Stop a computer from trying to install an app from a Group Policy

[JordanCN]

I deploy almost every app possible via AD and GPOs. Every department has its own container and all the apps and settings I want. For example the AD container Computers/Engineering/Developing has the following deployed via GP

MS Office 2003
Adobe Reader X
SolidWorks 2011
Visual Studio 2005
.Net Framework 2.0
.Net Framework 3.0
.Net Framework 3.5

This is so if a computer needs to be added to the Developers group I just drop it in this OU and all this gets installed plus more apps and other settings

Occassionally I have been running into hickups where I have to move a computer into a container, but it might already have an app or a newer app or something on it where the deployment of the MSI fails.

For example, I deploy .Net 2.0 framework to all my clients via GPO. Occasionally someone will join the domain with an already setup computer that might already have Visual Studio 2005 on it with a .Net 2.0 SP1. In this case instead the program being deployed seeing the newer version and moving on, it fails with an error in the event viewer saying to uninstall the other version first of .Net Framework, then install the older.

I have the containers organized in a specific way and would rather not make a bunch of special exeption containers. I also do not want to uninstall someones components just to reinstall and put the SP back on which is going back on anyways via WSUS.

Is there a way I can tweak the registry or something on the client that keeps trying to install the MSI to make it look like it was already installed successfully?

 

[unclerico]

easiest way i can think of would be to use WMI filtering

I hate all Uppercase... I don't want my groups to seem angry at me all the time! =)
- ColdFlame (vbscript forum)