Software Deployment

for apps like that I tend to create a custom action to replace the shortcut. The CA looks in the users profile for the file and if not found, copies it over and then runs the app. If it is found it ignores the copy process and then runs the app.

Simple, neat and easy.

What if you don't have a shortcut? I have an app acting as a plugin that puts down a DLL (easy), modifies an INI file (easy) and then creates it's own INI to go to C:\Documents and Settings\USER\blahblah

My first thought was a shortcut on startup to just handle all that, but I wanted to know if there's a more elegant solution.

ActiveSetup

Hmm. That would work if I had an exe to go with my plugin (stupid Zipmail). The info I found on ActiveSetup is Here

Couldn't you just write a small batch file or VBScript to write the neccessary INI file in the users profile using ActiveSetup?

Hi emuringer,

If you want to repair a file to a userprofile, check out this link:
http://www.altiris.com/support/forum/tm.asp?m=31863&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=&language=&tmode=0&s=#367539

If you combine the technique with active setup you should get the desired result...

I ended using a VBS to scan the modified ini for the modification on startup. If it was there, the app did nothing. If it wasn't, the VBS copies the files where they need to be and modifies the INI. What a pain in the arse. All this cause they didn't want to have one shared data folder on a PC. Sheesh.

ActiveSetup works like a charm. Create a Registry table entry for the component that contains the PerUser contents, and an identical one for a component that remains PerMachine:

Root = 1 and 2
Key = Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\[ProductCode]
Name = StubPath
Value = msiexec /fup [ProductCode]

Stefan

What do you mean by "...requires access to the msi which is not possible"? I thought you repackaged the app yourself?

For future reference, the correct way to do this is as follows:

1) Set the ALLUSERS public property to 1.

2) Ensure that all userprofile based components have an HKCU registry keypath (not a file).

3) Do not mix user and machine resources within the same component.

4) Ensure that these components are part of the feature that requires those resources (or a parent feature).

5) Ensure that all entry points to the feature are advertised (or at least the shortcuts and file associations).

It's worth remembering that ICE validations can help pick up issues like these (38, 43, 57, etc).