Create and Update W32 apps with Endpoint Manager
Endpoint Manager offers different ways to publish and install applications on Endpoint Manager (Intune) managed devices.
This blog is about creating and updating a Win32 app with Endpoint Manager on Windows 10.
Win32 apps are so called legacy apps and can be converted into the by Endpoint Manager .intunewin format with the Win32 Content Prep (IntuneWinAppUtil) tool. This tool needs to be used for deploying (PowerShell) scripts, executables, msi, batch files or other file formats that can be used to deploy application, application settings and or system settings that can be set via the Endpoint Manager configuration portal.
1. So, the first thing that has to be done is downloading the Win32 Content Prep tool from GitHub ( https://github.com/microsoft/Microsoft-Win32-Content-Prep-Tool) and put in a directory (e.g. C:\Temp\IntuneWinAppTool).
2. Next thing is downloading the tool that needs to be packaged into the intunewin format (In this case Notepad ++ 7.8.8) into another folder for example C:\Temp\Notepadplusplus.
3. Run the IntuneWinAppTool from the folder where it has been put.
4. Specify the source folder, the name of the installer, the output folder and optionally a catalog folder. After each input of course followed by pressing enter. After the pressing enter after specifying the folder the intunewin file is being created.
5. Open https://endpoint.mcrosoft.com and log in with an Microsoft account hat has permissions to create applications.
6. Go to Apps.
6. Go to Windows.
8. Click Add.
9. Select Windows app (Win32).
10. Click Select.
11. Click Select app package file and browse the created intunewin file that was created before.
12. Press OK.
13. Fill out all the required and optional information, upload a logo for the app and click Next.
14. Fill out the install command line, uninstall command line, the install and device restart behavior, leave the return codes or change them if desired or required and click Next.
15. Choose at least the operating system architecture and minimum operating system version and fill out other components if desired and click Next.
16. Click Add to create a Detection rule. Specify File by Rule type, fill out the path (C:\Program Files\Notepad++), the file notepad++.exe and Detection method (file of folder exists) and click OK.
17. Click Next.
18. In the Dependencies screen click Next.
19. In the Supersedence (preview) screen click Next.
20. In the Assignments screen select Add all devices and click Next.
21. Review all settings and click Create. The file will be uploaded to Endpoint Manager and will show a Application saved message on the upper right corner of the browser when successfully created.
21. Review all settings and click Create.
22. As I specified All Devices and also specified the app as Required the app will be pushed and installed to all devices as soon as possible. This can take somewhere between 5 and 25 minutes depending on things like network speed and other network related actions that might have higher priority.
When the software is successfully downloaded and installed on a Endpoint Manager managed device a message on the device will appear that it was installed successfully.
23. Via Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) it can be verified if the software indeed was installed.
24. Now, the Notepad++ 7.8.8 version will be upgraded to a newer version, Notepad++ 7.9.5 .
Steps 1 untill 17 can be repeated for creating a new application W32 app package for that updated version.
25. In the Supersedence step by pressing Add an application package can be specified that this newly created package will supersede.
26. For the previously installed version to be uninstalled, move the slide to Yes at Uninstall previous version and click Review & save.
27. Specify All devices under Required and click Next.
28. review all settings and click Create to upload the package and wait untill it is successfully uploaded
29. After about 5 to 15 minutes a message will appear that version 7.8.8 is replced by version 7.9.5.
30. As can be seen in Programs and features the updated version of Notepad++ has successfully been installed.
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