This step-by-step article demonstrates how to deploy the
.NET Framework in a Group Policy Object in Active Directory.
Set-up
The Active Directory server and the client computers must be
running Windows Installer, version 2.0 or later.
For additional information about how to
install the Windows Installer engine, click the article number below to view
the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
292539Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=292539/EN-US/
)
INFO: MSI: How to Obtain the Windows Installer Engine
You must have a share on the Active Directory
server that permits
Read access for all users in the domain.
Extract the Files
Extract the files from Dotnetfxredist.exe to the shared folder.
To do this, type the following at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:
Path\DOTNETFX.EXE /T:"Path to share /C
Create the Deployment Package
To create a package for the .NET Framework, and to deploy the
package to every member computer in the Group Policy Object, follow these
steps:
- On the Start menu, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.
- On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.
- In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click Add.
- Click the Group Policy option in the Available Standalone Snap-in list, and then click Add.
- Click Finish; do not change the default settings.
- In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, click Close.
- In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click OK.
- Expand Default Domain Policy, expand Computer Configuration, and then expand Software Settings.
- Right-click Software installation, click New, and then click Package.
- In the File name text box, type
\\Server Name\Share
Name\netfx.msi, and then click Open.
- In the Deploy Software dialog box, leave the package Assigned, and then click OK.
The software is assigned to all members of the Group Policy
Object. The next time each client computer restarts, the client will receive
the assigned package.
Service Packs
You can apply service packs to the Netfx.msi file in the shared
folder. For more information about how to apply patches, visit the following
Microsoft Web site:
NOTE: If you patch the .NET Framework that you deployed from Active
Directory, you must force a reinstall of the .NET Framework either from the
Group Policy Object snap-in on the Active Directory server or from Control
Panel on the client computers.
For additional information, click the article number
below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
320426Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=320426/EN-US/
)
PRB: "This Setup Does Not Contain the .NET Framework" Error Message During Visual Studio .NET Deployment