Using SMS to Remove Software from PC 1

[groink]

I've just inherited a 150-PC LAN. About 150 PCs, all running MS Windows NT Workstation 4.0. They're operating in a NT domain structure. Two domain controllers on the LAN.

The guy before me screwed things up. He deployed several Computer Associate modules, including AimIT, ControlIT, among other things. All the PCs received this software installation, and since then have been giving the users problems. The CA software are only eval copies.

I'm very new to SMS. What I've done so far is build a NT 4.0 member server. Installed SQL 7.0 and SMS 2.0 and made it a primary site. I've enabled the various discoveries (login, network, heartbeat, etc.) and have detected all the PCs and can see them in Collections. I haven't pushed out the client software yet.

What I want to know is this... Can you use SMS 2.0 as a tool to remove software that was installed on a PC BEFORE SMS was implemented? What I'm thinking is build a reference PC in a configuration similar to what's currently out there. Install the CA software, then create a package. But instead of using the package to install the software, can I use the package to REMOVE the software instead?

Thanks for any info!

--- Bryan

 

[snyderj]

SMS is a delivery mechanism, so if you can build a package that can successfully remove the proper components of an application across all of the client PCs, then SMS can deliver that package. What really matters is having the properly build package.

 

[jacvp]

Hello pro's , I am a newbie .
I have a problem with the package for Visio2000 with SMS2.0SP3.0 on NTserver4.0SP5.0 for NTworkstation4.0SP5.0 .
It just doesnot install on the client , it works for a client win95SR2.5 .
Please help me to solve this problem ,
thanks , Jac .

 

[mikescuba]

Hi,

For the first post in this header, if the CA software install has/had any switches available for the install you should be able to run something like a command line on the client to uninstall it. example.. c:\Compassoc\setup.exe /u or something it all depends on how the initial install was run & what the original installer package was made/run with. Sometimes you can pull the unistall string out of the registry for that product & it will show you what you need to do to remove it.
For example on my 9x machine here at home for steel panthers.. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Steel Panthers III - string C:\WINDOWS\uninst.exe -fC:\Steel3\DeIsL1.isu
Good luck, inheriting things is such fun


For the post by jacvp, it sounds like your package was created for a win9x client & unless it's very basic install, which visio2k wouldn't be, it won't work on anything but 95 & if you're luck 98. For NT or w2k you'll probably have to repackage the whole thing on a representative NT box to get all of the keys. I use wise installer & it helps some, but all in all, if you aren't a programmer like I'm not, alot of it's trial & error making sure you get the settings you need & leaving out the ones that you don't. As above, good luck & you might want to start a new thread to get more specific help with your package.

Mike C