GPO – Software installation

Software Installation Diagnostics tool (addiag.exe) 

Assign a package

To assign a program to computers that are running Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Professional, or to users who are logging on to one of these workstations, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, select the policy that you want, and then click Edit.
  4. Under Computer Configuration, expand 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 of the shared installer package that you want. For example, \\file server\share\file name.msi.

    Important Do not use the Browse button to access the location. Make sure that you use the UNC path of the shared installer package.
  7. Click Open.
  8. Click Assigned, and then click OK. The package is listed in the right-pane of the Group Policy window.
  9. Close the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
  10. When the client computer starts, the managed software package is automatically installed.

Publish a package

To publish a package to computer users and make it available for installation from the Add or Remove Programs list in Control Panel, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, click the policy that you want, and then click Edit.
  4. Under User Configuration, expand Software Settings.
  5. Right-click Software installation, point to New, and then click Package.
  6. In the Open dialog box, type the full UNC path of the shared installer package that you want. For example, \\file server\share\file name.msi.

    Important Do not use the Browse button to access the location. Make sure that you use the UNC path of the shared installer package.
  7. Click Open.
  8. Click Publish, and then click OK.
  9. The package is listed in the right-pane of the Group Policy window.
  10. Close the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
  11. Test the package.

    Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
    1. Log on to a workstation that is running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional by using an account that you published the package to.
    2. In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
    3. Double-click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Add New Programs.
    4. In the Add programs from your network list, click the program that you published, and then click Add. The program is installed.
    5. Click OK, and then click Close.

Redeploy a package

In some cases, you may want to redeploy a software package (for example, if you upgrade or change the package). To redeploy a package, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, click the Group Policy Object that you used to deploy the package, and then click Edit.
  4. Expand the Software Settings container that contains the software installation item that you used to deploy the package.
  5. Click the software installation container that contains the package.
  6. In the right-pane of the Group Policy window, right-click the program, point to All Tasks, and then click Redeploy application. You will receive the following message:Redeploying this application will reinstall the application everywhere it is already installed. Do you want to continue?
  7. Click Yes.
  8. Quit the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.

Remove a package

To remove a published or assigned package, follow these steps:

  1. Start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, right-click your domain, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab, click the Group Policy Object that you used to deploy the package, and then click Edit.
  4. Expand the Software Settings container that contains the software installation item that you used to deploy the package.
  5. Click the software installation container that contains the package.
  6. In the right-pane of the Group Policy window, right-click the program, point to All Tasks, and then click Remove.
  7. Do one of the following:
    • Click Immediately uninstall the software from users and computers, and then click OK.
    • Click Allow users to continue to use the software but prevent new installations, and then click OK.
  8. Close the Group Policy snap-in, click OK, and then closet the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.

Troubleshoot

Published Packages Are Displayed on a Client Computer After You Use a Group Policy to Remove Them

This situation can occur when a user has installed the program but has not used it. When the user first starts the published program, the installation is finished. Group Policy then removes the program.

For software assign policy, user need to wait for some time, don”t login to server/desktop ASAP login screen displays. or enable the below option in GPO to take effect and also event triggers with “*** error was : %%1274″

  1. Always wait for the network at computer startup logon
  2. Specify startup policy processing wait time. Set Amount of time to wait (in seconds): = 120
Short Note:
Computer Assigned = Will happen during the computer start up process
user Assigne:     = Application will list in start up menu to install.
User Publich       = It will shows in add on remove program list,installed from add/remove programs