Using Software Distribution Tools to Install Internet Explorer 9

Using electronic software distribution (ESD) systems like Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or operating system deployment system like the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010, can help automate deployment. Automating deployment by using these tools has obvious benefits, such as reducing deployment time. It can also help reduce the time and cost of managing and supporting desktop computers by standardizing their configurations and reducing deployment errors.

You can deploy Windows® Internet Explorer® 9 by using your existing ESD system or operating system deployment —as part of a Windows operating system deployment or as an update by itself. This topic provides guidance for deploying Internet Explorer 9 by using many of the deployment tools and technologies that Microsoft provides. For organizations that are using third-party ESD systems, this article also describes how to install Internet Explorer 9 silently by using those systems.

Choosing a deployment method

To deploy Internet Explorer 9, you will use the ESD systems that your organization already has in place. For example, if you own Configuration Manager and use it to deploy software and updates, you will also use it to deploy Internet Explorer 9. If you use MDT to deploy Windows, you will add Internet Explorer 9 to your existing MDT deployment share. In short, the best deployment tools for deploying Internet Explorer 9 are the ones you already own.

Small organizations that do not use an ESD system can install Internet Explorer 9 manually on each computer. For more information about installing Internet Explorer 9 manually, see How do I install or uninstall Internet Explorer 9. You can also update each computer by using Windows Update.

When planning to deploy Internet Explorer 9, you should consider any computers that are already running Windows as well as your Windows image deployment infrastructure:

  • Existing computers running Windows. To deploy Internet Explorer 9 on computers already running Windows, you must install the Internet Explorer 9 update on them. Tools such as Configuration Manager, System Center Essentials 2010 (Essentials), Windows Server Updates Services (WSUS), and Windows Intune are perfect choices for deploying the update to existing PCs. Using Electronic Software Distribution Systems describes these tools.

  • As part of a Windows deployment. To ensure that new Windows installations include Internet Explorer 9, you can update your Windows images to include Internet Explorer 9. You can add Internet Explorer 9 to your MDT deployment share or add it to your Windows image. Using Operating System Deployment Systems describes these choices.

Customizing for deployment

The following options are supported for configuring Internet Explorer 9 during and after deployment:

  • Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK). By using the IEAK, you can create customized Internet Explorer 9 packages that you can deploy by using an ESD system. For more information, including deploying branding packages to computers already running Internet Explorer 9, see Customizing Internet Explorer 9 using IEAK.

  • Unattend.xml. You can customize some Internet Explorer 9 settings by editing the Unattend.xml file you use to drive Windows installation. This option applies when updating a Windows image with the Internet Explorer 9 update.

    Note

    New Unattend.xml settings in Internet Explorer 9 will only be available in the Windows System Image Manager if you associate the Unattend.xml file with a Windows image that contains the Internet Explorer 9 update.

  • Group Policy. You can enforce many Internet Explorer 9 settings by using Group Policy. You can also configure settings that users can change later by using Group Policy preferences. For more information, see Managing Browser Settings with Group Policy Tools.

Using electronic software distribution systems

Two options are available for deploying Internet Explorer 9 to computers already running Windows:

  • You can deploy the Internet Explorer 9 update from Microsoft Update.

  • You can deploy the Internet Explorer 9 package by using an ESD like Configuration Manager, optionally creating a customized package by using IEAK.

This section describes Microsoft deployment tools that you can use for both options. It describes how to deploy the update (that is, the .cab file downloaded from Microsoft Update). It also describes how to deploy the Internet Explorer 9 package (that is, the .exe file downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center or created by the IEAK).

Note

Internet Explorer 9 requires prerequisite updates, depending on the Windows version. For more information about the prerequisite updates, see System Requirements and Prerequisites. If you are using Microsoft Update, you must approve and deploy the prerequisite updates as well as the Internet Explorer 9 update. All of these updates can be installed at the same time. If you deploy an Internet Explorer 9 package, however, the setup program will automatically download and install the prerequisite updates.

