The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5) - Remote instalation of Windows applications

Remote instalation of Windows applications

Does anyone have a sugestion for installing/updating applications on remote computers (on the same network)?

The goal is to run the setup package (I use Ghost Installer) on all workstations without phisically visit each one.

MS SMS Server seems to complex for the job, and has too many requirements.

Pedro Vieira
Friday, January 23, 2004

I have seen one application push the installation through the $admin share, not sure on how they managed the specifics though and I guess it is a NT/2000/XP method only.

Tony Edgecombe
Friday, January 23, 2004

Run a logon script on each computer that looks back to a central server which contains all pcakages to be installed.

That is the cheap way.

The expensive way is to create yourself an Active Directory Domain and assign software to the computer accounts

Matt Watson
Friday, January 23, 2004

Our organization uses VNC - The admins installed VNC from remote (the $admin share?) and then started it from remote (I'm unclear how that was accomplished). He was then able to run any installers 'locally', without having to visit each PC in person (given that he's a 2 hour plane trip away, this is a good thing).

Michael Kohne
Friday, January 23, 2004

Use the AT command.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/at.asp

Raj Chaudhuri
Friday, January 23, 2004

Michael,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with VNC (or terminal services or PCAnywhere), they would still have to actuall *do* the installation on each PC right?

This is opposed to doing the installation once and having some system automatically push to the software out to each PC, which is what I think the original poster was asking about.

Bill Tomlinson
Friday, January 23, 2004

Bill,

actually, I followed the VNC advice. I tested 2 other methods that "push" setup packages to workstations, but they are still to complex and are not compatible with the installer I use.

The VNC approach is not bad at all. It requires one physical visit to the computer, in order to install the VNC Server, and all future updates can be done remotelly.

I choosed WinVNC (among other possible implementations, like tightVNC) because it runs as a service, which allow the remote user to log off and log on as administrator.

Thanks to all

Pedro Vieira
Monday, January 26, 2004