Windows 2000 Administration in a Nutshell

Name

Windows Installer

Synopsis

Add a new package for deployment, add software modifications to a package, change the deployment method for a package, configure default deployment settings for all packages, configure deployment settings for a package, create and assign software categories, modify file-extension priorities, redeploy software, remove deployed software, and upgrade deployed software using Windows Installer technologies.

Procedures

For an overview of how software can be automatically deployed on client computers using Windows Installer technologies, see Section in the article Group Policy.

Prior to configuring your method of software deployment, you need to perform the following preparatory steps:

Create or obtain a Windows Installer package

A Windows Installer package (an .msi file) must first be created or obtained for the application you want to remotely deploy on your client computers. You may obtain a package from Microsoft or a third-party vendor, or you may create your own package using a third-party packaging tool.

Create a software distribution point

Share a folder on a file server on your network, and assign users Read and Execute permissions on the contents of the share. Then create a subfolder that has the same name as the application you want to deploy, and store the .msi package file and any other files required for the application in the subfolder.

Create or edit a GPO

If you want to deploy software for all User or Computer objects within a container (a site, ...