Hello all, I have a question on software installation
packages and whether or not to define the settings in the
User part of the GP or the computer part of the GP. I
have tried both ways and they both seem to work pretty
well, but is one or the other better to deploy software
packages in? I have seen a lot of people writing in about
applying software packages in the computer part of the
GP, but i have been using the user part almost always and
wonder if I am doing it the right way. Any help would be
much appreciated. Thank you.

It depends on your needs. You may not want the app to be readily available
for every user that logs on. In that case you would assign it based on the
user. If you want the app to be available on each computer for all users
then you can assign it to the computer. See the chart below for more
information about the differences.

Table 1. Publishing and Assigning Software


Publish to Users Assign to Users Assign to Computers
After the administrator deploys the software, it is available for
installation: If an application is deployed in a GPO that is already
applied to the user from a previous logon, it is available for installation
in the current logon session (from the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel).
If the application is deployed in a new GPO that is not already associated
with the user, then it is available at the next logon. If an application is
deployed in a GPO that is already applied to the user from a previous logon,
it is available for installation in the current logon session (from the
Add/Remove Programs Control Panel). If the application is deployed in a new
GPO that is not already associated with the user, then it is available at
the next logon. The next time the computer starts (reboot).
Typically, users install the software from: The Add/Remove Programs
in Control Panel. Start menu shortcut.
Desktop shortcut.
Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. The software is already
installed.
If the software is not installed and the user opens a file associated
with the software, will the application install? Yes Yes The software is
already installed.
Can the users remove the software using the Add/Remove Programs in
Control Panel? Yes. Users can re-install the application from the
Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Yes. The software will be
re-advertised immediately. This means that the shortcuts will be present in
the users' desktops and they can re-install the application by clicking on a
shortcut, for example. No. Only the local administrator can remove the
software. A user can run a repair on the software.

Supported installation file types: Windows Installer packages (.msi
files), and ZAP files. Windows Installer packages (.msi files) Windows
Installer packages (.msi files)


--
--
Tim Hines, MCSE, MCSA
Windows 2000 Directory Services

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"mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:058701c36052$f2b77540$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello all, I have a question on software installation
> packages and whether or not to define the settings in the
> User part of the GP or the computer part of the GP. I
> have tried both ways and they both seem to work pretty
> well, but is one or the other better to deploy software
> packages in? I have seen a lot of people writing in about
> applying software packages in the computer part of the
> GP, but i have been using the user part almost always and
> wonder if I am doing it the right way. Any help would be
> much appreciated. Thank you.

>-----Original Message-----
>Hello all, I have a question on software installation
>packages and whether or not to define the settings in
the
>User part of the GP or the computer part of the GP. I
>have tried both ways and they both seem to work pretty
>well, but is one or the other better to deploy software
>packages in? I have seen a lot of people writing in
about
>applying software packages in the computer part of the
>GP, but i have been using the user part almost always
and
>wonder if I am doing it the right way. Any help would be
>much appreciated. Thank you.
>.
Mark,

As Tim wrote, it depends on your needs. Here is how I
normally set up clients:

1) install AD Server
2) make sure that DNS ( AD Integrated ) is working
correctly and that all client PCs are pointing to my
internal DDNS
3) create a folder for "holding" my applications
4) create a "sub-folder" for each application that I am
going to install via GPO
5) make the Administrative Installations - if needed - in
the appropriate folders
6) create the appropriate OUs | sub-OUs
7) move the user accounts | computer accounts to the
appropriate OU | sub-OU
8) make the appropriate GPOs

Here is where your question comes in...

For example, I typically Advanced Assign Office 2000 to
the User Configuration. Thus, no matter where that user
goes, he/she has the appropriate Office Applications. I
typically create a .mst file that dictates which Office
Applications are applied.

Please note, that you could just as easily assign Office
2000 to the computer configuration. In this situation,
no matter who logs on to this computer he/she will have
Office 2000 as it was installed on the machine.

I also typically publish Adobe Acrobat to the user
configuration. I do this because with this set up each
user - on no matter what computer he?she logs on - needs
to go to Add or Remove Programs | New Programs and
install it there...

Now, if you are going to do anything to the computer
configuration you have but one choice: ASSIGN.

However, if you are going to do anything to the user
configuration, you have both choices: ASSIGN or PUBLISH.

If you choose the user configuration you need to be sure
that the user has the proper permissions to install the
software. You can "ensure" that this is the case by
selecting the "always install with elevated privileges"...

HTH,

Cary