Software Deployment

ORIGINAL: jib
You could for example solve it by having the registry entry overwritten by a "purposedly broken active setup", in a login/logoff-script or by changing the access rights to that key, for that matter. How does that stop Joe User dropping his shortcut into the Startup folder, though? "Ah ha", the enterprising System Admin says. "I'll have my login script walk all the shortcuts in the Startup folder and, if the target points to Skype.EXE, I'll delete it!" "Hmmm," Joe User says. "I can just create a batch file which calls Skype.EXE." And so on, and so on.

What's the big deal about, anyway? If the user wants Skype to start when Windows starts, so what? Don't bother.

ORIGINAL: VBScab
How does that stop Joe User dropping his shortcut into the Startup folder, though? "Ah ha", the enterprising System Admin says. "I'll have my login script walk all the shortcuts in the Startup folder and, if the target points to Skype.EXE, I'll delete it!" "Hmmm," Joe User says. "I can just create a batch file which calls Skype.EXE." And so on, and so on.


This enteprising System Admin wouldn't be on my payroll, he doesn't seem to know his trade. That Joe User would be very useful, though, for testing.

ORIGINAL: VBScab
What's the big deal about, anyway? If the user wants Skype to start when Windows starts, so what? Don't bother.


Opinions are one thing, requirements another. And as a tech I don't tend to mix those very close together, I have enough (more fun stuff) on my mind already :-)

It took me exactly 17 seconds to determine - using ProcMon - where the setting is recorded. Strangely enough, it creates HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Skype, data type REG_SZ, with the value "C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe" /nosplash /minimized

Have I mentioned ProcMon before?

Hi

I appreciate your quick reply. I have already deleted this registry within the mst. This will simply help us to uncheck that particular option "start skype when the computer starts", but how can we disable this option. I want to make this check box as grey so that no user can select it again.

Appreciate your help.
Regards
Ramesh

I don't believe that's possible. I think you need to talk to Skype about it.

To my mind, however, it is utterly pointless to do that, since the user could simply create and drop a shortcut into their 'Startup' folder or add the relevant registry key themselves.

Pointless or not, it depends on how you look at it :-) With my strictly_packaging hat on I agree it is indeed pointless, but then if I think about it from another angle (which is the most fun part of working with what we do, isn't it?) it makes sense.

Even if an application does not allow disabling of a setting there could still be some ways to achieve a similar effect. You could for example solve it by having the registry entry overwritten by a "purposedly broken active setup", in a login/logoff-script or by changing the access rights to that key, for that matter.

At a client we solved a similar problem by having a whitelist for the Run-key values at another machine-only registry location. If the value wasn't in the whitelist we'd clean it out. Same for the Startup folder.

If its something you can do inside the program, turn the dialog or menu grey to disable, then you could capture it. If its a requirement you have "invented" that isnt part of the programs ability, then you cant do it without re-programming the application.

P

Hi Ramesh,

When you installed Skype did you get an MSI Googletoolbarinstaller4.0.0.0 under C:\pgm files\Google?

If i need to package only skype i can repackage the setup.exe with unchecking the option to install google toolbar right? correct me if i m wrong...

thanks,
Suma

ORIGINAL: sumarchana
If i need to package only skype i can repackage the setup.exe If you go here http://skype.com/business/ there's a Skype in MSI format which, as far as I can tell, is identical to the normal installer.

Also, I notice that the latest d/l for Skype comes from a URL which includes the path 'nogoogle' and doesn't have the 'Install Google toolbar' option. I guess they fell out. Or something.