FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced Network Install Setup Guide
Network Install Setup Guide
About this guide
This guide explains how to configure the installation of FileMaker® Pro 18 Advanced over a network on multiple computers. For information on installing the software on individual computers, see FileMaker Pro Advanced Installation Guide.
For additional FileMaker documentation, visit the Product Documentation Center.
About the license certificate file
To install FileMaker Pro Advanced software on multiple computers, you receive a license certificate (.fmcert) file. This file is available for you to download, along with the FileMaker Pro Advanced installer, depending on how you purchased FileMaker Pro Advanced:
- If you purchased FileMaker Pro Advanced as a download from the FileMaker Store website, you received an email message with a link to your Electronic Software Download page. Your license certificate file is available from that page. Don't lose your license certificate file; keep it in a safe place in case you need to reinstall the software.
- If you signed up for a FileMaker Cloud subscription or free trial, this file is available from the Subscription page in FileMaker Customer Console.
You must have a valid license certificate file to install the software. Otherwise, you can install the software only as a trial.
Before you install FileMaker Pro Advanced, the license certificate file must be copied to the same folder as the installer. If more than one license certificate file is present in this folder, the installer uses the first valid one it finds. To ensure the one you intend is used, put only one license certificate file in the installer folder.
All use of this software is subject to the terms of your license agreement. Refer to the FileMaker Pro Advanced Software License you received with your purchase.
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced in Windows
Before you install FileMaker Pro Advanced, have the license certificate file ready. See About the license certificate file.
For information about whether to install the 32- or 64-bit version of FileMaker Pro Advanced, see Installation Guide.
Note:Users must have Windows administrator privileges to install FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Choosing an installation method (Windows)
Before you configure your installation, decide how you want to install the software. The installation method determines how personalized information is entered when users install FileMaker Pro Advanced.
For some installation methods, you can edit the file, Assisted Install.txt, to provide the personalized information before users install the product. See About the personalization file.
| Installation method | How personalization information is supplied to the installer |
|---|---|
| Interactive installation | Users are prompted by the installer. See Installation Guide. |
| Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced using a networked volume (Windows)—Recommended method | Edit Assisted Install.txt to standardize all networked FileMaker Pro Advanced installations. This method lets you customize the installation and eliminates the need to distribute and administer license certificates. |
| Installing from the command line with msiexec (Windows) | Users or scripts provide the personalized information at the command line. |
| Setting up silent assisted installations (Windows) | Edit the Assisted Install.txt file before performing a silent installation. User interaction with the FileMaker Pro Advanced installer is kept to a minimum. The installer reads personalization information from the file, and installation screens do not display. |
| Saving personalization information in the .msi installer (Windows) | Embed personalization information directly in the installer .msi file. Because the changes persist in your .msi file, you can remove the Assisted Install.txt file. |
About installing the required Microsoft components (Windows)
For FileMaker Pro Advanced to run, users must have specific versions of these Microsoft software components installed on their computers:
- .NET Framework
- Visual C++ libraries and the Windows Runtime (provided in the Visual C++ Redistributable Package)
The required Windows updates must also be installed. See FileMaker Pro Advanced technical specifications.
If you use Setup.exe (in silent or full user interface mode) and the required Microsoft components aren't installed, Setup.exe runs the included Microsoft installers for these components. The FileMaker Pro Advanced installer continues after it detects that the Microsoft components are installed.
Note:The Microsoft installers for these components require Internet access to download the necessary files.
However, if you use the .msi file, make sure these Microsoft components are installed before users start FileMaker Pro Advanced. The .msi file installs FileMaker Pro Advanced without checking whether the components are installed, but FileMaker Pro Advanced won't run without them.
If necessary, users can install the Microsoft components manually:
- Open the FileMaker Pro Advanced installation folder.
-
Open the Files folder, then:
To install Do this .NET Framework - Open the DotNet folder.
- Double-click the icon.
Visual C++ Redistributable Package - Open the Redist folder.
- If you use the 64-bit version of FileMaker Pro Advanced, double-click the x64 icon. Otherwise, double-click the x86 icon.
- Follow the onscreen instructions.
- Install the required Windows updates for the Microsoft components.
About installing Bonjour (Windows)
The Bonjour service must be installed for hosts on your local network to be discovered. If Bonjour isn't installed or if the Bonjour service isn't running, users won't be able to view hosted files on your local network in the Hosts dialog box. Without Bonjour, they must manually enter the names or IP addresses for hosts on your local network.
Using Setup.exe (in silent or full user interface mode) installs Bonjour automatically; using the .msi file does not. Users can also install Bonjour manually. See Installation Guide.
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced using a networked volume (Windows)
To make FileMaker Pro Advanced installation files available on your network:
- Create an installer folder on a networked volume for the installation files.
