Vim is a clone, with additions, of Bill Joy’s vi text editor program for Unix. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Vim from the command line using both the EXE & MSI installers.
How to Install Vim Silently
Vim 32-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Download the Vim 32-bit EXE Installer
- Download the 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: gvim_x.y.zzzz_x86.exe /S
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Vim Desktop Shortcuts appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Vim (32-bit) |
| Vendor: | Bram Moolenaar |
| Architecture: | x86 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | gvim_x.y.zzzz_x86.exe /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (32-bit OS) | "%ProgramFiles%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (64-bit OS) | "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://github.com/vim/vim-win32-installer/releases |
Vim 64-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Download the Vim 64-bit EXE Installer
- Download the x64 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: gvim_x.y.zzzz_x64.exe /S
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Vim Desktop Shortcuts appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Vim (64-bit) |
| Vendor: | Bram Moolenaar |
| Architecture: | x64 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | gvim_x.y.zzzz_x64.exe /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://github.com/vim/vim-win32-installer/releases |
Vim Silent Install (MSI)
- Download the Vim MSI Installer
- Download the 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 vim-x.y.z.msi /qn
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Vim Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Vim |
| Vendor: | Bram Moolenaar |
| Architecture: | x86_x64 |
| Installer Type: | MSI |
| Silent Install Switch: | MsiExec.exe /i vim-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | MsiExec.exe /x vim-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Repair Command: | MsiExec.exe /fa vim-x.y.z.msi /qn |
| Download Link: | https://github.com/petrkle/vim-msi/releases |
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 Vim 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 command to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.
Vim Silent Install (MSI) with Logging
MsiExec.exe /i vim-x.y.z.msi /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\Vim-Install.log" |
How to Uninstall Vim Silently
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Enter one of the following commands:
Vim 32-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 32-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
Vim 32-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
Vim 64-bit Silent Uninstall (EXE) on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\Vim\vimXY\uninstall-gui.exe" /S |
Vim Silent Uninstall (MSI)
MsiExec.exe /x vim-x.y.z.msi /qn |
Vim Silent Uninstall (MSI) with Logging
MsiExec.exe /x vim-x.y.z.msi /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\Vim-Uninstall.log" |
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.