Best Way To Install Apps. On New Win2K PCs At Work

[marks70]

We just leased new Dell PCs that came installed with Windows 2000 Professional at my job for all the employees. Our previous machines were Windows 98, and I didn't have to deal with user profiles. What is the best way to go about installing applications on all the computers? If we install everything using the "Administrator" account, all the applications, settings, and icons aren't available when the actual user logs on, since their profile doesn't include all these items. To get around this, we are currently having to give their account administrative rights, then go install the application, then remove the administrative rights. Is there a better way of doing this? I can't imagine this is how Microsoft intended administrators and tehchies to around installing applications on hundreds of Win 2K machines.

Thanks for your help.

 

[bozo1]

There are many ways to do what you want. Most companies wipe the OS when they get the machine and use Ghost or DriveImage to blast down a standard image and then just tweak what needs to be tweaked for each user. If the machines are already deployed, you can script a remote install that runs under an administrator account. Microsoft's technet site has some info on this.

There are a number of scripting programs you can use to write an install to make life easier for you - some are free/cheap, some expensive. This site has a bunch of info on the programs or on just doing it yourself. The 'Articles' section of that site has some good reads in it as well.

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Installing applications as an administrator should leave them available to all users since by default icons are put in the "all users" profile. You can manually move the shortcuts from the Administrator profile to the All Users profile if they're created in the wrong place.

As far as installing applications go, by far the best way is to deploy them using Group Policy. If your applications are in MSI format (which many newer apps are) you can force automatic installation by making the source disk available over the network then placing a link to the MSI file in your group policy.

If your applications are not in MSI format it becomes a little more complicated but it is possible to convert them.

 

[Tarfin]

Originally posted by: Woodchuck2000
Installing applications as an administrator should leave them available to all users since by default icons are put in the "all users" profile. You can manually move the shortcuts from the Administrator profile to the All Users profile if they're created in the wrong place.

As far as installing applications go, by far the best way is to deploy them using Group Policy. If your applications are in MSI format (which many newer apps are) you can force automatic installation by making the source disk available over the network then placing a link to the MSI file in your group policy.

If your applications are not in MSI format it becomes a little more complicated but it is possible to convert them.

I second the GPO method. It will take some education/training on your behalf to get accustomed to it, but once you do it certainly makes life easier. You can push apps or simply make them available for installation.

 

[marks70]

Thanks for your input. Unfortunately, we aren't running Active Directory yet (still using NT 4 Servers), so Group Policy isn't an option yet.

With regard to moving icons and so forth from the administrator profile to the "all users" profile, do you guys run into permissions issues for the shortcut? I've tried doing what you've described, but then I have to change the security settings for the shortcut to work for the users (if I don't the operating system states that the shortcut is invalid or something like that under properties). Also, do you ever use the "default user" profile for anything?

Thanks.