- In your software download, locate the installation files in the Files folder. Then, copy the files to the folder you created on your networked volume.
-
Copy the license certificate file to the installer folder you created (where the .msi file is). See About the license certificate file.
- To set up an assisted installation, edit the Assisted Install.txt file located in the installer folder you created, and save the changes as plain text. See About the personalization file.
To install FileMaker Pro Advanced, tell users to:
- Mount the volume containing the installation files.
- Double-click Setup.exe.
Installing from the command line with msiexec (Windows)
Users can install FileMaker Pro Advanced from the command line without using Assisted Install.txt. A command line installation requires you to run the Command Prompt as administrator.
- Copy the license certificate file to the same folder that the .msi file is in. See About the license certificate file
- Choose Start menu, then search for Command Prompt. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
-
In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, enter a command.
For example:
msiexec -i "ProductName.msi" AI_USERNAME="John Lee" AI_ORGANIZATION="FileMaker, Inc."Property names must be in all-uppercase letters. The user name and organization properties are optional. See Setting personalization properties in Assisted Install.txt.
If the .msi file is on a mapped network drive, you may need to enter
net use * \\server\sharein the Command Prompt window first so that the command above can access the mapped network drive.Alternatively, you can create your own script that performs the command, then run your script on users' computers.
Note:For more information about msiexec, see msdn.microsoft.com.
Setting up silent assisted installations (Windows)
Users can perform a silent installation, which keeps interaction with the FileMaker Pro Advanced installer to a minimum. Required installation information is read from the Assisted Install.txt file, and installation screens aren't displayed. See About the personalization file.
- Copy the license certificate file to the same folder that the .msi file is in. See About the license certificate file
- Choose Start menu, then search for Command Prompt. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
-
In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, enter a command.
To In a command window, type Install without a user interface (silent installation) "pathname\setup.exe" /qnUninstall without a user interface (silent uninstallation) "pathname\setup.exe" /x /qnInstall when required—advertise to current user (silent advertised installation) "pathname\setup.exe" /q /juInstall when required—advertise to all users (silent advertised installation) "pathname\setup.exe" /q /jmInstall and display a dialog box indicating whether the software was successfully installed "pathname\setup.exe" /qn+Install and display a progress bar and Cancel button during installation "pathname\setup.exe" /qb+Install to a non-default location on the user's computer "pathname\setup.exe" /qb+ INSTALLDIR="installpath"
Alternatively, you can create your own script that performs one of these commands, then run your script on users' computers.
Notes
- pathname is the location of the installer folder you created on the networked volume. If pathname is for a mapped network drive, you may need to enter
net use * \\server\sharein the Command Prompt window first so that the commands above can access the mapped network drive. -
installpath is the desired location of the FileMaker product folder on the user's computer. The path cannot contain spaces unless it is enclosed by double quotation marks. The following example path would install into the FileMaker Pro Advanced folder inside the Applications folder on drive C:
"C:\Applications\FileMaker Pro Advanced" - The installer will reboot the computer if required.
Saving personalization information in the .msi installer (Windows)
You can embed personalization information in the .msi installer. If you choose this method, make sure that you make no other changes to the .msi file.
You use the Microsoft Orca editor for this task. See msdn.microsoft.com.
- Copy the license certificate file to the same folder that the .msi file is in. See About the license certificate file
- Use Orca to open the .msi file.
-
In the Property table, enter values for the properties you want to set.
See Setting personalization properties in Assisted Install.txt.
- Save the .msi file.
- Tell users to run the installer by double-clicking the Setup.exe file located on the mounted volume, by using the command line, or by running a script that you create.
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced updates (Windows)
Users can check for updates and install them within FileMaker Pro Advanced by choosing Help menu > Check for Updates, unless this feature has been disabled (see Setting personalization properties in Assisted Install.txt). Users must have an Internet connection and Windows administrator privileges to update FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Alternatively, you can download the updater and install it manually, or from the command line, or using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
To install an update manually:
- Download the ProductUpdaterName.exe file from FileMaker Downloads and Resources.
- Quit FileMaker Pro Advanced.
-
Double-click the ProductUpdaterName.exe file.
The files are extracted to a folder in the same location as the .exe file, then the updater starts.
- Follow the onscreen instructions.
- Quit the updater and open FileMaker Pro Advanced.
- To verify that the update was successful, choose Help menu > About FileMaker Pro Advanced and check the version number.
To install an update from the command line:
- Follow steps 1 to 3 for a manual installation, but click Cancel after the files are extracted.
- In the folder that's created, locate the Setup.exe file.
-
Follow the instructions in Setting up silent assisted installations (Windows) to run Setup.exe with the
/qn,/qn+, or/qb+command-line switch.The updater doesn't support the other switches.
To install an update using Microsoft SCCM:
- Follow steps 1 to 3 for a manual installation, but click Cancel after the files are extracted.
