MSI package to install IE8 favorites ??
I have a bit of a problem with a MSI package request.
The customer wants to install a couple of ActiveX OCX for IE8 in a package and then add three URL's to the Favorites of IE8. The package itself does not have any further shortcuts.
So, when the package is installed (using the system account) and the USERS logs in, he/she expects to find the three requested URL-entries in the IE8 favorites list.
So far I have not found a way to do this. The customer does not have any tools for running first-run scripts or such (my first idea).
Does anyone know a solution to this?? Can I acutally DO this in a package ??
The customer wants to install a couple of ActiveX OCX for IE8 in a package and then add three URL's to the Favorites of IE8. The package itself does not have any further shortcuts.
So, when the package is installed (using the system account) and the USERS logs in, he/she expects to find the three requested URL-entries in the IE8 favorites list.
So far I have not found a way to do this. The customer does not have any tools for running first-run scripts or such (my first idea).
Does anyone know a solution to this?? Can I acutally DO this in a package ??
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Posted by:
pjgeutjens
12 years ago
basically what this entails is putting internet shortcuts in the user's favorites folder <UserProfile>\Favorites. The internet shortcuts are basically structured like an INI file, and have an extension .url
Once the package putting these files in to the userprofile is ready, you'll have to trigger a repair, and since you have no shortcut I think the simplest approach would be to use ActiveSetup. One thing you should beware of is that, if you put the internet shortcuts into the package as files, Windows Installer might need the original MSI when repairing for a certain user, or you'll have to use the duplicatefile table. You might want to look into deploying the internet shortcuts as ini files with MSI's builtin IniFile table to avoid these issues altogether.
PJ
Once the package putting these files in to the userprofile is ready, you'll have to trigger a repair, and since you have no shortcut I think the simplest approach would be to use ActiveSetup. One thing you should beware of is that, if you put the internet shortcuts into the package as files, Windows Installer might need the original MSI when repairing for a certain user, or you'll have to use the duplicatefile table. You might want to look into deploying the internet shortcuts as ini files with MSI's builtin IniFile table to avoid these issues altogether.
PJ
Posted by:
anonymous_9363
12 years ago
Most clients would use Group Policy to add URLs to 'Favorites', wouldn't they?
Posted by:
pjgeutjens
12 years ago
Most clients would use Group Policy to add URLs to 'Favorites', wouldn't they?
Yes, they would, I interpreted the question in a 'could you do it with MSI' sense, not so much the 'should you' sense.
So a very valid point
Posted by:
mvm
12 years ago
@pjgeutjens
Thanks for the quick reply.
I will have to take a look at the ActiveSetup stuff. Have never used that before unfortunately.
Sounds complicated.
@VBScab
Yes, normally you would use a GPO to set settings like this. Unfortunately, the customer (for some reason) does not want to do it that way (or has no knowledge of how to do that).
So I will have to do it the hard way I think.
Thanks for the quick reply.
I will have to take a look at the ActiveSetup stuff. Have never used that before unfortunately.
Sounds complicated.
@VBScab
Yes, normally you would use a GPO to set settings like this. Unfortunately, the customer (for some reason) does not want to do it that way (or has no knowledge of how to do that).
So I will have to do it the hard way I think.
Posted by:
anonymous_9363
12 years ago
Sounds complicated.Not in the least. It's well documented here and elsewhere and once you've done one, you'll do others in your sleep.
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