|
Nelson Wiscovitch
Guest
|
My customer has requested for future setups to have it update the older version of the IE Add-In. Currently they uninstall, then install the newer version.
But with 500+ desktops across the US and Canada, it will be impractical to do so as you can imagine.
What is the best way to create a VS Deployment Project so it updates any existing installations to the newer version?
Thanks!
Nelson W. (Texas, USA) |
|
|
Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express team
Posts: 18823
Joined: 2006-05-11
|
Hello Nelson,
The main difficulty is administrative privileges required to update an IE add-on. I would suggest that you contact their administrators and discuss using Group Policy to install the new add-on version. In this case you would simply supply the administrators with the new MSI and they use system tools to make the MSI install on the target machines.
On our blog there's an instruction describing what an admin should do in order to update *user-level* program in this way; see https://www.add-in-express.com/creating-addins-blog/2009/01/25/automatic-installation-windows-group-policy/. Our customer sent us a modification of this instruction; that modification targets per-machine deployment (this is the case with IE add-ons). Follow the instruction below at your risk: it wasn't tested or verified. Make sure you understand what you do when performing any step below.
Create a Distribution Point
To install the add-in, create a distribution point on a publishing server:
1. Log on to a Windows Server as an administrator.
2. Create a shared network folder where you will place the MSI package that you want to install.
3. Set permissions on the share to allow access to the installation package.
4. Copy the MSI package to the distribution point.
Create a Group Policy object in Windows Server 2000 and 2003
Use a Group Policy object (GPO) to install the software package:
1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in (Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Active Directory Users and Computers).
2. Right-click on your domain in the console tree, and then choose Properties.
3. Switch to the Group Policy tab, and then click New.
4. Type the name you want for this policy, and then press ENTER.
5. Click Properties, and then switch to the Security tab.
6. Click the Add button to add security groups or users to the list.
7. Unselect the Apply Group Policy check box for those groups or users that you don?Â?Ð?ét want this policy to apply to.
8. Select the Apply Group Policy check box for the groups or users that you want this policy to apply to.
When you get through, click OK.
Create a Group Policy object in Windows Server 2008
To create a Group Policy object (GPO) that you?Â?Ð?éll use to install the software package:
1. Start the Group Policy Management snap-in (Start -> Administrative Tools -> Group Policy Management).
2. Right-click on your domain in the console tree, and then choose Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here.
3. Type the name you want to call this policy, and click OK.
4. Expand the Group Policy Objects item and select the newly added policy.
5. Click the Remove button to delete the Authenticated Users security group.
6. Click the Add button to add security groups or users.
Assign the installation package
To assign software to users that are logging on to Windows 2000 and higher workstations:
1) Windows Server 2000/2003. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
Windows Server 2008. Start the Group Policy Management snap-in.
2) Windows Server 2000/2003. Right-click your domain in the console tree, click Properties, switch to the Group Policy tab, select the group policy object that you want, and then click Edit.
Windows Server 2008. Locate and expand your domain in the console tree, then expand Group Policy Objects, right-click on the group policy object that you want, and then click Edit.
3) The Group Policy Object Editor will start.
4) Windows Server 2000/2003/2008. Under Computer Configuration*, expand Policies, then Software Settings.
5) Right-click Software installation, point to New, and then click Package.
6) In the Open dialog box, type the full Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path to the shared folder with the MSI package that you want (e.g. \\server\share\setup.msi).
Warning. If the Windows Installer file resides on the local hard disk, do not use a local path. You need to use the UNC path to indicate the location of the installation files.
7) Click Open.
8) Click Assigned, and then click OK. The package will be listed in the right pane of the Group Policy window.
9) Under Computer configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer change the policy for ?Â?Ð?ìAlways Install with elevated privileges?Â?Ð?í to enabled.
10) Close the Group Policy Editor, then quit the Active Directory Users and Computers or Group Policy Management snap-in. When the machine picks up the new group policy, then managed software package is automatically installed.
Another way would be to use ClickTwice. In this case the code of your add-on would check for updates and suggest installing a new add-on version. Again, uninstalling the old add-on version and installing the new version requires administrative permissions. Because of this, this approach is really inconvenient if the end user is *not* an admin.
Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader |
|
Forums
Topics
Search
Help
Login
Register