- In the folder that's created, locate the ProductUpdaterName.msp file under Files\Files.
-
In SCCM, create an update package that includes ProductUpdaterName.msp. In the package setup, use the following command line for a silent installation:
msiexec.exe /p ProductUpdaterName.msp /qn - Deploy the package.
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced in macOS
Before you install FileMaker Pro Advanced, have the license certificate file ready. See About the license certificate file.
Note:Users must have macOS administrator privileges to install FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Choosing an installation method (macOS)
Before you configure your installation, decide how you want to install the software. The installation method determines how personalized information is entered when users install FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Note:For some installation methods, you can edit the file, Assisted Install.txt, to provide the personalized information before users install the product. See About the personalization file.
| Installation method | How personalization information is supplied to the installer |
|---|---|
| Interactive installation | Users are prompted by the installer. See Installation Guide. |
| Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced using a networked volume (macOS)—Recommended method | Edit Assisted Install.txt to standardize all networked FileMaker Pro Advanced installations. This method lets you customize the installation and eliminates the need to distribute and administer license certificate files. |
| Setting up silent assisted installations using Apple Remote Desktop (macOS) | Edit Assisted Install.txt to provide personalized information, run a script to create a personalized .pkg file, then install the .pkg file using Apple Remote Desktop. |
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced using a networked volume (macOS)
To make FileMaker Pro Advanced installation files available on your network, first create a disk image (.dmg file) for the installation files, then copy the disk image to your networked volume.
- Create an installer folder for the installation files.
-
Locate the following files in the software download folder, then copy them to the installer folder:
- the installer application, ProductName.pkg
- the personalization file, Assisted Install.txt
- the registration tool, Registration.app
- the License Agreements folder, which contains the license.rtf files
Note:To locate Registration.app, you must show hidden files. In Finder, press Command-Shift-. (period). Repeat to hide hidden files.
-
Copy the license certificate file to the installer folder you created. See About the license certificate file.
- To set up an assisted installation, edit the Assisted Install.txt file and save the changes as plain text. See About the personalization file.
- Create a disk image for the installer folder that contains the installer application, the personalization file, and the registration tool. For information about creating disk images, see macOS Help.
- Copy the new installer disk image (.dmg file) to your networked volume.
Note:In macOS, the installer installs FileMaker Pro Advanced to use the same language as the current macOS system language. Users who want to install FileMaker Pro Advanced with a different language should use System Preferences to change the macOS language before installing FileMaker Pro Advanced.
To install FileMaker Pro Advanced, tell users to:
- Mount the volume containing the installation files.
- Double-click the disk image (.dmg file) on the networked volume.
- Double-click the ProductName.pkg installer application.
Setting up silent assisted installations using Apple Remote Desktop (macOS)
Users can perform a silent installation, which keeps interaction with the FileMaker Pro Advanced installer to a minimum. Required installation information is read from the Assisted Install.txt file, and installation screens aren't displayed. See About the personalization file.
After you edit Assisted Install.txt, you can create a personalized .pkg file that you can install using Apple Remote Desktop.
- Follow steps 1 to 4 in Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced using a networked volume (macOS) to set up the installer folder and personalization file.
- Download the Apple Remote Desktop Deployment script for FileMaker Pro Advanced. The script is in the fmp_osx_deployment.zip file on the Product Documentation Center.
- Double-click the fmp_osx_deployment.zip file to extract the Apple Remote Desktop Deployment script (AppleRemoteDesktopDeployment.sh).
- In /Applications/Utilities, start Terminal.
- Type
cd "<path to script>", then press Return. - Type
sudo chmod +x ./AppleRemoteDesktopDeployment.sh, then press Return. When prompted to provide a password, enter an administrator password. -
Type
./AppleRemoteDesktopDeployment.sh "<path to installer folder>", then press Return.The script creates a personalized .pkg file in the installer folder.
- Use Apple Remote Desktop to install the .pkg file. See Apple Remote Desktop Help.
Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced updates (macOS)
Users can check for updates and install them within FileMaker Pro Advanced by choosing Help menu > Check for Updates, unless this feature has been disabled (see Setting personalization properties in Assisted Install.txt). Users must have an Internet connection and macOS administrator privileges to update FileMaker Pro Advanced.
Alternatively, you can:
- Download the updated full installer from your Electronic Software Download page or from the Subscription page in FileMaker Customer Console. (See About the license certificate file.) To install the updated version, see Installing FileMaker Pro Advanced in macOS.
- Download the updater from FileMaker Downloads and Resources, and copy it to a networked volume. Tell users to mount the volume containing the installation files, then double-click the disk image (.dmg file) on the networked volume and double-click the installer application.
About the personalization file
An assisted installation eases installation of FileMaker Pro Advanced in a multiple-computer environment. You enter installation options into a personalization file and make the file available on your network. FileMaker Pro Advanced then installs without user intervention.
