WinMerge is a free software tool for data comparison and merging of text-like files. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of WinMerge from the command line using the EXE installer.
How to Install WinMerge Silently
WinMerge 32-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://winmerge.org/downloads/
- Download the WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.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: WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
- Press Enter
After a minute or so you should see the WinMerge shortcuts in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | WinMerge (32-bit) |
| Vendor: | Thingamahoochie Software |
| Architecture: | x86 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (32-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (64-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\WinMerge\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Download Link: | https://winmerge.org/downloads/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/winmerge-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
| Detection Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/create-a-custom-detection-script-for-winmerge-powershell/ |
WinMerge 64-bit Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://winmerge.org/downloads/
- Download the WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.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: WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
- Press Enter
After a minute or so you should see the WinMerge shortcuts in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | WinMerge (64-bit) |
| Vendor: | Thingamahoochie Software |
| Architecture: | x64 |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
| Download Link: | https://winmerge.org/downloads/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/winmerge-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
| Detection Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/create-a-custom-detection-script-for-winmerge-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 WinMerge Installation Log File
The WinMerge 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.
WinMerge 32-bit Silent Install with Logging
WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /LOG="%WINDIR%\Temp\WinMerge32-Install.log" |
WinMerge 64-bit Silent Install with Logging
WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /LOG="%WINDIR%\Temp\WinMerge64-Install.log" |
Include the WinMerge Desktop Shortcut During Install
The WinMerge installer does NOT include a desktop shortcut by default. If you want the desktop shortcut included during installation, then you can run the following command line switch.
WinMerge 32-bit Silent Install with Desktop Shortcut
WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /MERGETASKS=desktopicon |
WinMerge 64-bit Silent Install with Desktop Shortcut
WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /MERGETASKS=desktopicon |
Change the WinMerge Default Installation Directory
You can also change the default installation directory by using the following command line parameters. In this example, I’m installing WinMerge to “C:\WinMerge”
WinMerge (32-bit)
WinMerge-x.y.z-Setup.exe /DIR="C:\WinMerge" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
WinMerge (64-bit)
WinMerge-x.y.z-x64-Setup.exe /DIR="C:\WinMerge" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
How to Uninstall WinMerge Silently
Check out the following posts 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:
WinMerge (32-bit) Silent Uninstall on 32-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
WinMerge (32-bit) Silent Uninstall on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\WinMerge\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART |
WinMerge (64-bit) Silent Uninstall on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\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.