Push software to a domain computer using a GPO

Solution 1:

Software deployment via GPO is extremely limited and unreliable as the software you're deploying must be a .msi file. It won't work with .exe or any other file extension.

As long as you have the .msi file on a file share that's accessible to all computers where you want the software to be installed the steps are as follows:

NOTE: This will actually install the software on the computer. It will be running on the local computer not from the file share. The computer basically just retrieves the installer file from the network share and installs the application on the machine.

1. Create a new group policy object.

2. Under Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings click Software Installation to select it.

3. Right click on the blank part of the window on the right and select New > Package

IMPORTANT: Be careful in the next step. While selecting your package you must browse to the file share location that's accessible to the computers where you want the software to install. If you select it from the server's local C: drive the network computers won't have access to the installer file since you must use a network share UNC path (\\SERVER_NAME\share_name\installer_file_name) that's accessible to the target machines.

4. Browse to the UNC path and choose your .msi installer file.

5. Choose "Assigned" and select okay. Your installer file will appear in the list.

The next steps will depend on your setup. You've possibly gotta set the security filtering permissions on the GPO to tell it what specific computers you want it to install on and tinker around with other permissions settings. When finished assign the GPO to the OU that includes the machines that should install the software.

To test go to a computer on the network where the software should be installed, open PowerShell and run

gpupdate /force /boot

You should get a message that certain policies are enabled...blah, blah, blah and a popup saying the computer will automatically restart in 1 minute. When the computer restarts you may see the spinning throbber for a long time before Windows loads. This is usually a good sign and means the software is being installed.

Deploying via GPO isn't the most reliable solution though. There are many reasons why it can (and usually does) fail. You might have to restart the computer a few times before it installs. It might not install for a few days or ever. Sometimes you have to delete the GPO and recreate it to get it to install. In worst case scenarios you have to remove the computer from the domain then rejoin the domain before the software installs.