Creating a Rollback for Application (SCCM 2012)

It's quite straight-forward to rollback when the software is deployed as a package, and slightly different but also quite simple to rollback for an Application as well.
Here are the steps:-

Scenario
App XYZ version 4.5 is installed. Users have complained on few bugs/issues on the version released. App XYZ needs to be rolled back to version 4.4.

1) Create a new application (for version 4.4)

2) Once APP XYZ is created , open properties and go to the Supersedence Tab
    And click ADD - and browse to APP XYZ version 4.5.
    Change 'New Deployment Type' to the msi option and select uninstall and 'OK'

3) Next go to Deployment Type and Select the .msi and click 'Edit'.
    You can skip this step if you want to detect by product code.
    You can use this step if you want to detect a .msp / or version specific.
    Remember to choose 'equal' in Operator field.

4) Click Okay and deploy to a collection that contains all the machines that has version 4.5 installed (creating a query based collection will be more efficient)

Chrome Extensions - GPO

I was packaging Chrome to be deployed as an Enterprise Application recently, and found some interesting stuff regarding Chrome extensions.

1) The location of the extensions

2) The name of the extensions - each extensions have an unique ID

3) In the GPO, I had disabled/blacklisted all extensions:-

4) There is a setting called 'Configure Extension Installation Whitelist'
Set it to Enabled, click on Show and add in the extensions based on the unique ID:- You might need to find the Unique ID by installing Extensions on a Test Machine and checking in the above location.

Cheers!

SCCM 2012 - Copy Files to User's Machine/Desktop

Sometimes you will need to just copy over files or folder contents to a folder on user's desktop:-

create a batch file:-

copy /y "%~dp0*.*" "%ProgramFiles%\Test\Temp"

which translates- copy all files to %ProgramFiles%\Test\Temp

In DP, place all the files needed in a folder, including the batch file.

Then create a package in SCCM, point commandline to run the batch file.

Deploy to user's machine, and it will copy all the folder contents to %ProgramFiles%\Test\Temp.

SCCM 2012 :- Software Updates Standards and Procedures

Basic Steps for Software Updates in SCCM 2012

Step 1. Specify Search Criteria for Software Updates
In the console, click Software Library, expand  it and select All Software Updates then click on Saved Searches-Manage Searches for current Node

then choose the saved search ' Windows 7 Updates (Last 3 Months) and click OK

The Software Updates will be displayed, then choose  IE updates and other non-relevant updates right click , select Properties and set the Custom severity to Low, click Apply and OK

then define the criteria using the drop down menus beside each option

so that they look as follows:-
• Product = Windows 7
• Bulletin ID =MS
• Expired = No
• Superseded = No
• Severity = Important or Critical
• Title = does not contain x64 (for x32 bit Updates only)- change accordingly
• Custom Severity = None (to exclude IE updates and other non-relevant updates)
• Required = greater than or equal to 1

then click on Search, you'll get a list of results like so

Step 2. Create a Software Update Group that Contains the Software Updates
Note: Normally you'd want to look through all these updates and filter out (delete) the ones that are not applicable to you, such as Beta or Service Packs, Delete these from your list before continuing.
After we've trimmed down out updates , highlight the updates. click on Home and then in the Update click on Create Software Update Group

Name it  Windows 7 Updates Quarter 3 2014 (depends on quarter) , enter Description on what updates it contains and click on Create.

Now you can click on Software Update Groups in the console and you'll see your newly created Software Update Group, right click on it and choose Show Members to see the updates in this group.

this lists the Sotware Updates contained in the Software Update Group

Step 3. Create Deployment Package (download updates)
Create a folder in below location, and give it a suitable name ex:- Q1 2014
\\servername\SoftwareUpdates\Workstations\Windows_Platforms\Windows-7\Microsoft\
Now Click on Software Update Groups in the console right click on your newly created Software Update Group and choose Download.

Select 'Create a new deployment package an enter name, description and package source.

Choose Distribution Points and select Next till Finish.
Wait until the progress shows finished successfully.
Go to \\servername\SoftwareUpdates\Workstations\Windows_Platforms\Windows-7\Microsoft\ (folder name) and see if the updates are downloaded successfully
Now Click on Deployment packages and check your package has been created.

Step 4. Deploy the Software Update Group
Create a new collection in  \Assets and Compliance\Overview\Device Collections\Software Updates\Workstations\OS Platform
Select the Windows 7 Updates Software Update Group and in the Ribbon click on Deploy.

Give it a name and point it to a created collection.

For Deployment Settings set the type of deployment to Required (mandatory) and State message level to Only success and error messages

For scheduling set the Time Based on to UTC  

Supress restart for servers and workstations and then click next till Finish

Finding a Networked Printer on a machine

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections\server name

If  it's for a remote machine, type regedit and then connect to the machine via (File> Connect Network Registry)

Folders structure in a Distribution Point – SCCM 2012

1)   SCCM CONTENT LIB – SCCM 2012 new folder structure that contains all package files in encrypted and compressed form (download content from distribution point and run locally option).

a)   DataLib - contains .ini file which includes important information for the actual file-(Attributes, Size, Time Modified, Hash). The first four entries of the hash is the folder name for the package in the FileLib folder.

b)   FileLib - directory where all the actual files are stored, contains package in encrypted form. The .ini files contains the package ID (to track which software on SCCM and PKGlib folder) .

c)   PkgLib – contains the .ini file that shows the package ID

2)   SMS_DP$ - logs, bin & Tools

Contains distribution point log files, the files used to validate content, prestage content.

3)   SMSPKG<P>$ - EDU/SCCM 2012 package ID

Previous versions of SCCM stored content in SMSPKG folders. Even with a content library, ConfigMgr 2012 relies on the SMSPKG folder when an advertisement is set to the (Run program from distribution point option).

4)   SMSSIG$ - tar files

Used to download signatures for Microsoft Remote Differential Compression for branch distribution points when performing binary delta downloads from distribution points. It contains the package signatures to be used for branch distribution points. SMSSIG$ is created on the drive with the most free space

Only 1 user cannot send email to a certain email

1.Open NK2 edit software

2.Open  user’s .dat (autocomplete) file in this location \\77$$$wks$$$\c$\Users\userID\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\RoamCache

3.Search for MAILTO address settings

4.Change to SMTP / or delete entry that is causing the issue

5.Before saving changes ,make sure outlook is closed

6.If cannot contact user, use right click tools and kill process for outlook.exe

7.Save the .dat files (usually there are 2 auotcomplete files, and delete the old version

8. Restart the machine and test