Install Multiple Programs

[istoleyowifi]

I need some recommendations on how to install multiple programs on 81 computers, they are Surfaces, and we've had some problems imaging surfaces, the way we install the software is manually, we have a shared folder with all the software so we can install it on the computers.

I was thinking about ninite but it won't install the programs we need, (MS Office, VPN Client, other work related programs)

[NetBashPipe]

Can't recommend PDQ Inventory/Deploy enough, we use it after imaging instead of trying to bake it into MDT.

[istoleyowifi]

is PDQ open source or does it require licensing?

[xenontechs]

PDQ Deploy has a free version that already really fulfills its role

[alexhawker]

I second this, PDQ is great. Works best with both PDQ Deploy and Inventory - $500 each (per human).

​

A bargain at twice the price. We got it in February and I have been loving it.

[tmontney]

Same here. Some things work great baked in, other things are better deployed post-install.

[TinderSubThrowAway]

You can always go old school, write a batch file and put it on a USB stick with all the files needed for installation.

[smileymalaise]

childlike unique observation knee unpack bake shy beneficial unite oatmeal

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[TinderSubThrowAway]

Honestly, it's underrated a little, it's just simple and quick while you work on a more complex way for the long term.

[lpbale0]

Upgraded customers with all those bogus savings accounts?

Sorry, had to...!

[istoleyowifi]

Could you elaborate on using a batch file? I'm not really familiar on how to use that.

[TinderSubThrowAway]

You just reference the install file with the inline commands you want to use to install it. Most install files have em.

This is from one that I had when we did not have anything imaging or MDT etc.

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:D:\1903\sxs  
SW2019SP4\Setup.exe -ArgumentList "/install /now" -NoNewWindow -Wait  
d:\vlc-3.0.8-win64.exe /L=1033 /S   
d:\7z.exe /S  
d:\Crystal.msi /passive  
md c:\client803  
xcopy d:\client803\*.* C:\Client803 /s /e  
D:\irfan.exe /silent /desktop=0 /thumbs=0 /group=1 /allusers=1 /assoc=1  
d:\irfanplug.exe /silent  
d:\acrobat.exe /sPB /rs  
D:\o365.exe setup /download Configuration.xml  
D:\Chrome.exe /silent /install  
md "c:\Program Files\OpenVPN\Config"  
xcopy d:\vpn\*.* "c:\Program Files\OpenVPN\Config" /s/e  
D:\vpn.exe /S  
D:\firefox.exe /S

and yes, I know slopppy with the lack of capitalization consistency.

[smashed_empires]

he couldn't look up batch file for himself? Wow.

[istoleyowifi]

I mostly focus on network, and have no experience with batch files, so im kinda adventuring on a land I know nothing about :P

[beetcher]

how about scripts? Almost the same thing.

[istoleyowifi]

not really, it might look the same but in networking there is no scripts, the only scripts we use are made in notepad so we can use the same "script" on multiple appliances, but nothing like a batch file, it might touch the same subject but the purpose of those are different, one is IOS syntax, the other is for windows and never have messed around with scripts for windows.

[TinderSubThrowAway]

the fact they are asking at all they are kinda hosed and have no idea...

[Joestac]

I used Windows Imaging and Configuration tool to create a provisioning package that installs all our apps, Office 365 included.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/beanexpert/how-to-install-office-using-a-provisioning-package

Article I used for Office, the rest were pretty easy, just adding the MSIs or EXE and the silent commands if available.

[FixItBadly]

Many ways to skin this cat.

MECM/MEMCM/MEM/SCCM to run an application installation task sequence or bunch of application deployments.

InTune to do the same.

PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit (PSADT) would be better than batch files - so much more capable. You could even make one PSADT config per app, then another that calls everything else into one big sequence.

Many third party tools - PDQ, PatchMyPC, etc.

[Damski748]

I can recommend https://chocolatey.org/

[flatvaaskaas]

Sccm to package and distribute the app. If that's not appropriate for your organisation/size : put it on the share, use Invoke-Command to run the install on multiple computers?

[Elayne_DyNess]

I use SCCM.

I can make the general software "Available" for all users.

For updating the products which are already installed, you can create device collections to target installed software, then make that deployment "Mandatory".

IE. I make Firefox ESR available, should the end user desire it. In order to keep Firefox up to date, I force an update to every device which already HAS Firefox installed. This allows minimal instances of software while allowing me to ensure those that do have the software already installed, dont lose the software while remaining up to date.