Configuration Manager 2007

You can deploy the Internet Explorer 9 update and its prerequisite updates by using Configuration Manager. This tool works with WSUS to provide powerful software update features beyond what WSUS provides alone. For detailed information about deploying software updates by using Configuration Manager, see the article Overview of Software Updates.

Note

Internet Explorer 9 will not be available through WSUS until Microsoft releases all language support for Internet Explorer 9. Until then, you can import it from the Microsoft Update catalog.

You can also deploy an Internet Explorer 9 package by using Configuration Manager. Complete these steps for each operating system and platform combination that you are deploying:

  1. Approve the prerequisite updates for deployment. For more information about the updates Internet Explorer 9 requires for each Windows version, see System Requirements and Prerequisites.

  2. Create a software distribution package containing the Internet Explorer 9 package.

  3. Create a program to include in the package. The command-line to run the Internet Explorer 9 package silently, without restarting and without checking the Internet for updates, is:

    ie9_package.exe /quiet /norestart /update-no

  4. Distribute the package to distribution points.

  5. Advertise the package.

For more information about these steps, see Administrator Workflows for Software Distribution.

Organizations using System Center Essentials can also use it to distribute Internet Explorer 9 or a custom Internet Explorer 9 package. For more information about Essentials, see the following articles:

Windows Server Updates Services

Organizations that have a WSUS infrastructure can use it to deploy the Internet Explorer 9 update from Microsoft Update. For more information about operating WSUS, see Microsoft Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 Operations Guide. Specifically, see the following sections:

  • Synchronizing Manually or Automatically. See this section for step-by-step instructions about immediately synchronizing WSUS with the Microsoft Update catalog.

  • Approving Updates. In particular, search for Internet Explorer 9 to filter the list of updates. Then, select and approve the Internet Explorer 9 updates for the operating systems and platforms in your organization.

Internet Explorer 9 will not be available through WSUS until Microsoft releases all language support for Internet Explorer 9. Until then, you can import Internet Explorer 9 updates from the Microsoft Update catalog site. The section titled Importing hotfixes from the Microsoft Update catalog site in the Operations Guideprovides step-by-step instructions for importing updates from the catalog site.

Windows Intune

Windows Intune simplifies and helps businesses manage and secure computers by using Windows cloud services. It requires no infrastructure and is quick and easy to deploy. With Windows Intune, you can manage updates, protect computers from malware, proactively monitor computers, provide remote assistance, track hardware and software inventory, and set security policies.

Windows Intune provides essential management and protection for businesses of all sizes with unmanaged or lightly managed computers. Larger organizations can also use Windows Intune to complement existing management systems to manage pockets of unmanaged computers (for example, non-domain joined computers, contract employees, or lightly managed field employees). For more information, see the Windows Intune Overview.

Internet Explorer 9 will be available as an update in Windows Intune. For more information about approving and deploying updates, see Updates in Windows Intune Help.

Group Policy Software Installation

An alternative to ESD systems is using Group Policy Software Installation to deploy Internet Explorer 9:

  1. Use the IEAK to create a custom Windows Installer package containing Internet Explorer 9. For more information about the IEAK, see Internet Explorer Administration Kit 9.

  2. Use the Blocker Toolkit to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing the Internet Explorer 9 update. For more information about the Blocker Toolkit, see Internet Explorer 9 Delivery through Automatic Updates, and Internet Explorer 9 Blocker Toolkit: Frequently Asked Questions.

  3. Create a Group Policy object to deploy the custom Windows Installer package containing Internet Explorer 9. For guidance about using Group Policy Software Installation, see Editing Software Settings.

We only recommend using Group Policy to deploy software for small to medium sized organizations. Larger organizations typically will not find Group Policy viable for software deployment, due to limited support for targeting and reporting.

