Saturday, 13 Jun, 2015

Rds

Rds

 

2 Options.

  • When you need to provision a new Windows program to by multiple Users (ie. that remotely login to the same TS/RDS Host), you have 2 options.

Setup.EXE VS Setup.MSI

  1. If your app comes packaged with a 3rd party installer (generally "Setup.EXE"), you'll need to manually place your TS/RDS Host into "Install Mode".
  2. If your app is offered with a "Setup.MSI"-file, the System will go automatically into Install Mode after you double-click on it & switch back when finished (ie. no need to manually switch to "Install Mode").

So, if you have an msi, just go ahead and install it - it'll automatically be available to your Users ('though check your RDS Host settings/make sure the app is published).

 

How to properly deploy "Setup.EXE" Applications.

To correctly deploy an application packaged with a third party installer (ie. Notepad++) & in order to make it available to all your Users, on your Terminal Server or Remote Desktop Services Host(s) :

  • Run cmd as admin then switch to "install mode" with the following command:

change user /install

  • Now install your desired application by, say, running "Setup.exe" (follow the installer prompts as usual).

Once the installer has finished, return to (default) "Execute Mode".

change user /execute

Install mode allows you to correctly deploy apps to your Users.

 

Under which mode am I?!

To know under which mode you currently are, run (On an Admin CMD):

change user /query

As per MS recommendation, don't leave your system in "Install Mode" (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/186515).

 

Explanation.

By quoting http://blogs.technet.com/b/perfguru/archive/2008/06/30/how-to-install-application-windows-2008-terminal-server.aspx

"When an application is installed in Install mode, HKEY_CURRENT_USER information is primarily written to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\Install

This information is then circulated to HKEY_CURRENT_USER for each user when they log on to the Terminal Server."

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