6Foot2 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 I may have to deploy some 32 Bit workstations alongside my 64 Bit workstations [Windows 7 Pro: SP1] If we deploy software to the 32 Bit workstations it will install in: C:\Program Files\ If we deploy software to the 64 Bit workstations it will install in: C:\Program Files (x86)\ [All of the non-OS software we have is 32 Bit] This would mean two sets of icons for the same software in the Start Menu/Desktop. However I have noticed that some shortcuts are '32 Bit/64 Bit neutral' [the same icon can be used on 32 Bit or 64 Bit OS] Office 2010 has this type of shortcut. http://gyazo.com/5f94b2b3963ddefa8c41bd0934ea7051.png http://gyazo.com/d66ed036fe62db1fe5b0c541b7ebc991.png Whereas the FlipShare shortcut specifies in the 'Target' box C:\Program Files (x86)\... I would like to be able to deploy icons like these for more of my software. Is it possible? Thanks.
sted Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 would using %program files%\app\runme.exe as the shortcut work?
6Foot2 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Posted October 19, 2011 would using %program files%\app\runme.exe as the shortcut work? Tried that: It doesn' like it. Experimented with the path: "%Program Files%\Flip Video\FlipShare\FlipShare.exe"
plexer Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 %programfiles% will just just return C:\Program Files Ben
glennda Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 put a junction point on the 32 bit machines for Program Files (x86) and point it to program files. links should then work
6Foot2 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Posted October 19, 2011 put a junction point on the 32 bit machines for Program Files (x86) and point it to program files. links should then work Not sure what a junction point is in this context. Could I do that via Group Policy? [i don't want to have to visit all 500 machines and do it!]
sted Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 shortcut to a batch file that then runs the prog? just tested this seems ok if exist "c:\Program Files (x86)" goto _x64 :_86 echo 32 bit os goto _end :_x64 echo 64 bit os goto _end :_end pause
glennda Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 Not sure what a junction point is in this context. Could I do that via Group Policy? [i don't want to have to visit all 500 machines and do it!] Junction Points are like Shortcuts but to a program they appear to just take the part - more explanation here NTFS junction point - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it would just be junction "c:\program files (x86)" "C:\program files" you might be able to run that as a startup batch script but never tried.
K.C.Leblanc Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 How are you implementing the shortcuts? If you're using Group Policy Preferences you could could use item level targetting.
6Foot2 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Posted October 19, 2011 How are you implementing the shortcuts? If you're using Group Policy Preferences you could could use item level targetting. I deploy the shortcuts in Redirected Desktops/Start Menus. As the icons are not created by Group Policy I doubt I can use this answer.
sted Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 How are you implementing the shortcuts? If you're using Group Policy Preferences you could could use item level targetting. oe even create 2 start menu gpos one for a 32 bit start menu one for 64 and use a wmi filter to parse it?
6Foot2 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Posted October 19, 2011 oe even create 2 start menu gpos one for a 32 bit start menu one for 64 and use a wmi filter to parse it? Yes I could do that. I was hoping not to have to [going back to my original post] but perhaps this will not be possible.
3s-gtech Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 I use the above, two start menus, one 32bit and one 64. As we have a mix of XP, Windows 7 32bit and Windows 7 x64 it made sense, and has worked fine.
Arthur Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) Shortcuts aren't the only thing you need to worry about. There's the registry too... Can I Use the Same User Profile on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows? « Sepago If you're using roaming profiles, you will want to avoid using a single profile for both OSs... Microsoft Windows operates on multiple processor architectures, most notably x86 and x64. User data and configuration settings are stored in a user profile. This user profile includes COM registration, file and registry virtualization information, application settings, and well-known folder locations which may differ from 32-bt and 64-bit versions of Windows. The differences can create unknown behaviors when attempting to roam user profiles between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. Currently, this scenario has too many variables to adequately test the interoperability. Therefore, sharing roaming user profiles between 32 and 64-bit Windows is not supported. (Source) Edited October 19, 2011 by Arthur
mac_shinobi Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 Was going to say can't you use GPO / WMI to detect if its 32 bit or 64 bit and push out the correct shortcuts ? Also am sure there was a pdf regards to group policy preferences ( not sure if that can help or do anything in regards to your problem ) ? Unless you could put 64 bit machines in one OU and 32 bit ones in another and have them map different policies etc so that they get the relevant shortcuts etc applied ?
