software via autoit in AD

[chrbb]

I usually install software by using autoit but install it by visiting each machine, not as bad as it sounds only 22 in suite. But thought I'd try to be a bit cleverer and remotely install from now on. So I made a test user and set my auotit complied script as a logon script in gpo (user configuration) but found that the script will only install if I made my test user a domain administrator which would mean I would have to logon at each machine.

 

I think I read that if the script is run as a startup script it doesn't need admin permissions. So I trotted back to the server to put the suite computers in an ou to set a gpo just for them, but found that all the computers appear in just a folder named computers in AD with no option to make sub ou. Now confused.

[Ric_]

'Computers' is a container which is not the same as an OU hence why a OU cannot be placed inside it.

 

Simply create an OU and then place your computers within that.

 

You were correct about the startup script (sartup/shutdown scripts run as local system and logon/logoff scripts run as the user).

[chrbb]

Thanks - did it!

Created ou for set of computers, new gpo and set autoit script to run at startup, worked but didn't create any startmenu or desktop icons, so had a go with using a MS package with a ready made msi and used gpo/computer/software install this was much better.

Silly question now though - when software is installed do you just leave the package in the gpo software install section or delete the gpo and set up a new one when next software needs installing?

[mrcrazy04]

You can leave the package in the GPO. If you remove the package, I'm pretty sure it will be removed from the machines.

What I did was make a new GPO for each piece of software, which just installed that piece of software, so deploying and removing as as easy as adding or removing that specific GPO from a computer, and I could do it across OUs.

[plock]

Leave the GPO and it will continue to check the software is installed, and install it on new machines added to the OU/Security Group that the GPO is linked with.

 

When you delete the GPO I believe the software is uninstalled. When you remove the MSI from the GPO you're given an option to uninstall the software on all machines or leave it on the machine without installing it on any new machines added to the OU/Security Group.

 

Hope that helps.

[chrbb]

I have 4 or 5 pieces of software I want to install, do I create a new gpo for each one therefore having 5 gpo's applying to one ou, or can I put them on one gpo thus having a list of packages to install.

[plock]

Either way works, depending on the software I generally have them in different GPO's.

 

That way I can easily assign just one of the applications to another set of computers by easily linking just that software GPO.

 

I do assign programs like Office and Learning Essentials in the same GPO, as they're similar and so forth.

 

Hope that helps.