Microsoft® Windows® Desktop Deployment Resource Kit

Compatibility Inventory

An important first step in a deployment process is completing an accurate inventory of exactly what applications you currently have deployed. Many organizations already feel that they have a good handle on this until they use an inventory program for the first time and discover that users have installed many more applications than expected. Especially in environments running Windows 98, users have had the ability to install just about anything they might want to install because the environment simply allows it. Using a tool such as SMS or a similar third party tool used to be the only answer other than a simple paper survey. Imagine the daunting task of inventorying each and every desktop by hand. Such an inventory is actually ...