Mass Installation

[elf21]

I have a license for 30 copies of Adobe Photoshop. Is there a way I can install it on 30 computers at once? I know I can share one CDROM drive and then run the installation package from there, but that still requires going over to each machine to do the installation. Is there a way I can install the program on all computers, from one computer, all at the same time?

Running Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP clients.

Thank you.

 

[chipk]

For one, you will have to copy the whole CD to a network share, otherwise you would have a hard time getting two to install at the same time, let alone 30.

A cursory google search turned up these results, which seem to say basically the same thing, but may differ depending on your version of Photoshop:

http://appdeploy.com/packages/detail.asp?id=511

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=10552

 

[chipk]

Oh, I guess you were asking how to launch the installation automatically too.

There are many tools that you can use to initiate programs on remote computers, one of those I've used before is psexec from systernals:

http://www.sysinternals.com/utilities/psexec.html.

The command to run this would be something like:

for /F %1 in (clientlist.txt) DO psexec.exe \\%1 \\server\share\setup.msi

Where clientlist.txt is a list of your workstations. I'd try this on a couple at a time, or even one to begin with until you work out all the syntax and correct paths. You may have to supply passwords and other options, but the link above has all those and explanations.

 

[wasisnt]

Can you remote into each one of them and start the installation and do so many at a time?

Free Computer Help and Tips:

http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/

 

[Dillinger99]

Have you checked Adobe's site? They have tools for Acrobat to deploy it to many users. Maybe they have tools for Photoshop as well.

 

[pessimisteternal]

network imaging software such as ghost or trueimage would also do the job...

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