Beyond Compare is a data comparison utility. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Beyond Compare 4 from the command line using the EXE installer.
How to Install Beyond Compare 4 Silently
Beyond Compare 4 Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php
- Download the BCompare-4.x.y.z.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: BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Beyond Compare Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Beyond Compare 4 |
| Vendor: | Scooter Software |
| Version: | 4.x |
| Architecture: | x86_x64 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\Beyond Compare 4\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Download Link: | https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/beyond-compare-4-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
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 Beyond Compare 4 installer offers 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.
Beyond Compare 4 Silent Install (EXE) with Logging
BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /LOG="%WINDIR%\Temp\BCompare4-Install.log" |
Change Default Installation Directory
You can also change the default installation directory by using the following command line parameters. In this example, I’m installing Beyond Compare 4 to “C:\Beyond Compare 4”
BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /DIR="C:\Beyond Compare 4" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
Exclude Desktop Shortcut During Install
The Beyond Compare 4 installer creates a desktop shortcut by default. If you do not want the desktop shortcut, then you can run the following command line switches to exclude it.
Beyond Compare 4 Silent Install (EXE) with No Desktop Shortcut
BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /MERGETASKS=!desktopicon |
Activate Beyond Compare License Key During Silent Install
- Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
- Enter your Beyond Compare License Key into the text file
- Save the file to C:\Downloads and Name it BC4Key.txt
- 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: BCompare-4.x.y.z.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
- Press Enter
Note: The license key file (BC4Key.txt) will automatically get copied from the source directory (C:\Downloads) to the Beyond Compare installation directory during the installation.
How to Uninstall Beyond Compare 4 Silently
Check out the Beyond Compare 4 Install and Uninstall (PowerShell) post for a scripted solution.
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Enter the following command:
Beyond Compare 4 Silent Uninstall (EXE)
"%ProgramFiles%\Beyond Compare 4\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
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.