Third-party tools

The Internet Explorer 9 package supports command-line options that you can use with third-party ESD systems to install the browser silently. The tables later in the section describe command-line options that are useful for silent installations.

  • The /quiet command-line option installs Internet Explorer 9 without showing a user interface.

  • To control reboots by using your ESD system, you can use the /norestart option to prevent the Internet Explorer 9 package from restarting the package.

  • You can use the /update-no command-line option to prevent the Internet Explorer 9 package from checking for updates if you are installing the prerequisite updates using your ESD system. If you do not use the /update-no command-line option, the Internet Explorer 9 package will require an Internet connection during installation.

The following tables list command-line options for installing Internet Explorer 9.

Setup Modes

Command-line options

Description

/passive

Installs Internet Explorer 9 without any input from the user.

/quiet

Installs Internet Explorer 9 without any input from the user, and without showing the user interface.

Setup Options

Command-line options

Description

/update-no

Installs Internet Explorer 9 without checking for updates.

/no-default

Installs Internet Explorer 9 without making it the default web browser.

/closeprograms

Closes running programs automatically.

Restart Options

Command-line options

Description

/norestart

Installs Internet Explorer 9 without restarting the computer.

/forcerestart

Installs Internet Explorer 9 and always restarts after installation.

Using operating system deployment systems

Updating Windows images with Internet Explorer 9 ensures that the browser is ready immediately after image deployment. This section includes the following topics:

  1. How to add Internet Explorer 9 to an MDT deployment share

  2. How to add Internet Explorer 9 to an existing Windows image

Both methods require that you obtain the update file (.cab file) for each operating system and platform version of Internet Explorer 9 you want to deploy. You must also have the update file (.msu file) for each prerequisite update. For a list of Internet Explorer 9 package file names for each Windows version and platform, see Installing Internet Explorer 9. You can download the Internet Explorer 9 update and prerequisite updates from:

You download the prerequisite updates as .msu files. Add them directly to an MDT deployment share, or install them in a Windows image. For a list of updates that Internet Explorer 9 requires for each Windows version, see System Requirements and Prerequisites. You must extract the Internet Explorer 9 update file from the Internet Explorer 9 package, however, and this file has the .cab file extension. Use the /x command-line option to extract the contents of the package (for example, IE9-Windows7-x64-enu /x:c:\ie9cab).

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

If you use MDT to install Windows by using “Lite Touch” deployment, you can add the Internet Explorer 9 update and prerequisite updates to your deployment share. Adding the update to the deployment share will cause MDT to add it to newly-deployed Windows images, whether you are creating a custom Windows image, deploying a custom Windows image, or deploying an un-customized Windows image.

To add the Internet Explorer 9 update to an MDT deployment share:

  1. In MDT 2010, right-click Packages, and click Import OS Packages. Packages is under each deployment share in Deployment Shares.

  2. On the Specify Directory page, type the path and file name of the folder containing the update files you want to import, or click Browse to locate the folder. Then, click Next.

  3. On the Summary page, click Next to begin importing the update files.

    Note

    When importing the Internet Explorer 9 package, you can ignore warnings that say, “Skipping invalid CAB file.” The Import OS Packages wizard skips IE9_Support.cab, which is not a valid update file.

  4. Click Finish to close the Import Package Wizard.

MDT also supports offline servicing in a Configuration Manager task sequence, allowing you to add Internet Explorer 9 prior to Windows starting. For more information, see the MDT documentation. For more information about MDT, see Microsoft Deployment Toolkit on TechNet.

Offline servicing for Windows

You can add the Internet Explorer 9 update to Windows images by servicing them offline (also known as slipstreaming). This approach integrates Internet Explorer 9 into the images so that you can deploy Windows with Internet Explorer 9, without any post-deployment installation. This helps to further standardize desktop configurations and makes them easier to support.

The following articles contain step-by-step guidance for adding packages to Windows images: