MSI Group Policy Deployment

[jkirby]

Hi Support.
I have created a project which outputs to an MSI file which I can silently install by using the following command line:

msiexec /i myproject.msi CMDLINE="/s VAR1=var1 VAR2=var2 VAR3=var3 RUNAPP=FALSE ALLUSERS=TRUE"

All great so far, however as this is a piece of software which will be available to our customers it needs to have the ability to be deployed via group Policy.
I’ve had a look through the forums and I can only find old posts from 2006 on this matter, surly it’s still not that case that I need a separate MSI for a group policy deployment?

I’ve tried opening my MSI in orca, adding the ‘CMDLINE’ property to the property table and saving a transform file(MST) as I would if deploying another MSI via group policy, but this doesn’t seems to work.

I’ve tried using your ‘Group Policy Wizard’ which does add the ‘CMDLINE’ property to my MSI property table but I then can’t use the MSI to install the software manually, plus it has bespoke values in the CMDLINE property which would not be relevant to my customers .

Is there any way to add the ‘CMDLINE’ property to my MSI property table without having to add a value so the MSI can still be installed manually and if required I could create a MST file using Orca with the relevant bespoke values in the CMDLINE value box for group policy deployment?

Thanks
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

if I haven't missed your question, the 'CMDLINE’ property is automatically added to property table when you convert a compressed EXE to MSI using "Group Policy Wizard".

You could leave empty the command line parameters when using "Group Policy Wizard" and then, you could create your MST file using ORCA.

I may suggest to have a look at the following link where a very similar question has been already discussed.
http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9323

Hope this helps you.

Regards

[jkirby]

Morning Francesco,

I understand that by using the 'Group Policy wizard' i can add the 'CMDLINE' property to the property table of my MSI but the trouble is I then can't use that same MSI to do a manual install. I guess what i'm asking is, can you confirm that if i want to create and MSI project ill need two different MSI's, one for manual installs and one for GP deployments?

Thanks,
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

I believe there was a misunderstanding ... what do you mean for "manual" install?
are you referring to the possibility to execute the package in silent mode or interactively?

Regards

[jkirby]

Hi Francesco,

I, would like to do both from the same MSI, so i send out just the one MSI to my customers and if the want to do an interactive install they can, but if they need to roll it out they can also do a GP deployment.

thanks,
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

In this case do not include the "/s" parameter and when you need to execute your MSI in silent mode, use the the Windows Installer "/quiet" switch.

- msiexec.exe /I <msi package> /quiet

Doing in this way, there is no need to create two different MSI packages.

Regards

[jkirby]

Hi Francesco,

If i run my MSI project through the "Group Policy Tool" leaving just a space in the command line box,(so the CMDLINE stays in the property table of my MSI, if you leave it blank it doesnt add the CMDLINE property) and then try and run an interactive install its doesnt work. i'm guessing the "group Policy tool" does more to the MSI then just add the CMDLINE property?

Thanks,
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

It is true that the "Group Policy Tool" not only adds the CMDLINE property, but leaving just a space in the command line box, I am sure that doesn't cause any effect on the installer functionality. Probably this depends on the way you used in your main script to conditionally evaluate the passed command line flags.

Anyway using ORCA, you can even add the CMDLINE property manually to a MSI file generated with the "Group Policy Tool".

Regards

[jkirby]

So the only thing the group policy tool does is add the CMDLINE to the property table of the MSI? it doesn't add any other silent flags to the MSI anywhere else?

Thanks,
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

In reality I didn't say exactly that.

The "Group Policy Tool" does much more ... but of course, it doesn't add any other silent flag to the MSI file automatically

Regards

[jkirby]

Hi Francesco,

what else does it change? i only ask as i currently can't run an interactive install once I've run my MSI through the 'group policy tool'

Thanks,
James.

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

did you modify the default install behavior? or Customized the main script code?

The tool doesn't alter the existing package logic.

is it possible for you to post your project or even better, a reduced copy of it?
If you prefer, You can send it to me by email at; support@installaware.com

Regards

[jkirby]

Hi Francesco,

It seems that the problem was with the virtual machines I was using to test the GPO deployment and not the MSI itself. In the end i just used Orca to create a transform adding the CMDLINE to the property table of the msi, I then added the switches i required to that and everything worked fine.

Thank you for your help and apologies for wasting your time.

Thanks again,
James.

[FrancescoT]