Software Deployment

Hi Craig,

SMS does all installations in system context. That means it will install only the machine data i.e. files and HKLM registries. The HKCU registries & files that are installed to the user profile only after the User Login.
1. This can be only done if the applications has any entry points such as advertised shortcuts or file extensions.
2. In case there are no entry points then you will have to use Active Setup or the user will have to manually repair the application from Add or Remove Programs (not recommended)

Cheers

"or the user will have to manually repair the application from Add or Remove Programs (not recommended)"
Just of curiosity, why isn't it recommended?
If it's due to a repair using a non-admin user that shouldn't be a problem as the installation is done per-machine meaning the repair will be elevated even for machine components/resources.

/Kim

ORIGINAL: applereaper
My problem is that there is some registry setting in the HKCU which I need to be installed. Active Setup is a good solution for packages with no entry-point(s). Check out http://etlengineering.com/installer/activesetup.txt and post back if you have any problems.

user will have to manually repair the application from Add or Remove Programs (not recommended)
I stated this for primarily two reasons:
1. Active Setup proves to be a better solution.
2. The organisations that i have worked for have maintained that they did not want the Normal Users to manually repair the application from the 'Add or Remove Programs' because some users are not aware of the 'Add or Remove Programs' or even the 'Repair' button. Some start using the applications w/o Repair, only to find out that the settings have not been applied, leading to numerous 'SupportCalls' (which are avoidable).
Also two of these organisations had viewing of 'Add or Remove Programs' disabled for the Normal Users.

Thanks for the input Rajit!

Just thought you meant that there was some problem/issues repairing from ARP.

Only problem with active setup in this scenario is if the user hasnt launched an office application, any thing set under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office using active setup will be wiped as office recreates this key on first launch..

If its just data being written to the user profile you run a script to launch word and write your setting using an SMS program set "Run with user's rights"

ORIGINAL: Tone

Only problem with active setup in this scenario is if the user hasnt launched an office application, any thing set under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office using active setup will be wiped as office recreates this key on first launch.....which is easily handled with robustly-written script, of course. :)

Thats the way I do it too [:D]

Thanks for all the help, I've created scripts to run on logon in the past, was just hoping for a solution which is in the msi.

Not sure if I understand this question clearly but it sounds like you want to add certain registry settings to each user?

If this is the case then I will tell you what I do:

1./ Export the registry key/keys from the registry to a file.

2./ Download 'Modifyprofile.exe' from here: http://www.optimumx.com/download/#ModifyProfile

3./ Create a custom action within your MSI to run modifyprofile and import the exported registry settings to all the profiles on the system.

- You will have to embedd modifyprofile and the regsitry file into your MSI by adding components that point to those files (one component for each file).

- Make your custom action to run one sequence before 'InstallFinalize' sequence

I do this kind of thing all the time and if that is what you need to do this is a very easy way to do it depending on your skill level and MSI editing software..