Software Deployment

Hi Rickard,
most of the information from version 7.2 onward is still valid.
As soon as i have time for it, i will generate an MST an publish it somewhere.
But this can take another few months to materialize... :-(
Regards, Nick

This post applies to Quicktime 7.62.14 for deployment via Group Policy and focuses mainly on the issue of turning off automatic updates.

I have been working on version 7.62.14 and have found it very troublesome to set the preferences for, since Apple have made the settings user based in a .qtp file that is internally generated so there is no copy in the default user profile anymore which makes turning off the updates in a deployment slightly tricky.

The solution I eventually come up with for turning off the updates and this will apply to any of the settings stored in the .qtp file, is to use Group Policy Preferences (GPP) to deploy the .qtp file to users at log on. GPP can be managed from Vista and Server 2008 boxes but the policies can be applied to Windows XP clients providing the client side extensions for GPP(KP943729) and XMLlight are installed. So once the MSI file has been extracted from the installer, proceed as follows:

• Use Tuner or Orca to create an MST file and make any tweaks that you want such as moving shortcuts
  
• Install Quicktime on to a clean box with the following command line: msiexec /i <path to Quicktime MSI> transforms=<path to Quicktime MST> /qb
  
• Run Quicktime and go to Edit - Preferences - Quicktime Preferences
  
• Select Updates tab and uncheck the check for updates automatically tick box.
  
• Make any other tweaks that you would like to save in the preferences file
  
• Close Quicktime and then browse to c:\documents and settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer\QuickTime and copy the Quicktime.qtp file - This contains the tweaks
  
• Use a Vista or Server 2008 box with Group Policy Management installed to create a new policy and link to your user OU. Edit the policy and browse to User Configuration - Preferences - Windows Settings - Files and right click to add a new file. Browse to and select the quicktime.qtp file you copied earlier in the source path and in the destination path put c:\documents and settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer\QuickTime\quicktime.qtp
  
• This policy should now copy the qtp file to all users within the scope of the policy when they next log on providing they are Vista boxes or the client side extensions for group policy preferences Windows XP and XMLlight are installed.
  
• Add the Quicktime MSI and MST to a group policy object for deployment of the software

This is good information. It would be great if you could post it in the 'Notes' section for the QuickTime entry in the 'Package KB'.

Indeed it is. Thank you very much for the detailed description, Gunther.

One question though. For XP support, you said that KP943729 and XMLlight need to be installed on the client. What's XMLlight?

What's XMLlight?Can I resist the temptation? I think I will this time.

It is used for Parsing and writing xml files and is needed as the preferences are available in the new ADMX files for group policy which use xml. If you are running IE7 or later, this will already be installed.

I'll be rolling out my 7.5.5 MSI in my 2010 PC builds, then. Until Apple can get a clue and write software that can be managed easily, they get to deal with a larger installed base of the old version. Simple as that.

Hi Marc,
what do you tell your clients, when there QT-Movies are not going to work anymore, because the publisher was using the newest codec to produce it?
And what i would be more concerned about: What are you going to with the security holes in this older product?

Apple has really made a very bad decision with this notorious "AppleApplicationSupport.msi" prerequisite!
But, if you want to install QT, you have to accept it.

If you can't accept it, there is always the solution from QT-Alternative.

Regards, Nick

nobody has ever complained since quicktime is really one of those Mac-only formats that nobody around here uses (and if they did, they don't any more). I keep it "just in case" somebody wants to play and old file.

So you deliberately install an old version that is vulnerable?
What do you think the customer says if their systems are attacked due to the security hole that is present in the version you installed without caring about it?

you've guilted me into action and I've followed TimoP's instructions from the article here to package up 7.6.5. Even though I've deleted reference to the AppleSoftwareUpdate.msi using orca, the preferences in the app still has the updates box ticked, but I'm beyond caring. If people get nagged when using QuickTime (on machines for which they have no permission to install it) then perhaps they'll stop using rubbish software/files :-)