How to use the quiet silent switch to deploy software through group policy

[thom]

This may well be a case of summer holiday brain meltdown but hopefully you will be able to assist.

 

I want to install a program on PCs when the computers boot up.

I have a file "setup.msi" that I added to group policy.

The setup requires admin privileges to install so I set it to run from the "Computer Settings" section.

 

However, event viewer reports that it fails.

I have a feeling that this is because it needs to be told to run in silent mode.

If I log in as an admin and run "setup.msi /qn" then it installs perfectly

 

I have read about using Orca/WinInstallLE to repackage or create a transform but it seems a really convoluted way to do it.

 

Am I missing something obvious? If not then what is the best/most reliable way to do it?

[Michael]

MSIs should install automatically once workstations have picked up the latest policies. Have you checked the event log (on the workstations) as to why it's failing?

 

I presume you've placed the MSI (and other files, if applicable) within a share - \\servername\sharename and when deploying the MSI, that you specify the UNC path and not use a local path. \\servername\sharename\msi_file.msi

 

If all else fails, you could create a startup script which'll install the MSI.

 

@echo off
"\\servername\sharename\msi_file.msi /qn"

 

Then remove the script once it's installed on all workstations.

[powdarrmonkey]

I have read about using Orca/WinInstallLE to repackage or create a transform but it seems a really convoluted way to do it.

 

Noooooo no no. If you can install it in quiet mode yourself, and it does it properly, this means that the package author has done a Good Job. When you then send it out through group policy it does exactly the same thing, so there is some other problem and only your event logs will help. As Michael says check that you have provided a network path to the package not a local path, this is a common gotcha. Or it could be something like the machine doesn't have permission to see it, etc.

[ZeroHour]

Whats the MSI error and what is the software called?

[thom]

I think I have sorted it now.

 

The software was the "Scalix Connect for Microsoft Outlook.msi"

 

You were correct in saying no switches are necessary.

 

The problem was that the MSI's language was set to German and was therefore failing on a PC set to en-gb

 

Luckily, I spotted an "ignore language" checkbox in the advanced button within the package in Group Policy

 

This then installed the software successfully.

Know I just need to get the profile created and the users can use Outlook for their Scalix mail.

[powdarrmonkey]

That's useful to know, haven't encountered that before. Although I've never deployed non-EN software before.