Deploying Chrome via GPO

[Bedders]

Successfully deployed Google Chrome via GPO, including the master_preferences file. Edited June 29, 2017 by Bedders

[TIOAOA]

EDIT to add cool thing:

Successfully deployed Google Chrome via GPO, including the master_preferences file.

@Bedders I'm about to do this today any hints tips or gotchas ?

[Bedders]

@Bedders I'm about to do this today any hints tips or gotchas ?

 

Umm, ours is a 2008 forest with a primary DC on Server 2008 R2 and a secondary DC on Server 2003 R2 (I know, I know...).

 

All I did was download the Google Chrome for Business pack which includes the MSI and a load of ADMX/ADML files. I added the ADMX and ADML files to our central store, then refreshed my Group Policy Management Console. Went through all of the settings. Added the package to Software Installs.

Then went in to Preferences -> Windows Settings -> Files, and told it to copy the Master_Preferences file (and update rather than only copy once).

 

- Edit the Master_Preferences file with Notepad++ or Wordpad, something that actually honours line breaks unlike Notepad.

- Validate your Master_Preferences file with an online JSON validator just to make sure.

- I had to add the line "create_all_shortcuts": false to make sure that the taskbar shortcut didn't appear. The desktop icon still does but I'm less bothered about that.

 

I still have to test this on a PC which already has chrome on it, but it looks good so far

 

Edit: Good luck!

[Bedders]

One other thing to note as well:

 

- Check which settings you edit. There's two parts under the Google heading in Group Policy Editor: Google Chrome, and Google Chrome (Default settings Users can override). I believe that policies set under Google Chrome take priority. User's (and administrators!) cannot change these settings if they're set under Google Chrome.

 

Although this was my second foray into deploying software via GPO, it's gone well so far. My first doesn't really count because that was only dotNet Framework, didn't involve ADMX or anything.

 

EDIT:

@TIOAOA, @Tesla - this is where the thread now is.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Bedders
Paging people

[Tesla]

Wonderful, i'll subscribe and visit this next week.

 

I have full on Friday brain today so don't hold out much hope.

[Bedders]

Well, I've got server problems today so I may not be revisiting this until next week as well!