Can not deploy an application with group policy that install's a dll. file

Question

Can not deploy an application with group policy that install's a dll. file

James 21

Hello,
I am trying to run a log in script through group policy to install a dll file.
However, the script just tries to run the application file and states "can not find dll file"
Is there a way for the script to recognise the dll file in the folder?

My script is:
$folder = 'C:\temp\$TEMPORARYDLLREG\crpego.dll'

if (-not (Test-Path -Path $Folder)) {

start-process -FilePath "\\servername\Data\QuickCrpe\QuickCrpeReg.exe" -ArgumentList '/S'  

}

else { }

result after running script

Result when running the application manually

The application needs to be run as an admin also

Answer accepted by question author

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Answer 1

Constantin Heinzler 81

You didn't specify how you manually start the process (from cmd, explorer etc.) but this could be related to the working directory being different.

You could try adding the -WorkingDirectory parameter to the Start-Process line:

start-process -FilePath "\\servername\Data\QuickCrpe\QuickCrpeReg.exe" -WorkingDirectory "\\servername\Data\QuickCrpe" -ArgumentList '/S'

There are plenty ways to pack a PoSh script as installer or binary. Inno Setup for example would allow you to create a installer.

James 21 Reputation points

2022-09-09T09:23:58.603+00:00

Thank you! specifying the working directory installed the dll correctly!

I need to deploy this to 70+ users via GPO. The application needs to be run as an admin, is there a way to bypass the admin elevation prompt?
Constantin Heinzler 81 Reputation points

2022-09-09T10:43:37.857+00:00
It has been some time since I created on premises policies but make sure you are creating a computer policy instead of a user policy.

Otherwise if you know the computer names you could as well run the dll registration using a quick PoSh loop:

$Computers = @('Machine1', 'Machine2', 'Machine123') Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Computers -FilePath .\yourScript.ps1

This would be my suggested approach if you only need to do this once.
James 21 Reputation points

2022-09-09T11:24:37.193+00:00

Ahhh so close, I get access denied from the source folder being on a file server and on the desktop.

I originally was trying this:
Invoke-Command -FilePath "\server\Data\QuickCrpe\install_crpego.dll.ps1" -ComputerName VM

but also got access denied, strange. the folder is shared and has the correct permissions for it to be accessed.

Don't suppose I could pick your brain one last time?
Constantin Heinzler 81 Reputation points

2022-09-09T12:01:01.397+00:00

As the error is thrown from the Start-Process cmdlet instead of the Invoke-Command I assume your user does have local admin rights on the machines. So my tip goes to the shell not being elevated/started as admin. That would explain why you can connect and run the script, but fail to do something that actually requires administrative rights.

Another issue could be the permissions in the moment you are connected to the devices. If your network allows to, you could temporarily connect to one affected machine using
Enter-PSSession "ComputerName"

and manually trying to run Start-Process on the network path.
Constantin Heinzler 81 Reputation points

2022-09-09T12:16:11.62+00:00
Need to correct myself.
running-a-setup-exe-from-a-network-share-via-invoke-command-in-powershell

This SO thread suggests a solution.

Another (possibly simpler) way would be to priorly copy the required files to the computers. Something like:

$Computers = @("C1", "C2") $Computers | % { Copy-Item -FilePath "\\server\path\to\directory" -Destination "\\$_\C$\temp" -Recurse Invoke-Command -ComputerName $_ -FilePath $ScriptPath }

Then you would only need to adjust the script to point to the local locations instead of the network share.
James 21 Reputation points

2022-09-09T13:13:13.2+00:00

Okay thank you so much for your help!

Couldn't quite get it to work as access is denied but we will think of something else.

Thanks again <3

Answer 2

Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 13,426 MVP

You can try to do this with Group Policy Task Scheduler to execute a script. You can put powershell execution inside .cmd file and point unc path to it in Task Scheduler options.

Answer 3

Pavel yannara Mirochnitchenko 13,426 MVP

I see that you experience some problems with the script it self. I would try to keep dll and exe file inside source folder, together with ps1 and see if it will launch it then as it should. Or if you really want to run it from C:\temp, do file copying first.

James 21 Reputation points

2022-09-09T08:14:25.453+00:00

Hi, thanks for your response.

So I have the exe file and the dll file in the same folder and the script is attempting to install it from a file server.
The script finds the exe file, but the software developer advised they normally run this exe file manually for clients, we have a lot of users so this will be difficult.

When I run the exe file as admin with the dll file inside the folder, it installs fine.
When I run the script it does not recognise the dll file is in the folder if that makes sense?

The exe file basically just registers the dll file and puts it on the C drive of the machine in a folder called temp, like below:

This is what the source folder looks like.

In conclusion, running the EXE file manually as admin works, but when running the script it does not.

I hope that helps make more sense of the issue.

Is there away for the script to recognise the dll file in the folder or is there even a way to package these files into an msi so I can easily deploy it through GPO instead of a log on script?

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Can not deploy an application with group policy that install's a dll. file

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