PDQ Deploy Tips & Tricks: From MSI Deployment To Admin Rights
Is it possible to streamline software deployment and patch management across a network of Windows computers? The answer is a resounding yes, and the tools and techniques available are becoming increasingly accessible and efficient, transforming how IT professionals manage their environments.
Automated MSI deployments, often employed through tools like PDQ Deploy, offer a powerful method for installing applications and updates. Ensuring these deployments use elevated permissions, mirroring the "Run as administrator" functionality, is a critical aspect. Without proper elevation, installations can fail, leading to inconsistent software states across managed systems. PDQ Deploy provides the means to accomplish this, allowing administrators to deploy MSI or EXE packages with the necessary privileges to avoid common installation hurdles.
Deploying software, configuring systems, and managing updates efficiently are the cornerstones of a well-maintained IT infrastructure. Tools such as PDQ Deploy provide the functionality needed for this by offering automated deployments, prebuilt and custom packages, inventory scanners, email notifications, and Active Directory integration. With these features, system administrators can streamline their workflow, reduce manual intervention, and ensure that software deployments are consistently executed across the network.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | PDQ Deploy |
| Category | Software Deployment and Patch Management |
| Key Features | Automated Deployments, Prebuilt Packages, Custom Packages, Inventory Scanning, Email Notifications, Active Directory Integration |
| Deployment Methods | MSI and EXE Package Deployments |
| Permissions | Elevated Permissions (Run as Administrator) |
| Integration | Windows, Active Directory |
| Data Storage | Locally stored on your network |
| Additional Products | PDQ Inventory, PDQ Connect |
| Website | PDQ.com |
Creating a deployment package for Windows 10/11 using PDQ Deploy is designed to be a straightforward process. One must begin with the setup.exe file extracted from the Windows ISO to initiate the upgrade. Additional parameters, such as "/auto upgrade /quiet," should be added to ensure an unattended, silent installation.
When installing applications like Cisco AnyConnect, it's often necessary to extract files from the executable. The command prompt can be used to extract the necessary files from anyconnect.exe, revealing the MSI installer within the extracted folder. Testing this MSI installation on a test computer is essential before deployment via PDQ Deploy to ensure compatibility and prevent potential issues during the deployment process.
Many professionals explore solutions like SmartDeploy. While SmartDeploy offers its own set of features, those familiar with PDQ Deploy often find it to be a more practical fit due to its ease of use and integration capabilities. Ultimately, the best choice depends on specific organizational needs and preferences. If the goal is rapid deployment of specific applications or patches, PDQ Deploy often provides a more streamlined approach. PDQ deploy & inventory data is locally stored on your network, allowing you full control, offline operations, and more. Read more in our product security guide.
The configuration of registry keys, such as adding a "disabletnef" key to Outlook preferences, is another deployment task often managed via PDQ Deploy. This typically involves creating a .reg file containing the registry information. This file can be copied to the target machine, and the registry settings can be applied via a PowerShell script or command-line execution within PDQ Deploy.
PDQ Deploy streamlines the task of setting the command utility to manual updates and suppressing notifications for the end-user. This process often involves creating a package that updates all drivers and BIOS components. This is a vital aspect of maintaining up-to-date systems.
The integration of PDQ Deploy can go hand-in-hand with other systems, such as SCCM. While SCCM excels in large-scale deployments, PDQ Deploy can complement it by offering quicker, more targeted installations. This combination provides IT professionals with a flexible and powerful toolkit for managing their environment. PDQ Connect is heavily inspired by the combined functionality of PDQ Deploy & Inventory.
The functionality of PDQ Deploy extends beyond mere installation; it also supports the use of variables for tracking and managing different versions of the same application. This capability is particularly useful when dealing with multiple packages or versions of an application within a deployment environment. To make sure this feature works, it's important to optimize the PDQ Deploy console, maintain the PDQ Deploy database, integrate PDQ Deploy with other systems, and manage the process of moving PDQ Deploy to another computer if needed.
For example, an administrator might utilize PDQ Deploy to install the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client. After extracting the necessary files from the anyconnect.exe executable, the administrator can identify the MSI installer and deploy it through PDQ Deploy. Similarly, the same system can be used to configure registry settings across multiple computers. For instance, setting the "disabletnef" key for Outlook can be automated by creating a package that copies a .reg file to the target machines and then merges the registry settings.
The use of a domain admin account as the deployment user account is standard practice. Moreover, adding this account to the administrators security group on the target workstation is essential for ensuring proper permissions during the deployment process. Deploying software in this manner saves time and effort.
When using the push copy mode, only the background service will require read/write access to the PDQ Deploy repository. Additionally, the package library within PDQ Deploy offers prebuilt packages for common software like Adobe Flash, allowing administrators to save time by using pre-configured deployment packages.
The use of PDQ Deploy also extends to Windows Updates. A four-step process can be used to automatically update the operating system, drivers, and BIOS. To carry out the update process, the setup.exe file must be used with parameters like "/auto upgrade /quiet" to automate the process. PDQ Deploy allows system administrators to silently install almost any application or patch to multiple Windows computers simultaneously.
One of the advantages of PDQ Deploy is its ability to deploy software silently. This saves time and effort by enabling administrators to easily install, configure, and update applications across a network without interrupting user activity.
Moreover, the seamless integration with Active Directory allows for targeted deployments based on user or computer groups, streamlining software distribution. The inclusion of inventory scanners facilitates thorough oversight of installed software across a network, ensuring that software versions remain compliant with organizational standards. Any data within the deploy environment can be used as a variable, including versioning.
In terms of security, the data that PDQ Deploy and PDQ Inventory use is stored on the local network, providing full control and enabling offline operations. These capabilities ensure data privacy and control over deployment procedures. The software also offers seamless multiuser access. Authorized SmartDeploy users can launch a web browser from a different computer on their company network and connect to the SmartDeploy web console.
The flexibility and efficiency of PDQ Deploy make it a valuable tool. This allows administrators to quickly update software, deploy custom scripts, and perform configuration changes across their network.
The documentation for PDQ Deploy and PDQ Inventory can be found in the installation directory: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Deploy\documentation.pdf" and "C:\Program Files (x86)\Admin Arsenal\PDQ Inventory\documentation.pdf."
In essence, whether setting up software for the first time or updating it, PDQ Deploy streamlines the entire process, significantly saving time and effort for IT professionals.
