QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) is an open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) software that allows users to create, edit, visualize, analyze, and publish geospatial information. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of QGIS from the command line using both the MSI & EXE installers.
How to Install QGIS Silently
QGIS Silent Install (MSI)
- Navigate to: https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html
- Select the Standalone installer (MSI) of your choice
- Download the QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi 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: MsiExec.exe /i QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn
- Press Enter
After a few minutes you should see the QGIS Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | QGIS |
| Vendor: | QGIS.org |
| Architecture: | x86_x64 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | MsiExec.exe /i QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | MsiExec.exe /x QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Repair Command: | MsiExec.exe /fa QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Download Link: | https://download.qgis.org/downloads/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/qgis-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
QGIS 32-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://download.qgis.org/downloads/
- Select the 32-bit EXE version of your choice
- Download the QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86.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: QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86.exe /S
- Press Enter
After a few minutes you should see the QGIS Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | QGIS |
| Vendor: | QGIS Development Team |
| Architecture: | x86 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86.exe /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (32-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (64-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://download.qgis.org/downloads/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/qgis-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
QGIS 64-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://download.qgis.org/downloads/
- Select the 64-bit EXE version of your choice
- Download the QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86_64.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: QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86_64.exe /S
- Press Enter
After a few minutes you should see the QGIS Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | QGIS |
| Vendor: | QGIS Development Team |
| Architecture: | x64 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z-Setup-x86_64.exe /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://download.qgis.org/downloads/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/qgis-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
The information above provides a quick overview of the software title, vendor, silent install, and silent uninstall switches. The download link provided take you directly to the vendors website. Continue reading if you are interested in additional details and configurations.
Additional Configurations
Create a QGIS Installation Log File
The QGIS MSI installer offers the option to generate a log file during installation to assist with troubleshooting should any problems arise. You can use the following commands to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.
QGIS Silent Install with Logging (MSI)
MsiExec.exe /i QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\QGIS-Install.log" |
Exclude the QGIS Desktop Shortcut During Install
The QGIS 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.
QGIS Silent Install (MSI) with No Desktop Shortcut
MsiExec.exe /i QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi INSTALLDESKTOPSHORTCUTS=0 /qn |
How to Uninstall QGIS Silently
Check out the QGIS 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 one of the following commands:
QGIS Silent Uninstall (MSI)
MsiExec.exe /x QGIS-OSGeo4W-x.y.z.msi /qn |
QGIS 32-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 32-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
QGIS 32-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
QGIS 64-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\QGIS x.xx\uninstall.exe" /S |
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.