Software wont deploy, but GPO gets applied and MSI is installable manually

Question

DC: WinServer2012, Client: XP

Hi there,

i have a problem getting a GPO install to work. I created a MSI thats hosted in a network share:

\\server\Deployment\xxx\xxx.msi

when i log on to a computer and start it manually, it installs perfectly in silence and is listed uninstallable via systemcontrol/software.

However, if i deploy it by GPO, it wont work. eventvwr.msc reveals error codes 101, 103, 108 and 1085 without any useful further information (roughly translated in english it is something like: "it did not work because it did not work.." :@). Client is set to wait on network, GPO is listed as applied on gpresult, when i log onto the server and check the ntfs-settings, the MSI has read and execute for domain-computers, auth-users, everyone, anonymous and full for system and admins. The share settings are read for everyone. There are no further events related to that failure.

Does someone please can suggest some fixes? How can i find out WHY it does not get installed?

TIA, rhavin.

Solution

These errors tell me that your GPO and software distribution are working fine. It's the installer itself that's failing for some reason, and (probably) not reporting 'why' back to the launching process. To that end, they're telling you to check the log file of the installer to determine why, presuming the installer provides a log.

When run by the GP at start up, the context is the "System" context, not a user context. One of the major things that doesn't happen during the System-level install, is that no user profile is loaded. If the installer depends on the user profile to be available for some reason, then it could fail when it's not.

So you have to determine if/why the installer is failing when run in the context used during the GP initiated install.

Optionally, you could change the GP setup you are using; instead of assigning the software package to the Computer, assign (or publish) the software to the User.

I'd explain how to do that here, but there are a few important options and it's better if you get familiar with them all, and then decide which are best for your AD setup.

All the info you need on how to do it is available from Microsoft, and here's a YouTube video that popped up in a search that may help as well: Assigning Versus Publishing Applications in Active Directory .

Comments

[rhavin]

Never understood why MS localized error -.-, i'll try to translate in english: 101: the assignment of application (app) of gpo (gpo) failed. error: critical error at installation. 103: remove of assignment of application (app) of gpo (gpo) failed. error: critical error at installation. 108: Changes in softwaresettings not applied. Unable to adopt changes of software. Preceeding log entry should be there.

[rhavin]

thanks for the answer, but the msi is configured to at least leave a log on c:\ on startup, even that is not created, so i'm pretty shure the msi was not started at all. as i told, when i start it manually, it works like a charm.