Install programs using Group Policy

[laith.mustafa@gmail.com]

I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint
viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal Server but
I want to use the viewers because we don't have enough Office
licenses.
First question is how to deploy the applications?
This is what I did ;
- Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
- Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
Configuration.
- I didn't use MST.
This doesn't seem to work.
Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers instead
of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of Powerpoint when
they open a document?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Laith

 

[Lionel]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

Hi!
First:
Does the ou where you have linked the gpo contains users accounts?
Do you use the gpmc, because you 've got 2 utilities very usefull in GUI to
test the gpo or to get the result of "what gpos are applied for the objects
of the concerned OU?

LC

<laith.mustafa@gmail.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
1189052363.691942.170890@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
>I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint
> viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
> Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal Server but
> I want to use the viewers because we don't have enough Office
> licenses.
> First question is how to deploy the applications?
> This is what I did ;
> - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
> - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
> Configuration.
> - I didn't use MST.
> This doesn't seem to work.
> Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers instead
> of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of Powerpoint when
> they open a document?
>
> Any help will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Laith
>

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

Normal users cannot and should not install applications on a TS, so
you can't use a GPO to assign applications to users on a TS.

Installing applications on a TS must be done by an administrator,
while no normal user is connected to the TS, and while the TS is in
install mode. This ensures the multi-user functionality of the
application.

Terminal Server Concepts: Installing applications
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/f72fd6e5-
d679-4058-98d0-bebc465040351033.mspx

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

laith.mustafa@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and
> Powerpoint viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
> Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal
> Server but I want to use the viewers because we don't have
> enough Office licenses.
> First question is how to deploy the applications?
> This is what I did ;
> - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
> - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
> Configuration.
> - I didn't use MST.
> This doesn't seem to work.
> Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers
> instead of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of
> Powerpoint when they open a document?
>
> Any help will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Laith

 

[laith.mustafa@gmail.com]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

On Sep 7, 12:42 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
> Normal users cannot and should not install applications on a TS, so
> you can't use a GPO to assign applications to users on a TS.
>
> Installing applications on a TS must be done by an administrator,
> while no normal user is connected to the TS, and while the TS is in
> install mode. This ensures the multi-user functionality of the
> application.
>
> Terminal Server Concepts: Installing applicationshttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/f72fd6e5-
> d679-4058-98d0-bebc465040351033.mspx
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Vera Noest
> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>
> > I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and
> > Powerpoint viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
> > Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal
> > Server but I want to use the viewers because we don't have
> > enough Office licenses.
> > First question is how to deploy the applications?
> > This is what I did ;
> > - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
> > - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
> > Configuration.
> > - I didn't use MST.
> > This doesn't seem to work.
> > Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers
> > instead of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of
> > Powerpoint when they open a document?
>
> > Any help will be appreciated.
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Laith

Thanks for the info.

How do address the file association problem? Do I need to choose the
program manually for every user?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

No, you can change the file association for all users:

257592 - Changes in File Types and File Association Features in
Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257592
_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

laith.mustafa@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> On Sep 7, 12:42 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
> this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
>> Normal users cannot and should not install applications on a
>> TS, so you can't use a GPO to assign applications to users on a
>> TS.
>>
>> Installing applications on a TS must be done by an
>> administrator, while no normal user is connected to the TS, and
>> while the TS is in install mode. This ensures the multi-user
>> functionality of the application.
>>
>> Terminal Server Concepts: Installing
>> applicationshttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/libra
>> ry/f72fd6e5- d679-4058-98d0-bebc465040351033.mspx
>>
>> _________________________________________________________
>> Vera Noest
>> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
>> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
>> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>>
>> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
>> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>>
>> > I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and
>> > Powerpoint viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
>> > Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal
>> > Server but I want to use the viewers because we don't have
>> > enough Office licenses.
>> > First question is how to deploy the applications?
>> > This is what I did ;
>> > - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
>> > - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
>> > Configuration.
>> > - I didn't use MST.
>> > This doesn't seem to work.
>> > Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers
>> > instead of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of
>> > Powerpoint when they open a document?
>>
>> > Any help will be appreciated.
>>
>> > Thanks
>>
>> > Laith
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> How do address the file association problem? Do I need to choose
> the program manually for every user?
>
> Thanks for your help.

