This turns out to be quite a challenge. Creating a deployment is easy. Creating a GPO is easy also.
One would assume that, since installing AutoCAD 'manually' also installs all other required stuff, this also pertains to deploying it using a GPO. But it doesn't; the list of required files is nicely summed up in the Installation guide, but it doesn't explain the installation of those required files.
And as it turns out, installing the stuff required by AutoCAD 2011, like DirectX, .NET, VC++ etc. isn't easy by far. I stumbled accross some websites (like http://graycat.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/deploying-autocad-2010-via-gpo/) with detailed information on some parts, but I haven't found a site compiling all information in a handy package.
Does anyone know such a resource?
Simon
Even though we don’t have any documented method to achieve this, easiest option would be take the Parameters from the setup.ini which does a silent install with minimum user interface.
Example
For .Net 3.4 Sp1
INI file says.
EXE_PATH=support\dotnetfx\wcu\dotNetFramework\dotNetFx35setup.exe
EXE_PARAM=/q /norestart
We could create the command line as
\\installsource\support\dotnetfx\wcu\dotNetFramework\dotNetFx35setup.exe /q /norestart
How to deploy AutoCAD 2011 with GPO (Group Policy)
29.9.2010 /JKH
First of all, a couple of answers to problems expressed here earlier.
'adui18res.dll not found'
- this is because the language pack is not installed
This happens when trying to add a new Package with Windows XP Sp2
"Software Installation encountered the following error: SQL query syntax invalid or
unsupported."
Use Vista or XP Sp3 to create the new Package!
The whole procedure in short. The paths are ours, use your own instead. It's quite long so errors might exist but you get the idea.
I didn't install Windows installer 4.5, seemed to work anyway. WSUS doesn't support 4.5. I have made a little .msi to install it using a custom action but I have not tested it extensively.
Material libraries are missing. They can be installed with GPO just add the needed .msi's.
So I made packages of the following .msi's and gave permissions to "AutoCAD 2011" software group
1. Install .NET 3.5 with WSUS
2. DirectX
AutoCAD looks for two files that are missing from the original DirectX installation.
DirectX gets new .dll's every second month...
I made a little .msi consisting of these two files
- D3DX9_41.dll
- d3dx10_41.dll
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\DirectX\9c\d3dx_37.msi
3. FaroSDK
<your_deployment>\AdminImage\x86\Support\FaroSDK\faro_ls.msi
4. msxml6.msi
- from the deployment
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\Msxml\6\32\60038838\msxml6.msi
5. Vba 6
- download from Microsoft?
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\VBA\6051032\VBAOF11.MSI
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\VBA\6051032\1033\VBAOF11I.MSI
- from 2011 VBA enabler
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\VBA\603009402\vba6.msi
6. VCRedist 2005
- the exe's must be extracted TWICE (Microsoft humour?)
- extract vcredist_x86.exe
- you get VCREDI~3.EXE, extract that and you get
vcredis1.cab
vcredist.msi
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Ms\VCRedist\2005\32\8059193\vcredist_x86.exe
7. VCRedist 2008
- from the deployment
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\AdminImage\x86\support\VCRedist\2008\x86
8. AutoCAD 2011
- from the deployment
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\AdminImage\x86\acad\acad-AutoCAD 2011-for-GPO.msi
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\AdminImage\x86\acad\acad-AutoCAD 2011-for-GPO.mst
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\Tools\gpo.mst
9. AutoCAD 2011 Language Package
- from the deployment
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\AdminImage\x86\en-us\acad\AcadLP.msi
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\AdminImage\x86\acad\acad-AutoCAD 2011-for-GPO.mst
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\Tools\gpo.mst
10. AutoCAD 2011 VBA Enabler
-download from
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=12715668&linkID=9240618
and extract
\\xxx\sdp\prog\Autodesk\VBAEnabler\2011\32\AcVbaInstaller.msi