IT-Managed Installation of Lync 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2012-10-14

Microsoft Lync 2010 setup files are provided as executable (.exe) programs. The Lync 2010 setup executable program is the recommended method for installing clients because it performs the following actions:

• Checks for prerequisites, and informs the user of applications that must close

• Installs the required versions of Microsoft Visual C++ components and the Microsoft Silverlight browser plug-in

• Uninstalls Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee

• Uninstalls previous versions of Microsoft Office Communicator (Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007)

• Uninstalls previous versions of the Office Communicator multi-user language pack

• Notifies the user that Windows Media Player 11 must be installed for recording features to work properly

You can deploy Lync 2010 in a managed-desktop environment by using the following methods:

• Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 or Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2. Use these products for more complex software installation scenarios, where scheduling, inventory, reporting, status, and support for an installation across a wide area network (WAN) are required. For details, see the System Center TechNet Library at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?Linkid=140326.

• Windows logon script. The logon script performs an unattended installation of Lync 2010 when a user logs on. You can use Group Policy objects to direct logon scripts to specific devices or users.

• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Group Policy. You can create a Group Policy object to deploy Lync 2010 to specific users or computers based on group memberships. For details about how to use Group Policy, see the Windows Server Group Policy TechNet Library at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=141034. If you want to use Group Policy to deploy clients, you must extract the Windows Installer (.msi) file from the executable program and use the Group Policy setting UseMSIForLyncInstallation to allow the .msi to run on client computers. Because the .exe setup program performs additional checks and software updates, you must also address all other actions listed previously that are typically performed by the .exe setup program.

  Note

  You can extract the .msi file by running the client installation executable on a supported Windows client, which creates the Lync.msi file in %Program Files%\OCSetup\Lync.msi or %Program Files(x86)%\OCSetup\Lync.msi. For details and additional required steps, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2477965, “The installation of Lync 2010 by using Windows Installer (MSI) fails,” at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=3052&kbid=2477965.