Recipe 2.5. Installing an Application or Service Pack via Group PolicyProblemYou want to push an application or service pack to a group of users or computers using group policy. SolutionUsing a graphical user interface
DiscussionYou can use group policy to install applications, hotfixes, and service packs on servers. The preferred method for installation is to use Microsoft Installer files, but you can also use something called a ZAW down-level application package (ZAP) file to do non-MSI-based installations (for example, using Setup.exe instead). ZAP installations can be configured only in the User Configuration section of a GPO. For more on ZAP installations, see MS KB 231747. When you assign an application to the User Configuration section of a GPO, the application is automatically installed the next time targeted users log into a computer. When an application is assigned to the Computer Configuration section of a GPO, it is installed the next time the GPO is refreshed on targeted computers (or when the computers reboot). In both cases, the application installation is finalized the first time a user actually runs the program. Publishing an application is a little different. You can publish an application only in the User Configuration section of a GPO, not the Computer Configuration section. After you publish an application, it will show up in the Add/Remove Programs applet and be available for the user to install on demand.
You can do much more than just basic assigning and publishing of applications with GPOs. You can also upgrade and remove applications. For a quick overview of those processes, see MS KB 314934. You can also use the GPO software installation feature to install service packs on your clients. See MS KB 278503 for more information on how to install a service pack using a GPO. See AlsoMS KB 203607 (HOW TO: How to Modify the Default Group Policy Refresh Interval), MS KB 257718 (HOW TO: Create Third-Party Microsoft Installer Package (MSI)), MS KB 278503 (Best Practices for Using Update.msi to deploy Service Packs), MS KB 302430 (How to assign software to a specific group by using a Group Policy), MS KB 314934 (HOW TO: Use Group Policy to Remotely Install Software in Windows 2000), MS KB 324750 (HOW TO: Assign Software to a Specific Group By Using a Group Policy in the Windows Server 2003 Family), and MS KB 816102 (HOW TO: Use Group Policy to Remotely Install Software in Windows Server 2003) |