'VLC Media Player' Deployment for 'All Users'

[NetMan07]

Hi,

 

I’m trying to deploy 'VLC Media Player' as an application with the OS when imaging computers using ‘Microsoft Deployment Toolkit’.

 

The install command I’m using is:

 

msiexec.exe /i "vlc-3.0.16-win64.msi" /quiet /norestart /qn

 

If I log into the imaged PC as the local administrator, VLC is there and opens straight away. However, as soon as I log in as a new/different user and open the desktop shortcut, VLC runs through its Windows installer automatically and then opens.

 

Is there something I need to do/tweak to get VLC to install for all users of the computer during deployment?

 

Thanks.

[ThomL]

Just checked SCCM, we're deploying an older version with the exe: vlc-3.0.3-win32.exe /L=1033 /S

https://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Installing_VLC/

[MartinByard]

I've just checked our SCCM environment, we're deploying 3.0.16 using:

 

vlc-3.0.16-win64.exe /L=1033 /S /NCRC

[Rob_D]

On our MDT we just have:

msiexec /i "vlc-3.0.7.1-win64.msi" /qn

[NetMan07]

After the responses received here and my own tests, I can confirm that my problem was caused by the VLC .MSI installer as the .EXE version installed the software properly for all users.

[Mike_ITDept]

Hi All,

 

Sorry to resurect an old thread, however it is basically the same issue that I'm facing, however the solution found by the OP isn't something that works in my environment. VLC is installed on hundreds of machines, installed manually over some years, running various versions.

 

I'm looking for a way to batch update all machines to the latest version of VLC, but I cannot use SCCM or any other type of utility that requires a licence to deploy. So I'm using Software Deployment to deploy MSI via GPO.

 

Using the 64 bit MSI from VLC website does work, however it results in the Windows Installer dialogue showing for 15-20 seconds per user, per machine on first launch of VLC. Using the free trial of Advanced Installer, I converted the VLC EXE installer to MSI, this works when deploying to a fresh machine that's never had VLC installed, but the installer fails on a machine with a pre-existing version of VLC installed.

 

I have also tried using Orca to create a .mst modification file for the original VLC MSI but Orca fails to create the .mst with the error:Orca was unable to read the SummaryInformation from the database. (MSI Error 0)

Orca was unable to create a new transform. (MSI Error 1627)

 

So does anyone know a way to deploy VLC with an MSI for all users?

[Oaktech]

Hi All,

 

Sorry to resurect an old thread, however it is basically the same issue that I'm facing, however the solution found by the OP isn't something that works in my environment. VLC is installed on hundreds of machines, installed manually over some years, running various versions.

 

I'm looking for a way to batch update all machines to the latest version of VLC, but I cannot use SCCM or any other type of utility that requires a licence to deploy. So I'm using Software Deployment to deploy MSI via GPO.

 

Using the 64 bit MSI from VLC website does work, however it results in the Windows Installer dialogue showing for 15-20 seconds per user, per machine on first launch of VLC. Using the free trial of Advanced Installer, I converted the VLC EXE installer to MSI, this works when deploying to a fresh machine that's never had VLC installed, but the installer fails on a machine with a pre-existing version of VLC installed.

 

I have also tried using Orca to create a .mst modification file for the original VLC MSI but Orca fails to create the .mst with the error:Orca was unable to read the SummaryInformation from the database. (MSI Error 0)

Orca was unable to create a new transform. (MSI Error 1627)

 

So does anyone know a way to deploy VLC with an MSI for all users?

 

I'm not on the site I've done it from, but I have a powershell script which runs for each user on login, checks to see if the installed version is the same as the one about to be installed, if it isn't, it runs the installer from a network location with the silent switch. I've not seen any issues doing this, it seems to just overwrite whats there.

[ITGuyNW]

Try PDQ deploy, the free version should work fine. Grab the latest VLC installer and use the parameter /S so the command line (this is how mine looks) is vlc-3.0.18-win64.exe /S

 

You can also uninstall the old one first (this example is the 32bit version) using a CMD step of "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" /S

 

If I deploy this, it never shows the user anything.