plexer Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 Take a look at Workspace Manager Express — RES Software this user management software can make intelligent choices based on numerous factors. I asked the uk technical manager today at IP Expo if it would solve the problem you've described and he said yes. Ben
pete Posted October 21, 2011 Posted October 21, 2011 Set default 64bit and 32bit profiles in the Netlogon share with accompanying start menus?
Jollity Posted November 25, 2011 Posted November 25, 2011 Office 2010 has this type of shortcut. Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I thought it would be worth adding that the Office 2010 type of shortcut is a Windows Installer advertised shortcut. These are usually created by MSI installs (though MSIs can create the ordinary type of shortcut). They run checks on the application files before actually launching it, which causes a windows installer progress bar to appear when you first run the software on a user's account. This can be useful, though on some occasions (particularly with mandatory profiles) is a menace. I have observed that sometimes Windows does some magic to make a shortcut directing to "program files" run a program in "program files (x86)" (but not vice versa). Not sure if this always works.
SYNACK Posted November 26, 2011 Posted November 26, 2011 Shortcuts aren't the only thing you need to worry about. There's the registry too... Can I Use the Same User Profile on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows? « Sepago If you're using roaming profiles, you will want to avoid using a single profile for both OSs... Despite that it does seem to work with a single profile, at least it does in our deployment with roaming profiles.
glennda Posted November 26, 2011 Posted November 26, 2011 One application which does just install shortcuts is VLC player, you have to change them if you install on an X64 machine as it just points then at program files not program files x86
Jollity Posted November 26, 2011 Posted November 26, 2011 Despite that it does seem to work with a single profile, at least it does in our deployment with roaming profiles. Using a single roaming profile for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 machines is working fairly well for us too. This is fortunate, as I only saw the warning about it being unsupported when I was half-way through implementing it. Microsoft do seem to have done a fair amount work to make it possible for profiles to be compatible with both. There have been a few hiccups. I think most of them will be resolved when we rebuild our default profile in the Christmas Holidays - the original of the current one only ever logged on to a 32-bit machine. For a start, this means that our mandatory profiles are very slow to log on to 64-bit machines, presumably because they need to do some initialisation for the first login to a 64-bit machine on every log in.
K.C.Leblanc Posted November 29, 2011 Posted November 29, 2011 Take a look at Workspace Manager Express — RES Software this user management software can make intelligent choices based on numerous factors. Have you used that product yourself? I know a school who use it and have had issues. You could create some of your own system variables and then a GPO or script to set them according that the architecture in use.
enjay Posted October 17, 2012 Posted October 17, 2012 would using %program files%\app\runme.exe as the shortcut work? That worked for me - it is %ProgramFiles% (i.e. without the space) though, not what is written above. 1
pete Posted October 17, 2012 Posted October 17, 2012 We're currently applying the StartMenu per-OU on a loopback. So we have whatever.tld > Workstations > Room 03 If Room 03 is 64bit, it has the 64bit Start Menu GPO linked onto it which looks at group membership of the user and loads the appropriate Start Menu (teacher/student/admin staff).
carnforthhigh Posted October 17, 2012 Posted October 17, 2012 We're currently applying the StartMenu per-OU on a loopback. So we have whatever.tld > Workstations > Room 03 If Room 03 is 64bit, it has the 64bit Start Menu GPO linked onto it which looks at group membership of the user and loads the appropriate Start Menu (teacher/student/admin staff). I may be being thick here but how do you get it to look at group membership and apply the correct menu? we are currently trying to find the best way to do the redirected start menus in a mixed environment.
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