 

[laith.mustafa@gmail.com]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

On Sep 7, 11:46 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
> No, you can change the file association for all users:
>
> 257592 - Changes in File Types and File Association Features in
> Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257592
> _________________________________________________________
> Vera Noest
> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>
> > On Sep 7, 12:42 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
> > this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
> >> Normal users cannot and should not install applications on a
> >> TS, so you can't use a GPO to assign applications to users on a
> >> TS.
>
> >> Installing applications on a TS must be done by an
> >> administrator, while no normal user is connected to the TS, and
> >> while the TS is in install mode. This ensures the multi-user
> >> functionality of the application.
>
> >> Terminal Server Concepts: Installing
> >> applicationshttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/libra
> >> ry/f72fd6e5- d679-4058-98d0-bebc465040351033.mspx
>
> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> Vera Noest
> >> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> >> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
> >> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> >> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
> >> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>
> >> > I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and
> >> > Powerpoint viewers for a number of Terminal Services users.
> >> > Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the Terminal
> >> > Server but I want to use the viewers because we don't have
> >> > enough Office licenses.
> >> > First question is how to deploy the applications?
> >> > This is what I did ;
> >> > - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
> >> > - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
> >> > Configuration.
> >> > - I didn't use MST.
> >> > This doesn't seem to work.
> >> > Second question is how to force the users to use the viewers
> >> > instead of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer instead of
> >> > Powerpoint when they open a document?
>
> >> > Any help will be appreciated.
>
> >> > Thanks
>
> >> > Laith
>
> > Thanks for the info.
>
> > How do address the file association problem? Do I need to choose
> > the program manually for every user?
>
> > Thanks for your help.

Thanks for your reply.
I did come across this article but I didn't find it helpful, here's an
extract from the article:
" Currently, there is no way through the UI to change or edit the user-
specific file type associations stored in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\SOFTWARE\Classes registry key. If you want to do this, you have to
directly edit the registry or develop your own UI to gain access to
this information."
Am I missing something here?
What I want to do is to push a registry entry to the users to force
them to use certain programs to open documents, e.g. pptview.exe to
open ppt documents instead of powerpnt.exe.

Can this be done?

Thanks

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Install programs using Group Policy

You can configure the file association you want for a test user
account, export the registry key and import it for your existing
users in a login script.

310516 - HOW TO: Add, Modify, or Delete Registry Subkeys and Values
by Using a Registration Entries (.reg) File
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310516

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

laith.mustafa@gmail.com wrote on 09 sep 2007 in
microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> On Sep 7, 11:46 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
> this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
>> No, you can change the file association for all users:
>>
>> 257592 - Changes in File Types and File Association Features in
>> Windows 2000 and Windows Server
>> 2003http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257592
>> _________________________________________________________ Vera
>> Noest MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
>> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
>> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>>
>> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
>> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>>
>> > On Sep 7, 12:42 am, "Vera Noest [MVP]" <vera.no...@remove-
>> > this.hem.utfors.se> wrote:
>> >> Normal users cannot and should not install applications on a
>> >> TS, so you can't use a GPO to assign applications to users
>> >> on a TS.
>>
>> >> Installing applications on a TS must be done by an
>> >> administrator, while no normal user is connected to the TS,
>> >> and while the TS is in install mode. This ensures the
>> >> multi-user functionality of the application.
>>
>> >> Terminal Server Concepts: Installing
>> >> applicationshttp://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/li
>> >> bra ry/f72fd6e5- d679-4058-98d0-bebc465040351033.mspx
>>
>> >> _________________________________________________________
>> >> Vera Noest
>> >> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
>> >> TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
>> >> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>>
>> >> laith.must...@gmail.com wrote on 06 sep 2007 in
>> >> microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:
>>
>> >> > I am trying to use GP to install Microsoft Word, Excel and
>> >> > Powerpoint viewers for a number of Terminal Services
>> >> > users. Microsoft Office 2003 is already installed on the
>> >> > Terminal Server but I want to use the viewers because we
>> >> > don't have enough Office licenses.
>> >> > First question is how to deploy the applications?
>> >> > This is what I did ;
>> >> > - Downloaded the MSI installer for Powerpoint 2007.
>> >> > - Created OU and GPO and assigned a package to it in User
>> >> > Configuration.
>> >> > - I didn't use MST.
>> >> > This doesn't seem to work.
>> >> > Second question is how to force the users to use the
>> >> > viewers instead of the full programs i.e Powerpoint viewer
>> >> > instead of Powerpoint when they open a document?
>>
>> >> > Any help will be appreciated.
>>
>> >> > Thanks
>>
>> >> > Laith
>>
>> > Thanks for the info.
>>
>> > How do address the file association problem? Do I need to
>> > choose the program manually for every user?
>>
>> > Thanks for your help.
>
> Thanks for your reply.
> I did come across this article but I didn't find it helpful,
> here's an extract from the article:
> " Currently, there is no way through the UI to change or edit
> the user- specific file type associations stored in the
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER \SOFTWARE\Classes registry key. If you want to
> do this, you have to directly edit the registry or develop your
> own UI to gain access to this information."
> Am I missing something here?
> What I want to do is to push a registry entry to the users to
> force them to use certain programs to open documents, e.g.
> pptview.exe to open ppt documents instead of powerpnt.exe.
>
> Can this be done?
>
> Thanks