Installing Applications before Logon

  • Thread starter Thread starter adamruston
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A

adamruston

Ok, let me start with my story. I want to use Microsoft's OSD to
deploy, but I have been told I am not allowed and I must use Altiris.
Grr. Ok. I am still using BDD to build and maintain images, ec,

My bg problem is, I don't want to baseline ANY applications and have a
core build.

In OSD, there was an option to install applications before login,
straight after mini-setup, a dialog box would appear telling the user
apps are being installed.

After readig about OSD, they have done this by pointing the Winlogon
handler to a custom .dll.

now I am not using OSD, can I do this easily?

ps We are talking virus checker installs, etc so they need to be
installed BEFORE logon.

Thanks,
 
I assume your normal users aren't allowed to install software. I can think of
a couple of ways you might be able to get round this:

Run the install as a service. Srvany might be of help here.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q137890/
-Obviously would have to to remove itself from service-list to prevent
repeats.

Or, set auto-logon credentials in the registry, so the computer starts with
the Adminstrator profile loaded. Launch the setup as Administrator, then
remove the autologon keys and force a logoff.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315231

AFAIUI, Microsoft don't approve of changes to Winlogon, although you can
patch into the shell-load which follows it, so your program has control
before the user does (and there's no desktop or startmenu so the user can't
interfere with much) Issue here of course is that it's no use doing so with
a limited account, so you'd also have to force logon as Administrator.

Some ideas anyway.
 
Thank you Ian. I willl look into the first method. I have looked at the
2nd one and as some of the apps are important to security then they
neded to be installed pre logon. The only problem wit this is that as
the UI isnt loaded by then, it is going to be tricky to show any dialog
boxes!
 
Ok, let me start with my story. I want to use Microsoft's OSD to
deploy, but I have been told I am not allowed and I must use Altiris.
Grr. Ok. I am still using BDD to build and maintain images, ec,

My bg problem is, I don't want to baseline ANY applications and have a
core build.

In OSD, there was an option to install applications before login,
straight after mini-setup, a dialog box would appear telling the user
apps are being installed.

After readig about OSD, they have done this by pointing the Winlogon
handler to a custom .dll.

now I am not using OSD, can I do this easily?

ps We are talking virus checker installs, etc so they need to be
installed BEFORE logon.
Click to expand...


But you've got Altiris, why not just use it??? Any time we get a PC
straight out of a box all we do is wack in a new entry for it based on
the MAC, and drag that entry to the "deploy SOE job", and that's it,
it's ready to go. That job dumps our Sysprep image on it, then does the
customisations to reverse Microsoft's Sysprep induced mutilations, then
based on what business unit container we've put the entry for that PC
into will then install the SOE software for that department, all prior
to any initial login. You don't even need to think about it any more
with Altiris, it's a beautiful system, why your resistance towards it?

Then again I'm assuming you do have the Deployment Server component of
Altiris, but without that you wouldn't be using Altiris for deployments,
so I'm guessing that's a safe bet.
 
Hunter01,

Very true and that is a good option I have never thought of as yet.

(Yes we are using Deployment Server 6.5 SP2)

The problem is as I am working in a corporate with about 5000 users, we
must use SMS to deploy packages. There is no way i can use any other
program to deploy software. My idea was to run a vbscript which
pulled/initiated jobs from SMS, in turn installing the software from a
centralised upto date location. So for example, if the virus checker is
updated, iut is sent out on the new image, without having to touch the
baselined image.

I could of course launch the script from Altiris... do you know, if i
set this up, can the user login while the apps are installed? Whichever
method i use, the user should not be allowed to login until core apps
are installed.

Thanks again
 
Hunter01,

Very true and that is a good option I have never thought of as yet.

(Yes we are using Deployment Server 6.5 SP2)

The problem is as I am working in a corporate with about 5000 users, we
must use SMS to deploy packages. There is no way i can use any other
program to deploy software. My idea was to run a vbscript which
pulled/initiated jobs from SMS, in turn installing the software from a
centralised upto date location. So for example, if the virus checker is
updated, iut is sent out on the new image, without having to touch the
baselined image.

I could of course launch the script from Altiris... do you know, if i
set this up, can the user login while the apps are installed? Whichever
method i use, the user should not be allowed to login until core apps
are installed.

Thanks again
Click to expand...


Not 100% sure, most apps we use are happy to be installed while the user
is actually logged in, and we've not had the issue come up where we
don't want them to do so.

The initial installation of the machine is a time where we don't like
them doing so, as there is a lot more happening than just software
install and like yourself we also don't really want them logging in
until the virus scanning software is installed, but generally we ask
them not to and they don't. I'll have a look tomorrow at work and see if
there's a way to "lock" the stations with Altiris until all that fun
stuff is done and get back to you.
 
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