Assumption
Assumes the user is a network administrator or a member of administrative technical support staff of an organization.
Prepare and Share
1. Create a shared network folder on a publish server.
2. Download the requisite installer file and save it into the shared folder.
3. Optional. Perform an administration installation and install the source files in the shared folder via msiexec /a <ProductName>.msi TARGETDIR="<shared network folder path>". If you don’t need the AIP in your real world, just ignore it.
4. Optional. Generate a transform MST file via Customization Wizard and save it to the shared folder. You can include a license file, customized XML file and other basic install options to the MST file.
Deploy the Software
1. On the Server, go to Start > Administration Tools > Group Policy Management, right-click a created GPO and choose Edit. In my example, I am linking a GPO to my Foxit PhantomPDF which contains computers that we will deploy software to.
2. Since we are deploying to computers, we created the directive on the Computer side. If you were deploying to users, you would choose the User side within the GPO. In the following figure, we choose Computer Configuration > Policy > Software Settings, right click Software Installation, and choose New | Package to choose a requisite MSI package.
In the Deploy Software dialog box,
· If you don’t plan to apply transforms or other advanced settings, choose Assigned > OK.
· If you plan to apply transforms or other advanced settings, choose Advanced > OK.
Tip: The Published option enables only when the install was deployed to the USERS side.
3. Optional. On the pop-up Properties dialog, choose the General tab, input a name (product name + version number) for the package. This name will appear in the Add/Remove programs list in the client system. In my example, I rename the package to Foxit PhantomPDF Business Version 7.3.
4. Optional. Switch to the Deployment tab, check the options of Uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management and Install this application at logon and then click OK.
5. Optional. Switch to the Modification tab. Add any transform MST files you have generated.
Tip: Once the properties dialog box is closed, it is not allowed to add any modification transform files again.
6. Choose OK. The new added package is now available in the Installation list. Use the command “gpupdate” to refresh the group policy. Users under a GPO policy will get the latest update after a computer restart.
