Group Policy Software Deployment

[Gongalong]

Hi folks,

 

I need to deploy an MSI of some client software that needs to go on all classroom PCs.

 

I've never found Group Policy all that great at getting these sorts of things deployed. In this instance I've gone to Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings > Software installation, and added the MSI using New > Package, pointing to it (it's in a shared folder, which everyone has permission to access), then used "Assigned" deployment method.

 

Despite this the MSI doesn't deploy.

 

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Do I need to deploy with some options e.g. /qn? Would it be easier just to use a script with msiexec.exe /i "Filename.msi" /qn?

 

Thanks

[fiza]

I have several software deployments working using GP

You have probably done the following already but;

 

Make sure you are using a unc path to the software.

Make sure its attached to an OU with machines in it.

Check Group Policy Results to see what is happening on a machine it was supposed to get deployed to.

[sydborn]

hi,

 

Please make sure the everyone attribute gets the necessary permission and try using the publish and do your gpupdate/force and see what happens

 

Hi folks,

 

I need to deploy an MSI of some client software that needs to go on all classroom PCs.

 

I've never found Group Policy all that great at getting these sorts of things deployed. In this instance I've gone to Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings > Software installation, and added the MSI using New > Package, pointing to it (it's in a shared folder, which everyone has permission to access), then used "Assigned" deployment method.

 

Despite this the MSI doesn't deploy.

 

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Do I need to deploy with some options e.g. /qn? Would it be easier just to use a script with msiexec.exe /i "Filename.msi" /qn?

 

Thanks

[fiza]

hi,

 

Please make sure the everyone attribute gets the necessary permission and try using the publish and do your gpupdate/force and see what happens

 

Publish won't deploy the software. Afaik it makes it available through add/remove programs. I always use Assigned.

[Gongalong]

Make sure you are using a unc path to the software.

Make sure its attached to an OU with machines in it.

Yes, done both of those.

Check Group Policy Results to see what is happening on a machine it was supposed to get deployed to.

Will do, although I seem to have Config Manager working now so might use that instead.

Publish won't deploy the software. Afaik it makes it available through add/remove programs. I always use Assigned.

Publish is greyed out for me, so I've always used assigned.

[sted]

Yes, done both of those.

 

Will do, although I seem to have Config Manager working now so might use that instead.

 

Publish is greyed out for me, so I've always used assigned.

publish is only available per user not per pc iirc. Make sure your share has domain computers or authenticated read/execute access as it runs under the pc account not a "user" account and check the obvious share/ntfs permissions its easy if youre in a hurry to do one and not the other

[Gongalong]

Ah interesting, the share only has user permissions. I've added the relevant PC group to both share permissions and security permissions. Will reboot some PCs and test! Thanks.

[SHimmer45]

when i 1st started using this i referred to a old guide on MSDN which stated that authenticated computers/domain computers needed to be added to the share permissions different guides have different views on this (usually read permissions only)

 

GPO software deployment is nice but without SCCM you cant easily tell if the software has made it to the machine

[Gongalong]

Thanks @sted that must have been it, now works!

[Eudora931]

Hi ,

 

Just jumping on here - I am having the issues with software installation GPO's as well and have read through the thread and tried all the suggestions with no luck.

 

The set up is : 2 dc's and a fileserver.

The software seemed to be going out fine when I first set up the GPO's ( the msi's had to sit on one of the dc's for it to work. But it was working. Only a few machines were not behaving..

Had some DNS issues - which have now been sorted. Also have installed Sophos. Now I am getting the Network not present or not started on RSOP. Sometimes I get the restart needed as software install pending , but then it reverts back to network not present again after several reboots.

I can manually install the software from the msi location

The software folder where the msi's are have full rights to authenticated users

The policy is applied at PC level ou

As I said the GPO's were working fine so not sure what has changed to make it now stop working other than the DNS issue that I had , but since sorted and I believe Sophos rolling out...

Would Sophos stop the software from installing and give the network not present/started error?

 

Any other advice much appreciated!

 

Flushed dns and restarted a gazillion times - have also

[Eudora931]

Ok, so solved the issue : Set one of the software install GPO's to set theStartup policy processing wait time -

this delayed the logon and all software then installed.