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Automating installation Rhino for Windows: Scripted Install
Rhino 7, 8 and later install from a single executable installer, and can be fully automated.
setup.exe [Action] [Option] [Parameters]
Note: “setup.exe” shown above is a place holder for the current Rhino installer file,
e.g. [rhino_en-us_7.#…exe]
Offline Installation:
If you are deploying in an environment where the client computers do not have internet access, follow these instructions for installing offline before deployment.
Command line options:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| -package | (default) install |
| -uninstall | uninstall |
| -repair | repair (or install if not installed) |
| -layout | create a local image of the bootstrapper for offline install |
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -quiet | perform action without any user interface. |
| if a reboot is required, system will restart without prompting | |
| -passive | perform action with progress bar interface |
| -norestart | suppress any restarts |
| -promptrestart | (default) prompt if a restart is required |
| Parameters | Description |
|---|---|
| All parameters are optional | |
| LICENSE_METHOD | One of: STANDALONE, ZOO (leave blank for Cloud Zoo) |
| LICENSE_KEY | The license key to install (required if LICENSE_METHOD=STANDALONE) |
| LICENSE_VALIDATION_CODE | Validation code for your Rhino license |
| ZOO_SERVER | IP or FQDN of Zoo server to query |
| INSTALLDIR | Full path to folder where Rhino will be installed |
| CUSTOMER_NAME | Customer name to show in splash screen |
| COMPANY_NAME | Company name to show in splash screen |
| SEND_STATISTICS | 1 = send anonymous installation statistics to McNeel (default) |
| 0 = do not send | |
| ENABLE_AUTOMATIC_UPDATES (New in Rhino 6.15) | 1 = allow the installer to check for and download updates. |
| 0 = do not allow automatic updates and sending usage statistics | |
| DISABLE_INTERNET_ACCESS (new in Rhino 6.15) | 1 = Disable all internet access for the installer, Rhino, and McNeel Updates. This disables all internet access from Rhino, including automatic updates detection and download, sending anonymous usage statistics, online help, splash screen news and tips, downloading of rendering textures, access to the Cloud Zoo, and other features that try to access the internet. |
| 0 (default) = allow all internet access |
Language Options
Set to 1 to install the language, 0 to not install. The language of the installer you downloaded will install by default unless set to 0. If you download the French installer and run it with only INSTALL_EN=1, you will get both English and French.
| Language Parameters | Description |
|---|---|
| INSTALL_EN | English |
| INSTALL_CN | Simplified Chinese |
| INSTALL_CS | Czech |
| INSTALL_DE | German |
| INSTALL_ES | Spanish |
| INSTALL_FR | French |
| INSTALL_IT | Italian |
| INSTALL_JA | Japanese |
| INSTALL_KO | Korean |
| INSTALL_PL | Polish |
| INSTALL_PT | Portuguese |
| INSTALL_RU | Russian |
| INSTALL_TW | Traditional Chinese |
Examples
rhino_en-us_7.#.#####.#####.exe -package -passive LICENSE_METHOD=ZOO ZOO_SERVER=10.0.0.1 INSTALL_FR=1 INSTALL_DE=1
Examples
Here is an example of a passive command line install. rhino_en-us_8.28.26041.11001.exe -package -passive -norestart LICENSE_METHOD=ZOO ZOO_SERVER=zoo.mcneel.com Please fill in your own ZOO_SERVER
The Rhino exe is in the Downloads folder.
Prepare for Install
- If you have already Rhino installed, uninstall it. ← very important
- Clear out any old lic files that will not longer be used.
Lan Zoo C:\ProgramData\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager\Licenses
Cloud Zoo C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager\Licenses <user> is the current user name
- For easy updates use your fully qualified DNS name for the server.
Test the Scripted Install
1. Passive so you do not get messages “like Rhino is already installed” You need to uninstall Rhino after every test run of the command line install. Consider not using -passive until you have this working.
2. Open the Windows Terminal application as ADMINISTRATOR. The scripted install requires the ADMIN rights level.
3. In the Terminal app, change directories into the Download or other folder where the EXE is located. For example cd\users\jim\downloads where Jim is the user.
4. From the Downloads folder where the Rhino exe is located, run the scripted install: For us the version of Rhino 8 and the options we selected gave us this line to paste into Terminal:
rhino_en-us_X.XX.xxxxx.xxxx.exe -package -passive -norestart LICENSE_METHOD=ZOO ZOO_SERVER=zoo.mcneel.com
Note: consider not using *-passive* is you are trouble shooting.
Rhino LAN Zoo Lic C:\ProgramData\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager\Licenses
Note:
- In a manual install, the lic is created the first time Rhino is run.
- In the scripted install the .lic is created and then Rhino runs without opening the dialog to configure the licensing.
Helpful Locations
Zoo Registry Keys:
Rhino 6,7,8
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager → Server = your Zoo server
Rhino 5
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\McNeel\Rhinoceros\5.0\License Manager → Server = your Zoo server
Low level user/manual install:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager → Server = your Zoo server
Zoo Server Install Keys:
- Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\McNeel\Zoo\5.0
rhino/installingrhino/7.txt · Last modified: 2026/06/11 by maryfugier
