Silent Installation for BricsCAD on Windows
Quick answer: Silent installation runs BricsCAD’s MSI installer with no on-screen prompts, useful for scripted or mass deployment across multiple machines. It requires administrator rights and follows the pattern msiexec /i "installer.msi" /qn, with optional flags for the install folder, shortcuts, and licensing.
The Base Command
Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as an administrator and run:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn /norestart
Replace the filename with your actual installer. /qn runs the install with no UI; /norestart stops it from rebooting the machine automatically afterwards.
Tip: On Windows 10 and later, shift-right-click the folder containing the installer in File Explorer and choose Open PowerShell window here to skip manually changing directory.
Optional Flags
Add any of these to the base command as needed:
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
ADDDESKTOPSHORTCUT="" |
Suppresses the desktop shortcut |
SHOWRELEASENOTES="" |
Suppresses the release notes display on completion |
APPLICATIONFOLDER="your_app_folder" |
Installs to a custom folder instead of the default |
REBOOT=ReallySuppress |
An alternative way to suppress the post-install restart |
Licensing Flags
These four work together to activate or point to a licence during a silent install:
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
BRXLICENSEDESTFILE="path" |
Where the licence file is stored. Defaults to C:\ProgramData\Bricsys |
BRXLICENSEKEY="your_license_key" |
Activates a licence key and stores it in the BRXLICENSEDESTFILE folder |
BRXLICENSEFILE="your_license_file" |
Copies an existing licence file into the BRXLICENSEDESTFILE folder |
BRXLICENSESERVER="host" or "port@host" |
Points to a network licence server; default port is 5053 if not specified |
BRXLICENSEDESTFILE only matters if you’re also using one of the other three; on its own it does nothing.
Example Commands
Suppress the desktop shortcut:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn ADDDESKTOPSHORTCUT=""
Suppress the desktop shortcut and the release notes:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn ADDDESKTOPSHORTCUT="" SHOWRELEASENOTES=""
Install and activate a licence key in one step:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn BRXLICENSEDESTFILE="C:\ProgramData\Bricsys\BricsCAD.lic" BRXLICENSEKEY="****-****-****-****-****"
Copy an existing licence file into place:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn BRXLICENSEFILE="D:\BricsCAD.lic" BRXLICENSEDESTFILE="C:\ProgramData\Bricsys\BricsCAD.lic"
Point to a network licence server:
msiexec /i "BricsCAD-Vxx.x.xx-x-en_US(x64).msi" /qn BRXLICENSESERVER="port@host" BRXLICENSEDESTFILE="C:\ProgramData\Bricsys\BricsCAD.lic"
A Legacy Flag You Probably Don’t Need
INSTALLVBA="0" (or INSTALLVBA="") skips installing VBA, but only applies to 32-bit installs, and the 32-bit build was only ever available for BricsCAD V20 and earlier. Current versions, including V26, are 64-bit only, so this flag has no effect on a modern install.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need administrator rights to run a silent install? Yes, this is required regardless of which optional flags you use.
Does the INSTALLVBA flag apply to BricsCAD V26? No. It’s tied to 32-bit installs, which stopped being available after V20. V26 is 64-bit only.
Where can I find every msiexec option, not just BricsCAD-specific ones? Run msiexec /? in the command prompt, or see Microsoft’s own documentation for the msiexec command.