Systems Management

I'm trying to roll out office communicator via gpo. I have 2 msi's that I have tested. Package installation fails when assigned. I published the packages so I could get a better idea of errors occuring. the original msi fails with an unspecified fatal error. The other fails and states that the file is not a valid installation package for the product Microsoft Office communicator 2005. Try to find the installation package 'Communicator.msi' in a folder from which you can install Microsoft Office Communicator 2005. This msi has the patch slipstreamed in the msi by msiexec /a Communicator.msi /p Communicator.msp. Here's the verbose log output:

=== Verbose logging started: 3/26/2008 14:07:37 Build type: SHIP UNICODE 3.01.4000.4039 Calling process: \??\C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe ===


EDIT: SOLUTION::::::


I have solved the problem. I have found that by simply creating and setting permissions on one key in the registry, Communicator can be deployed via GPO assigned to users.

So here's the skivvy. I created the below script and set it up as a startup script in a gpo that applied to all computers. In the same GPO, I setup the permissions on the registry key to be full control for all users (the install creates one value in the key and that’s it).

Here's the script:

const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002

set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\default:StdRegProv")
strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Communicator"
oReg.CreateKey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath


the key to set permissions on is:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Communicator

Hope this helps in the future.

-- Micah Rowland