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Introduction

With the use of an MSI file for Synergy Office Integration (SOI) installation, there is a possibility for organizations with a large number of users to perform the installation remotely and simultaneously. This removes the need for individual users to perform the installation separately and this also allows a more systematic approach in updating SOI whenever a new update is available.

This document provides the steps required by system administrators to install SOI with per machine installation on users’ machines via Group Policy Object (GPO) without users’ intervention. After a successful installation, SOI can be used by all authenticated users.

To navigate through the sections in this document, click the following links:

Preliminary steps (compulsory)
Installing Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO
Updating Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO
Uninstalling Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO

Pre-requisites

To define the default settings for SOI, system administrators need to download and install the Orca MSI Editor software.

1. Installing the Orca MSI Editor software:

    ·         Download the Microsoft Windows SDK at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3138.

    ·         During the installation, only install the Windows Development Tools component under the Developer Tools category.

      ·        After the installation, go to the Microsoft Windows SDK folder and install the Orca MSI Editor software, which, by default, is located at C:\Program   Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0\Bin.

2. Enable the default folder for the MSI installation log file in this computer. This is optional. For more information, see
http://superuser.com/questions/180281/what-folder-are-installation-logs-in.

System administrators can enable the default location for the MSI installation log file for verification and analysis purposes if the SOI installation has been unsuccessful.

Description

Preliminary steps (compulsory)

1.    Set up a network shared folder in any location which is accessible by the domain administrator and users with the Read permission (for computers operating on Windows 10).

2.    Copy the SynergyOfficeIntegration.msi file into this network shared folder. For subsequent GPO software installation, it is recommended to rename the file as “SynergyOfficeIntegration_v532.msi” or “SynergyOfficeIntegration_v535.msi”, depending on the version update.

Note: Do not remove this folder or the files contained in this folder unless the GPO software and/or SOI have been uninstalled from all computers.

3.    Define the default settings for SOI. To do this, select the SynergyOfficeIntegration.msi file, right-click the file, and then select Edit with Orca.

4.    Select CustomAction in the left panel, and then define the values for the SOI default settings in the Target column, as displayed in the following:

  Refer to the following table to define the values in the Target column:

Action

Target

SetEXACTWIXAPPFOLDER

exactWixPerMachineFolder

SetFIRSTRUN

0

SetSETPREREQS

1

SetSYNERGYURL

e.g. https://synergy.exact.com

SetUSEROAMINGFOLDER

0 (Set to “1” if the User Roaming folder is used)

SetHOSTEDENVIRONMENT

0

SetSILENT

1

SetALLUSERS

1

5.    In the same panel, select Property, and then define the value for GPO as “1”.  

6.    Save the settings by clicking the File menu, and then clicking Save.
 

Installing Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO:

To install SOI with per machine installation via GPO, do the following:

1.    Install the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) via https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725932(v=ws.11).aspx.

2.    Set up the GPMC for deploying the SOI MSI. Start the GPMC via Server Manager, select Tools, and then select Group Policy Management. The following screen will be displayed:

3.    Create a GPO for deploying the SOI MSI. Select and right-click the desired domain, and then select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here… to deploy the GPO to that domain. The following screen will be displayed:

4.    Define the name of the GPO at the Name field and click OK. The following screen will be displayed:
 

5.    After the GPO has been created, select and right-click the relevant GPO, and then select Edit to edit its properties. The following screen will be displayed:

6.    In the Group Policy Management Editor screen, under the Computer Configuration section, select and right-click Software installation. Then, select New followed by Package…. The following screen will be displayed:
 

7.    Locate and select the SOI MSI file with the defined default settings from the network shared folder path (not the local computer path) and click Open. The following screen will be displayed:

8.    Select Assigned as the deployment method, and click OK.
 

9.    Upon completion, the Exact Synergy Office Integration package will be listed in the Software installation setting.

10.  Rename the package including the version number, for example, “Exact Synergy Office Integration v5.0.532.0”. To ease the management of the GPO software updates, it is advisable to rename the package including the version number for subsequent GPO updates. To rename, select and right-click the relevant package, and then select Properties. The following screen will be displayed:

11. In the General tab, rename the package at the Name field. Next, select the Deployment tab, and then click the Advanced… button. The following screen will be displayed:

 

12.  In the Advanced Deployment Options screen, select the Ignore language when deploying this package check box. Click OK to save the settings.

Note: This is an important step. If the option is not selected, in the case that the language used by the user’s computer does not match the language of the package, SOI will not be installed.

      13. Once the computer has been restarted, SOI will be installed into all computers in the domain.

Updating Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO

It is important to make sure that before you update SOI via GPO, the preliminary steps of the installation have been completed, particularly defining the default settings for SOI. Keep in mind that the files of the older version(s) of the SOI should not be removed as they are required for the update process (refer step 6).

1.    Select and right-click the relevant GPO (SOI Deployment) that has been created, and then click Edit.

2.    In the Group Policy Management Editor screen, under the Computer Configuration section, select and right-click Software installation. Then, select New, followed by Package…. The following screen will be displayed:

3.    Select the newest version of the SOI MSI from the network shared folder. For example, SynergyOfficeIntegration_v535.msi. Click Open. The following screen will be displayed:

      

4.    Select Assigned as the deployment method, and click OK.  

5.   Upon completion, the new Exact Synergy Office Integration package will be listed in the Software installation setting.

6.    Rename the package including the version number, for example, “Exact Synergy Office Integration v5.0.532.0”. To ease the management of the GPO software updates, it is advisable to rename the package including the version number for subsequent GPO updates. To rename, select and right-click the relevant package, and then select Properties. The following screen will be displayed:

     

7.    In the General tab, rename the package at the Name field. Next, select the Deployment tab, and then click the Advanced… button. The following screen will be displayed:

    

8.       In the Advanced Deployment Options screen, select the Ignore language when deploying this package check box. Click OK to save the settings.

Note: This is an important step. If the option is not selected, in the case that the language used by the user’s computer does not match the language of the package, SOI will not be installed.

9.    Select the Upgrades tab, and then click Add. The following screen will be displayed:



10. In the Add Upgrade Package screen, select Current Group Policy Object (GPO), and then select the previous software installation package that will be updated by the new package.

11. In the same screen, select the Uninstall the existing package, then install the upgrade package option, and then click OK to save the settings. Upon completion, the new package that has been created will be listed.
 

12. Once the computer has been restarted, the upgrade package of Synergy Office Integration will be installed into all computers in the domain. During the restart, the old version of SOI will be uninstalled and the new version of SOI will be installed.

Uninstalling Synergy Office Integration (SOI) via GPO

1.    Select the GPO (SOI Deployment) that has been created previously and edit it. The following screen will be displayed:

2.    Select and right-click the relevant SOI package that you would like to uninstall from the user’s computer, select All Tasks, and then select Remove…. The following screen will be displayed:

3.    In the Remove Software screen, select the Immediately uninstall software from users and computers option as the removal method, and then click OK.

4.    SOI will be removed from all computers in the domain after the user’s computer has been restarted.

Things to note:

·        SOI will only be installed via GPO to the user’s computer once it has been restarted. Note that for computers running on Windows 10, the restart may need to be done twice to get the Group Policy from Domain Controller.

·       In the event that SOI is still not installed in the user’s computer after the restart, do check that the preliminary steps have been carefully followed and the network shared folder is accessible by all users with the Read permission, as displayed in the following:
  

For additional information, see:

·         GPOs do not apply to Windows 10 Enterprise x64

·         MS15-011 & MS15-014: Hardening Group Policy

Related document:

·         How-to: Installing Synergy Office Integration


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