[Mike_ITDept]

So I've heard of PDQ Deploy before but I didn't realise there was a free tier. Grabbed it, set up the deployment as you described and yeah it worked perfectly on several test machines. That's awesome, this software is really nice, if only there was a budget to pay for it!

 

Overall, I think I'd prefer to use MSI deployment as it can install when the machines restart. There are lots of machines that are powered off and as I can't set a schedule for retrying, it will be difficult to maintain this method of deployment. At least it works to get the majority of machines updated easily enough. Thank you!

[KK20]

Intune isnt bad for doing things like this. You can package up an installer with a script for logic. We do this for a few apps - check registry versions then uninstall and reinstall as necessary - package it up and ensure the .PS is given for the installer (and a corresponding uninstaller). Relatively neat. For example, it has worked well for acrobat reader installations with the MST and some tidyup afterwards.

[Mike_ITDept]

Intune isnt bad for doing things like this. You can package up an installer with a script for logic. We do this for a few apps - check registry versions then uninstall and reinstall as necessary - package it up and ensure the .PS is given for the installer (and a corresponding uninstaller). Relatively neat. For example, it has worked well for acrobat reader installations with the MST and some tidyup afterwards.

 

Unfortunately we do not have an Intune licence. For Adobe Reader, I use the Adobe Customization Wizard to create an MSI for our environment that works well with GPO Software Deployment.

[KK20]

indeed, the same method - intune doesnt allow the MST to be added to its MSI deployment but you can create a package with a script file too. Moot point if you arent using intune though!

[jthompson]

Hi All,

 

Sorry to resurect an old thread, however it is basically the same issue that I'm facing, however the solution found by the OP isn't something that works in my environment. VLC is installed on hundreds of machines, installed manually over some years, running various versions.

 

I'm looking for a way to batch update all machines to the latest version of VLC, but I cannot use SCCM or any other type of utility that requires a licence to deploy. So I'm using Software Deployment to deploy MSI via GPO.

 

Using the 64 bit MSI from VLC website does work, however it results in the Windows Installer dialogue showing for 15-20 seconds per user, per machine on first launch of VLC. Using the free trial of Advanced Installer, I converted the VLC EXE installer to MSI, this works when deploying to a fresh machine that's never had VLC installed, but the installer fails on a machine with a pre-existing version of VLC installed.

 

I have also tried using Orca to create a .mst modification file for the original VLC MSI but Orca fails to create the .mst with the error:Orca was unable to read the SummaryInformation from the database. (MSI Error 0)

Orca was unable to create a new transform. (MSI Error 1627)

 

So does anyone know a way to deploy VLC with an MSI for all users?

 

Working for us okay here, as far as I know. Are you assigning the package under Computer Config in GPO?

[Mike_ITDept]

Yes, computer config software deployment. Are you saying that you're able to use the MSI as provided directly from the VLC website and deploy to computers, without each individual user seeing the windows installer upon their first time opening VLC?

[jthompson]

Apologies, we are seeing that same behaviour here, after all. Staff machines are assigned and not shared here, with local profiles, so a first-run progress bar of this kind won't be encountered by people very often.

I've just deployed the latest package to upgrade the previous one, and the first-run config didn't need to be repeated after the upgrade, interestingly. VLC stores some bits in user profiles (appdata/roaming), so that's presumably what it's setting up on first-run.

 

I've never tried the zip package, but maybe that might be worth a try instead of the MSI?

[k9mjl]

Used a batch script that has always worked for us:

 

REM Uninstall old VLC version

 

if exist "%PROGRAMFILES%\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" "%PROGRAMFILES%\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" /S

 

if exist "%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" "%PROGRAMFILES% (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe" /S

 

REM VLC Silent install

 

"%~dp0vlc-3.0.18-win64.exe" /L=1033 /S /NCRC

[robintech]

to add another option Chocolatey is good for installing and updating common programs, have to host your own repository or they heavily rate limit and temp block you .