Using Google Chrome on a network

[mitchell1981]

Hi All,

We've been having all sorts of problems with IE on our network recently. Mainly to do with our VLE constantly crashing and I think I've now tried almost everything I can think of to fix it.

I noticed that Google Chrome was much faster and suffered no crashes when I tested it, so I was wondering, has anyone tried Google Chrome in a network environment yet? My main concerns are:

Is it easy to deploy, via group policy or similar?

Are there any ADM/ADMX files that can be used to lock it down so that proxy settings etc.. can't be removed?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.


Tom Mitchell
Network Manager
Mascalls School

[Crispin]

Biggest problem for me is that I have to constantly type in my user/password in a proxy authentication box. Very annoying. Doesn't let me save it at all.

Usually I just keep one instance of chrome open so I don't get prompted.
I think there's a new version now which saves the info but you still have to click 'ok' but I'm not sure...

I must add though, it shows how good a program it is since I'm willing to put up with that. Very quick, smooth and everythings where I want it to be. Can't give you any advice about deployment unforunately, but I myself would be interested also.

[Theblacksheep]

SRware Iron (built on chronium) is much faster with all the google reporting gone. It has a ad-blocker (well, ip) too! Useless without the proxy settings though.

[mark]

Thanks tbs, was getting annoyed with the google installer. Adblock too - coo

[adam766]

it's based on Webkit like apples' safari, thats why its good.
(safari is on windows though)

[dhicks]

Is it easy to deploy, via group policy or similar?

No. I had a look at it for installing on our network. You can extract the installer file from Google Updater's temp folder, but for some reason Chrome is a per-user application - it runs (and installs) entirely in user-accessible locations (i.e. Documents and Settings/username instead of Program Files). Haven't actually tried running the installer yet, just took one look at the above and figured I'd leave it until last.

--
David Hicks

[Harlquinth]

I've successfully managed to get Chromium (open source version of Google Chrome) running on our network by putting it on our shared apps drive and using a shortcut to it. Not put it into general use yet though as I haven't found a way of configuring it using group policy or the registry to restrict changing of settings.

Peter.

[pnlrogue1]

Chrome uses the Control Panel Internet Options so you won't have to lock that down any more than normal but its own settings are open for all

Given that it's open source, you could always write your own version with them locked... ;-)

[CESIL]

PortableApps has a version of Chrome that does not need installation at all...

[Cools]

and so does SRware Iron

[NikChillin]

Any updates on this, we are contemplating Google chrome as IE is slow and crashes.

[CyberNerd]

Any updates on this, we are contemplating Google chrome as IE is slow and crashes.

Yes. It now installs on a network into C:\program files via a group policy MSI.
There are also Group policy ADM files to lock it down.

It runs fine on our network.

[NikChillin]

Yes. It now installs on a network into C:\program files via a group policy MSI.
There are also Group policy ADM files to lock it down.

It runs fine on our network.

Thanks, just testing it now, just concerned about security.

[CyberNerd]

it's fine. we used this one:
Chrome browser for business ? Google Apps

[AngryTechnician]

Be warned that even with the MSI version, the user settings do not roam (neither with redirected AppData nor the roaming profile), and the Group Policy templates are per-computer settings only.