Legacy application installations

[Mike_g]

David,
If I follow your path I need to distribute a batch file to thousands of
computers instead of just using one copy on the mapped drive. And it's sole
purpose is to map drive after you change security context.
There must be a better way!

i have been on the Script Center page before. Are you referring to the
Elevation Power Toys? Of something else.
- Mike

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the reply.

According to your description, your purpose is that you want to distribute
the arbortext.msi to thousands of computers instead of just using one copy
on the mapped driver.

Based on the further research, I find a better way to distribute the msi
file, just for your reference.

Analysis and Suggestion:
=========================

We may create a new Group Policy Object on the domain controller, and
configure Software installation to assign or to publish software to all the
computers (Computer Configuration\Software Settings\Software Installation)
within a domain. It is best practice to be able to deploy software based on
group membership. We can link the GPO to the domain level to deploy to all
the computers within the domain. In this way, there is no need for us to
write a script or map a driver.

For you convenience, I have list the general steps to configure the
software installation policy as follow.

General Steps:
===============

1. Create a software package folder as a distribution point

Please note:

If the application installation file resides on the local hard disk of the
server, please do not use a local path. Instead, use the UNC
path of the local computer to indicate the location of the installation
files. An example of UNC path takes the form like
\\servername\sharename\path\filename.msi.

2. Grant "Domain Computers" group with full control both share and NTFS
security permission on the software package folder.

3. Create a Group Policy object (GPO) for the customer application software
deployments.

Please refer to:

How to assign software to a specific group by using Group Policy in Windows
Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324750

4. Deploy file from the shared distribution folder as machine-assigned
Group Policy (Computer Configuration\Software Settings\Software
Installation)

Please refer to:

How to assign software to a specific group by using Group Policy
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302430

6. After the deployment of Group Policy, please run "gpupdate /force" on
both domain controller and clients to refresh the Group Policy.

7. You may reset the clients to wait for the processing of Group policy to
deploy the customer software.

For more detailed information, you may refer to:

How to use Windows Installer and Group Policy to deploy the VPModule.msi in
an Active Directory domain
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887405

Hope it helps.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

 

[Mike_g]

David,
We have hundreds of different applications to install over many different
computers.
We only install on the systems that need it and the Group Policy method of
installation would be very inefficient for our needs.
Is there some way to embed into the .cmd file a call to some application
that requests privilege elevation?
Like:
--------------------------------------
echo off
\\server\share\elevate.exe
msiexec ...

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Hi Mike,

Is there some way to embed into the .cmd file a call to some application
that requests privilege elevation?

No. Because of the existing of the UAC feature on Windows Vista, we cannot
call the application that requests privilege elevation within a batch file.

You may disable the UAC feature on the Windows Vista boxes or you may logon
these system with local administrator credential to install these
application.

Hope it helps.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

 

[Mike_g]

David,
Can I make an executable then that just calls a .cmd file that will maintain
the elevation or do I need to embed all the dos commands in the executable?
- Mike

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Hi Mike,

You may make an executable then that just calls a .cmd file that will
maintain the elevation.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

How's everything going?

I'm wondering if the suggestion has helped or if you have any further
questions. Please feel free to respond to the newsgroups if I can assist
further.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

How's everything going?

I'm wondering if the suggestion has helped or if you have any further
questions. Please feel free to respond to the newsgroups if I can assist
further.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

 

[Mike_g]

I have been on vacation the last week and a half so I have not had time to
check on it yet.

 

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Hello Mike,

Thank you for the reply.

I am glad to hear from you now. I notice that you have replied to the
question in the thread of "Legacy application installations" and would like
to suggest that we follow up this issue there when you are free. If
anything is unclear, or you have additional concerns, please feel free to
let me know.

Again, thank you for using our newsgroups and have a great vacation!

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support