MSI deployment via GPO & application data

[lumpyhed]

Hi, i'm currently modifying the supplied OpenOffice 2.0 msi to better suit our network. Basically upon running it the first time, the user is asked to register & their settings for using OO are defaulted and stored in their profile.

I've worked up a profile from using the application that has everything needed so the user can load up the first time and get on with using it. The issue is with getting this profile data into all 1500 odd users. I could do a script for this, and add the data to the All User & Default User for future new users on the system.

I have been playing with the ALLUSERS property, and looking at the generic folder options but with no success so far.

However surely it is possible to modify the msi so that it installs the profile data upon logging onto a client with the OO package installed, or upon loading OO for the first time? I read somewhere about something called an Entry Point, but i haven't a clue where to start with this if needed. Thanks!

[Thaiboxer]

I haven't worked with OpenOffice, but one suggestion - rather than editing the vendor MSI, I'd highly recommend creating a transform to change anything you need to. That way you're not messing with someone else's MSI; doing that can get pretty unpredictable sometimes... I've seen vendor's do some pretty goofy stuff in their packages. (If you're not already doing it this way!)

Good luck on your user settings!
Mike

[Christopher_Pai]

The only thing I don't like about transforms is the fact that my users sometimes will click the MSI file instead of the Setup.exe and miss the customizations provided by my transform. Sometimes I will put a simple change into the vendors MSI ( launch condition that can only be satisified by including my transform ) and then do the rest of my changes in my transform.

Another solution would be to use a source control tool that supports vendor branches.

[lumpyhed]

I would make use of MST's if it were possible to deploy them via the GPO. Perhaps this is possible but i havent spotted it yet. I've been quite luckly so far! 😉

[Christopher_Pai]

Sy, didn't notice GPO in the title.

What happens if you edit the original MSI's propety table and change the TRANSFORMS property to point to your transform?

[lumpyhed]

LOL i didnt realise it, but i just found out about implementing them via the Modifications tab when you go to deploy it. *slaps forehead*

I'll start using them from now on methinks!

[Thaiboxer]

You beat me to the punch. I've used GPO's for distribution with transforms quite a bit, usually just to remove extra shortcuts.

I hate it when applications put 19 million shortcuts to themselves all over the place... desktop, quick launch, start menu, and start menu subfolders. Drives me nuts.