How to deploy an exe-file using Group Policy (exe to gpo)

As you know, GPO is a good enterprise sector tool for software deployment, but it only supports msi.
In this article, we will explain how to deploy an exe installers + fonts via gpo.

First, we need a list of programs that need to be deployed. So this:
1. 7zip – a free file archiver with a high degree of data compression
2. Krita – a graphical editor.
3. Atom is a multifunctional text editor from the developers of GitHub.
4. A font file required for a graphical editor, etc.

let’s start the exe in gpo


preparing 7z2201-x64.exe for gpo:

Automatic detection of command line options for this installer did not work.
You can just type in the auto install key if you know it, or use the UI Recorder in the Silent Install Builder.
In this example, we will use the UI Recorder.

ui recorder install .exe

preparing krita-x64-5.1.1-setup.exe for gpo:

It is enough to add to install the application.

krita for gpo
krita for gpo

preparing Fonts in msi:

The first dilemma is that it is problematic to install fonts using standard gpo tools, but for this the js engine has a function

fonts to gpo

JavaScript

//Register Font. Font file should be included to Additional files. 
Sib.RegisterFont("pico-8.ttf");

preparing atom for gpo:

atom is installed right after startup.
but there is one caveat in this, if you just add the installation file, then gpo will work slowly, possibly not correctly.
For this reason, we will start a separate process through the js engine

Install Atom on Windows with Group Policy

JavaScript

var result = Sib.ExecuteProcessNoWait("AtomSetup-x64.exe", "");

//if(!result.ValidateExitCode([0]))
// throw new ActionFailureException(result.ExitCode);
//if(result.ConsoleOutput.Contains("error"))
//   throw new Exception("");

That’s it, now we collect exe in msi to install exe through GPO

exe in msi to install exe through GPO

Add msi to group policy «exe to gpo»

If you do not know how to add, see this article «community.spiceworks.com»

exe to gpo

we will check on vm
you reboot the VM and after rebooting the gpo starts working and everything is installed as we wanted.

you reboot the VM and after rebooting the gpo starts working and everything is installed as we wanted.

In this way we solve many problems through msi in gpo
Thanks for understanding.
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