Create an Application to Deploy with Windows 8.1 Using Configuration Manager

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Applies To: Windows 8.1

Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager supports deploying applications as part of the Windows 8.1 deployment process. In this section, you create an application in System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager that you later configure the task sequence to use.

For the purposes of this topic, we will use CM01, a machine running Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard that is a member of the domain contoso.com for the fictitious Contoso Corporation. For more details on the setup for this topic, please see Proof-Of-Concept Environment.

Note

Even though the new application model is fully supported to deploy via the task sequence, the most reliable way to deploy software via the task sequence is still the legacy packages, especially if you deploy many applications.

See also

Example: Create the Adobe Reader XI application

The steps below show you how to create the Adobe Reader XI application. This section assumes that you have downloaded the MSI version of Adobe Reader XI to the C:\Setup\Adobe Reader XI folder on CM01.

  1. On CM01, using File Explorer, copy the C:\Setup\Adobe Reader XI folder to the E:\Sources\Software\Adobe folder.

  2. Using the Configuration Manager Console, in the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management.

  3. Right-click Applications and select Folder / Create Folder. Assign the name OSD.

  4. Right-click the OSD folder, and select Create Application.

  5. In the Create Application Wizard, on the General page, use the following settings:

    1. Automatically detect information about this application from installation files

    2. Type: Windows Installer (*.msi file)

    3. Location: \\CM01\Sources$\Software\Adobe\Adobe Reader XI

    4. \AdbeRdr11000_en_US.msi

    Figure 20. The Create Application Wizard.

  6. Click Next, and wait while Configuration Manager parses the MSI file.

  7. On the Import Information page, review the information and then click Next.

  8. On the General Information page, name the application Adobe Reader XI - OSD Install, click Next twice, and then click Close.

Note

Since it isn’t possible to reference an application deployment type in the task sequence, you should have a single deployment type for applications deployed by the task sequence. If you are deploying applications via both the task sequence and normal application deployment, and you have multiple deployment types, you should have two applications of the same software. In this section, you add the “OSD Install” suffix to applications that are deployed via the task sequence. If using packages, you can still reference both package and program in the task sequence. 

![](images\Dn744269.aaf96052-6d8e-4229-864f-e407e778ab93(WS.11).png) Figure 21. Adding the “OSD Install” suffix to the application name.

  1. In the Applications node, select the Adobe Reader XI - OSD Install application, and click Properties on the ribbon bar.

  2. In the General Information tab, select the Allow this application to be installed from the Install Application task sequence action without being deployed check box, and click OK.