To publish an application

  1. Open Group Policy Software Installation.

  2. Right-click in the results pane, point to New, and then click Package.

  3. In the Open dialog box, use the search boxes to find the package you want to publish, click the Windows Installer package to be published, and then click Open.

  4. In the Deploy Software dialog box, click Published.

Additional considerations

  • To complete this procedure, you must have Edit setting permission to edit a GPO. By default, members of the Domain Administrators security group, the Enterprise Administrators security group, or the Group Policy Creator Owners security group have Edit setting permission to edit a GPO.

  • Packages can be published only to users, not to computers.

  • The Open dialog box shows the packages that are located at a software distribution point that you specify as the default.

  • If the Windows Installer package is located on a different shared network directory, navigate to the correct software distribution point in the Open dialog box, click the package, and then click Open.

  • Administrators are responsible for securing that location using technologies such as IPSEC and using file servers with mutual authentication such as Kerberos to prevent spoofing or tampering on the wire.

  • The application is available for users to install either by using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or by opening a file with a file name extension that you have associated with the application.

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