Software Deployment

What platform did you create this package on? WinXP? Win2k?

You may run into troubles if you package on one platform and deploy to another.

Nate

I used Win2K to package it up... one would expect it to work on 2K.. but it doesn't

Are there distinct differences in the way that XP & 2000 handle the group policy deployed apps?

baronne,

I have not run into - nor can I think of - any situations where a Win2K machine reacted differently to a GP/AD deployed app than did a WinXP machine (with the exception of, as nmead correctly points out, packages that do not cross OS platforms well).

I would begin by trying to install your package locally on a Win2k machine. If that succeeds, try installing it from your network UNC. If that succeeds as well, then you very well might have something unusual happening that does not have to do with Win2K.

My suspicion is, though, that it does have something to do with how a Win2K machine is reacting to your package. Do your event logs on an affected machine indicate any problem? Can you confirm that this is happening on all your Win2K machines?

One other thing: You mentioned that app is called SQLbase. If SQL is involved, then it is possible the package may be attempting to touch/replace system files that are protected by the Windows File Protection service. If you built the package on Win2K, many of these files are in the path of C:\Winnt\System32 On XP, the path is C:\Windows\System32. After you deploy the package to an XP machine, is there a C:\Winnt path? If so, this might give you a clue as to why it deploys on XP but not Win2K.

If this does turn out to be the case, these files should not be included in a package. Instead, merge modules (.msm) that contain the necessary files should be incorporated into your package.

Craig --<>.

hi craig, thanks for your reply...
it's been a crazy few days trying to get this thing to work. Fortunately I cracked it this afternoon (otherwise I think I might have started going mental)!! Here's the story :

The "suite" consists of Centura SQLBase 7.6.1 (a database client), Centura Runtime 1.5 and the VISUAL Manufacturing 6.2.8 application. Initially, I was creating a snapshot of each, but when I tried to deploy to Win2K it only stayed in an advertised state. So I found a script.... Advertised Software Launcher Script which I slotted into my login script which actually forced an advertised application to install once the user had logged on. The problem with this was that the application installed itself in the wrong order, so it wouldn't work. I then recreated a new MSI package of the entire "suite" of applications and so it worked!

I really am not sure why this was happening but it's not the nicest of apps to deploy, so I'm glad this method worked!

The weird thing is that when you install the application manually (as in - you run each of the separate .MSI packages), it installs absolutely correctly. I guess the thing to find out is how to change the order of the above mentioned script so it does the applications in the correct order... but for now... I really have had enough!!! [:-]

cheers

Baronne Mouton

Windows 2000 does not support install at logon for user deployed apps. This is a limitation that does not exist in Windows XP.

In Windows 2000 the workstations are advertised the app and once triggered will install fully.

In Windows XP you can advertise the app and select "Install at logon" and the app will fully install after the user completes his login.

good stuff... I thought there was something up with Win2K - so the script that activates & installs these advertised applications is a winner!

cheers all for your help

baronne mouton