Software Deployment - How To's
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Software Deployment - How To's

1. How to create an MSI Package?

Refer our online help document for creating an MSI package.

Questions

2. How to create an EXE Package?

Refer our online help document for creating an EXE package.

Questions

3. What are the pre-deployment and post-deployment activities that can be performed before/after installation and uninstallation?

Refer our online help document for details on the pre-deployment and post-deployment activities.

Questions

4. How to uninstall the legacy applications?

  1. Create an EXE Package.
  2. In the Uninstallation options, you should specify the EXE that performs the uninstallation of the software.
  3. Define an Install Software configuration for an User or Computer as the case may be and choose the appropriate package and the Operation Type as "Remove".
  4. Select the target users or computers and deploy the configuration.

Questions

5. How to uninstall the Windows Installer Application?

  1. Create an MSI Package.
  2. Define an Install Software configuration for an User or a Computer as the case may be and choose the appropriate package and the Operation Type as "Remove".
  3. Select the target users or computers and deploy the configuration.

Questions

6. How to use ISS files in deploying Software?

EXE files created using InstallShield can be installed silently by creating ISS files (answer files). Deploying InstallShield EXE files silently has two parts:

  1. Recording the inputs in n file (ISS) using a single computer
  2. Using the ISS file created in step 1 to install the software using Endpoint Central on multiple computers

Note: The example shown in the steps is for installing VNC. The same method can be followed for any InstallShield Setup.exe files.

Step I - Recording the inputs in a file (ISS) using a single computer

  • Goto Command (Start -> Run -> cmd) prompt .
  • Navigate to the folder (ex.C:\software\Winvnc)
  • Type in C:\software\Winvnc\Setup.exe /r /f1”c:\software\Winvnc\silentinstall.iss”
  • You'll be asked for inputs on confirmation , installation directory. etc., (make sure you provide details which can be commonly used on other computers also).
  • Once the installation is over, check the c:\software\Winvnc\ folder for silentinstall.iss

Step II - Using the ISS file to install the software in multiple computers

  • From the Software Deployment page, goto EXE
  • Configure the 'Installation Command with Switches/Arguments' \\share-server\Software\winvnc\Setup.exe /s /f1"\\ share-server \software\Winvnc\silentinstall.iss"
  • Specify the root directory as \\ share-server \Software\winvnc
  • Now create configuration and install the software

Questions

7. How to specify the windows installer properties to the deployed msi package?

Endpoint Central automatically puts in the default installer options that are required to install an application. For example, if you are installing IE7, just create a package by selecting the appropriate msi. In the "Arguments to MSI", specify the arguments of the msi. Leave this field blank, if your MSI does not require any arguments.

Questions

8. How to specify the command line parameters while deploying the legacy applications?

Endpoint Central automatically puts in the default installation options that are required to install an application. For example, if you are installing ExcelViewer, just create a package by selecting the appropriate exe file. In the "Arguments to EXE", specify the arguments of the exe. Leave this field blank, if the EXE does not require any arguments.

Questions

9. How to uninstall IE7 from the client machines?

  1. Create an EXE Package.
  2. In the Uninstallation Options, you should specify "$WinDir\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe /q" in Application Uninstaller with Arguments field.
  3. Define an Install Software configuration for an User or Computer as the case may be and choose the appropriate package and the Operation Type as "Remove".
  4. Select the target users or computers and deploy the configuration.

Questions

10. How to install Office XP Service Packs?

Step I : Download, Extract and share the Office XP SP3 install files

  1. Download the Office XP Service Pack 3 client install patch from the below given URL
  2. Extract the file contents and share the folder (you can extract it using Winrar or alternatively use a /C switch)
    • OfficeXpSp3-kb832671-client-enu.exe /c /t:c:\officexpsp3 is the switch to extract the files
      • hotfix.exe, ohotfix.ini, ohotfixr.dll and VSDEBUGop.msp would be the files
    • where /t:c:\officexpsp3 - is the location of the office XP SP3 extracted files
    • Please remember this needs to be a ’shared folder’ for every client computer to access
  3. In the ohotfix.ini set the following for the installation to happen in silent mode
    • OHotfixUILevel=q
    • MsiUILevel=q
    • RebootInQuietMode=0
    • ShowSuccessDialog=0

Step II : Copy and Share the Office XP Source Files and Create a reg file

  1. Copy the entire Office XP CD contents to a shared folder
    • For example ‘c:\officexp’
    • Please remember this needs to be a ’shared folder’ for every client computer to access
  2. In registry write the Office XP source folder location
    • In the given key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Classes \Installer\ Products\ 9040211900063D11C8EF00054038389C\ SourceList
      • ‘9040211900063D11C8EF00054038389C’ is the Product ID of the Office XP Standard version
      • Create a ‘Net’ subkey and create a ‘REG_EXPAND_SZ’ key with Value name as ‘1′ and data/expression as ‘\\server\officexp‘
    • On the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\<Product ID>\SourceList
      • Set the ‘LastUsedSource’ value data as ‘n;1;‘\\server\officexp‘
  3. Now right click the SourceList (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Classes\ Installer\ Products\ <Product ID>\ SourceList) and export as a reg file eg. sourcelist.reg
  4. Copy the created reg file in the Office XP shared location i.e. ‘c:\officexp\sourcelist.reg’

Step III : Use Software installation to deploy the Office XP SP3

  1. Configure the Software package
    • In the pre-install script give the reg.exe and the exported reg file with the import option as shown below
      • reg.exe import \\server\officexp\sourecelist.reg
  2. In the installation command give the oHotfix.exe file from the office XP SP3 shared folder
    • in the example \\server\officexpsp3\oHotfix.exe
    • and the same folder in advanced options - exe root path \\server\officexpsp3
  3. Now deploy the Office XP SP3 installation

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