The personalization file, Assisted Install.txt, is used by the FileMaker Pro Advanced installer in Windows and in macOS, but the Assisted Install.txt files are platform-specific and cannot be interchanged.
Note:The ProductName.pdf file is a plain text file that conforms to the Microsoft Package Definition File format. This file is required for mass deployment of FileMaker Pro Advanced via the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Don't edit this file unless you are using SCCM for installation. In that case, after creating the installer package, open the ProductName.pdf properties. In the General tab, for Command line, type setup.exe /S/qn, click OK, then perform the installation.
Setting personalization properties in Assisted Install.txt
Note:Property names (AI_*) must be in all-uppercase letters. Variable settings aren't case sensitive.
| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| Accept or don't accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) | Type one of the following after AI_LICENSE_ACCEPTED=
If you keep the default of 0 (zero), the installation completes, but users will be asked to accept the EULA terms the first time they start FileMaker Pro Advanced. See Setting up silent assisted installations (Windows) and Setting up silent assisted installations using Apple Remote Desktop (macOS). |
| Enter a user name | Type a name after AI_USERNAME= If you leave this variable blank, the installer defaults to the name that was used to register Windows (Windows) or the account user name (macOS). |
| Enter a company name | Type a name after AI_ORGANIZATION= Windows: If you leave this variable blank, the installer defaults to the name that was used to register Windows. |
| Enter a valid license key, if you received one | Type your license key after AI_LICENSEKEY= |
| Windows: Specify the language version of FileMaker Pro Advanced | Type the name of the language after AI_LANGUAGE= Valid entries are:
This setting works only when users perform a silent assisted installation. See Setting up silent assisted installations (Windows). macOS: There is no AI_LANGUAGE property. The FileMaker Pro Advanced installer uses the current language setting from the user's operating system. |
| Windows: Specify whether FileMaker Pro Advanced is available to all users or to the current user only | Type one of the following after AI_APPLICATIONUSERS=
|
| Prevent or allow users to create new databases | Type one of the following after AI_NONEWDATABASES=
|
| Windows: Create a shortcut for FileMaker Pro Advanced on the desktop and in the Quick Launch toolbar | Type one of the following after AI_SHORTCUTS=
See the note at the end of this table for more information. |
| Suppress or display electronic registration | Type one of the following after AI_REGISTRATION=
The FileMaker Pro Advanced installer won't prompt users to enter registration information. |
| Suppress or display the personalization dialog box during installation | Type one of the following after AI_SKIPDIALOG=
See the note after this table for more information. |
| Disable or enable the Software Update dialog box | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEUPDATENOTIFY=
|
| Disable or enable the New Version Notification dialog box | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEVERSIONNOTIFY=
|
| Disable or enable option for plug-ins to be installed by solution files | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEPLUGINS=
Note:Some solution files may require plug-ins to work properly. Contact the solution developer. For more information about installing and updating plug-ins, see Help. |
| Hide or show the Enable ODBC/JDBC command | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEXDBC=
|
| Hide or show the Configure for FileMaker WebDirect command | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEIWP=
|
| Disable or enable the FileMaker Pro Advanced development and deployment features | Type one of the following after AI_DISABLEADVANCEDTOOLS=
For more information about these features, see Help. |
| Open a custom app when FileMaker Pro Advanced starts | Type the path of the file after AI_LAUNCH_CUSTOMAPP= The path must be in the special FileMaker format for a full path to a local file or to a hosted file:
The |
Note:In Windows, the AI_SHORTCUTS and AI_SKIPDIALOG properties determine whether the installer prompts the user to create a shortcut.
| AI_SHORTCUTS= | AI_SKIPDIALOG= | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | No prompt. Creates a shortcut. |
| 0 | 1 | No prompt. Doesn't create a shortcut. |
| 1 | 0 | A dialog box is displayed. The options for creating shortcuts are selected in the dialog box. |
| 0 | 0 | A dialog box is displayed. The options for creating shortcuts aren't selected in the dialog box. |
Preventing users from creating database files
You can set a property, AI_NONEWDATABASES, that prevents users from creating FileMaker Pro Advanced databases. If the option is set, FileMaker Pro Advanced displays an alert message when users:
- choose File menu > Create New
- create a file in the Create window
- export to a FileMaker Pro Advanced file
- choose File menu > Save a Copy As
- open the New File dialog box
- recover a FileMaker Pro Advanced file
- convert a file (like tab-delimited or FileMaker Pro .fp7) to a new FileMaker Pro Advanced file
- execute an Apple event to open a file in another format
- execute the Apple events do menu command to create a file
- perform a script that does any of the above
- choose a custom menu item that does any of the above
To create databases, users must reinstall FileMaker Pro Advanced with the AI_NONEWDATABASES property set to 0.