BCEFE71D} /qn |
| Download Link: | http://appldnld.apple.com/Safari5/041-5487.20120509.INU8B/SafariSetup.exe |
Apple Safari Silent Install (MSI)
- Navigate to:
- Download the EXE to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: SafariSetup.exe /extract
- Press Enter
- Enter the following command: MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi /qn
- Press Enter
After a few moments you will find Safari entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Apple Safari |
| Vendor: | Apple Inc. |
| Version: | 5.34.57.2 |
| Architecture: | x86 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | MsiExec.exe /x {C779648B-410E-4BBA-B75B-5815BCEFE71D} /qn |
| Repair Command: | MsiExec.exe /fa {C779648B-410E-4BBA-B75B-5815BCEFE71D} /qn |
| Download Link: | http://appldnld.apple.com/Safari5/041-5487.20120509.INU8B/SafariSetup.exe |
The information above provides a quick overview of the software title, vendor, silent install, and silent uninstall switches. The download links provided take you directly to the vendors website. Continue reading if you are interested in additional details and configurations.
Additional Configurations
Create an Installation Log File
The Apple Safari installers offer the option to generate a log file during installation to assist with troubleshooting should any problems arise. You can use the following command to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.
Apple Safari Silent Install (EXE) with Logging
SafariSetup.exe /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\Safari-Install.log" |
Apple Safari Silent Install (MSI) with Logging
MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\Safari-Install.log" |
Change Default Installation Directory
You can change the default installation directory by using the following command line parameters. In this example, I’m installing Safari to “C:\Safari”
Apple Safari (EXE)
SafariSetup.exe INSTALLDIR="C:\Safari" /qn |
Apple Safari (MSI)
MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi INSTALLDIR="C:\Safari" /qn |
Include Desktop Shortcut During Install
The Safari installer does NOT create a desktop shortcut by default. If you want the desktop shortcut, then you can run the following command line switches to include it.
Apple Safari Silent Install (EXE) with Desktop Shortcut
SafariSetup.exe DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=1 /qn |
Apple Safari Silent Install (MSI) with Desktop Shortcut
MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi DESKTOP_SHORTCUTS=1 /qn |
Disable Safari Auto Updates
By default, Safari will automatically check for updates. If you want to disable the automatic check for updates you can use the following command line parameter.
Apple Safari Silent Install (EXE) with No Auto Updates
SafariSetup.exe SCHEDULE_ASUW=0 /qn |
Apple Safari Silent Install (MSI) with No Auto Updates
MsiExec.exe /i Safari.msi SCHEDULE_ASUW=0 /qn |
Customize Safari Preferences
- Install Safari
- Launch the Safari browser
- Configure browser settings to your organizations specification
- Close the Safari browser
- Navigate to “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
- Copy the com.apple.Safari.plist file to C:\Downloads
- Uninstall Safari
- Delete the com.apple.Safari.plist file from “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
- Follow the “How to Install Apple Safari Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Copy the com.apple.Safari.plist file to “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
Bypass Default Browser Check
- Install Safari
- Launch the Safari browser
- Close the Safari browser
- Open Safari for a second time and you will see a pop up indicating that Safari is not your default browser.
- Uncheck “Always perform this check”
- Would you like to make it your default browser? Answer Yes or No
- Close the Safari browser
- Navigate to “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
- Copy the com.apple.Safari.plist file to C:\Downloads
- Uninstall Safari
- Delete the com.apple.Safari.plist file from “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
- Follow the “How to Install Apple Safari Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Copy the com.apple.Safari.plist file to “C:\Users\<userprofile>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\Preferences\”
How to Uninstall Apple Safari Silently
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Enter the following command:
Apple Safari 5.34.57.2 Silent Uninstall
MsiExec.exe /x {C779648B-410E-4BBA-B75B-5815BCEFE71D} /qn |
Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.