Using Software Distribution Tools to Install Internet Explorer 10

Using electronic software distribution (ESD) systems like Microsoft® System Center 2012, or operating system deployment system like the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012, can help automate deployment. Automating deployment reduces deployment time and helps to reduce the time and cost of managing and supporting desktop computers by standardizing configurations and reducing deployment errors.

You can deploy Internet Explorer 10 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 10 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 10 silently by using those systems.

Choosing a deployment method

To deploy Internet Explorer 10, 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 10. If you use MDT to deploy Windows, you will add Internet Explorer 10 to your existing MDT deployment share. In short, the best deployment tools for deploying Internet Explorer 10 are the ones you already own.

Small organizations that do not use an ESD system can install Internet Explorer 10 manually on each computer, or use Windows Update. For more information about installation, see Preparing and Installing Internet Explorer 10.

When planning to deploy Internet Explorer 10, 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 10 on computers already running Windows, you can use the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center Essentials 2010, Windows Server Updates Services (WSUS), or Windows Intune to deploy to your existing PCs.

  • As part of a Windows deployment. To ensure that new Windows installations include Internet Explorer 10, you can update your Windows images to include Internet Explorer 10. You can add Internet Explorer 10 to your MDT deployment share or add it to your Windows image.

    For more information about MDT or creating a Windows image, see:

Customizing for deployment

The following options are supported for configuring Internet Explorer 10 during and after deployment:

  • Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK). By using the IEAK, you can create customized Internet Explorer 10 packages that you can deploy by using an ESD system. For more information, including deploying branding packages to computers already running Internet Explorer 10, see Creating Custom Versions with the IEAK.

  • Unattend.xml. You can customize some Internet Explorer 10 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 10 update.

    Note

    New Unattend.xml settings in Internet Explorer 10 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 10 update. For more information about Unattend.xml, see Unattended Windows Setup Reference. For more information about Windows System Image Manager, see Windows System Image Manager Technical Reference

  • Group Policy. You can enforce many Internet Explorer 10 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 10 to computers already running Windows:

  • You can deploy the Internet Explorer 10 update from Microsoft Update.

  • You can deploy the Internet Explorer 10 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 10 package (that is, the .exe file downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center or created by the IEAK).

Note

Internet Explorer 10 requires prerequisite updates, depending on the Windows version. For more information about the prerequisite updates, see System requirements and language support. If you are using Microsoft Update, you must approve and deploy the prerequisite updates as well as the Internet Explorer 10 update. All of these updates can be installed at the same time. If you deploy an Internet Explorer 10 package, however, the setup program will automatically download and install the prerequisite updates.

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

You can deploy the Internet Explorer 10 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 the Configuration Manager, see System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.

You can also deploy an Internet Explorer 10 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 10 requires for each Windows version, see System requirements and language support.

  2. Create a software distribution package containing the Internet Explorer 10 package.

  3. Create a program to include in the package. The command-line to run the Internet Explorer 10 package silently, without restarting and without checking the Internet for updates, is:

    ie10_package.exe /quiet /norestart /update-no

  4. Distribute the package to distribution points.

  5. Advertise the package.

Organizations using System Center Essentials 2010 can also use it to distribute Internet Explorer 10 or a custom Internet Explorer 10 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 10 update from Microsoft Update. For more information about operating WSUS, see Windows Server Update Services.

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). Internet Explorer 10 will be available as an update in Windows Intune. For more information, see the Windows Intune Overview.

Group Policy Software Installation

An alternative to ESD systems is using Group Policy Software Installation to deploy Internet Explorer 10:

  1. Use the IEAK to create a custom Windows Installer package containing Internet Explorer 10. For more information about the IEAK, see Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) Information and Downloads.

  2. Use the Blocker Toolkit to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing the Internet Explorer 10 update. For more information about the Blocker Toolkit, see Internet Explorer 10 Delivery through Automatic Updates, and Internet Explorer 10 Blocker Toolkit: Frequently Asked Questions.

  3. Create a Group Policy object to deploy the custom Windows Installer package containing Internet Explorer 10. 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 10 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 10 without showing a user interface.

  • To control reboots by using your ESD system, you can use the /norestart option to prevent the Internet Explorer 10 package from restarting the package.

  • You can use the /update-no command-line option to prevent the Internet Explorer 10 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 10 package will require an Internet connection during installation.

The following tables list command-line options for installing Internet Explorer 10.

Setup Modes

Command-line options

Description

/passive

Installs without any input from the user.

/quiet

Installs without any input from the user and without showing the user interface.

Setup Options

Command-line options

Description

/update-no

Installs without checking for updates.

/no-default

Installs without making it the default web browser.

/closeprograms

Closes running programs automatically.

Restart Options

Command-line options

Description

/norestart

Installs without restarting the computer.

/forcerestart

Installs and always restarts after installation.

Using operating system deployment systems

Updating Windows images with Internet Explorer 10 ensures that the browser is ready immediately after image deployment. This section includes the following topics:

  1. How to add Internet Explorer 10 to an MDT deployment share

  2. How to add Internet Explorer 10 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 10 you want to deploy. You must also have the update file (.msu file) for each prerequisite update. For a list of Internet Explorer 10 package file names for each Windows version and platform, see Preparing and Installing Internet Explorer 10. You can download the Internet Explorer 10 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 10 requires for each Windows version, see System Requirements and Language Support. You must extract the Internet Explorer 10 update file from the Internet Explorer 10 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, IE10-Windows8-x64-en-us /x:c:\ie10cab).

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Update 1

If you use MDT to install Windows by using “Lite Touch” deployment, you can add the Internet Explorer 10 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 10 update to an MDT deployment share:

  1. In MDT 2012 Update 1, 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 10 package, you can ignore warnings that say, “Skipping invalid CAB file.” The Import OS Packages wizard skips IE10_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 10 prior to Windows starting. For more information, see the MDT documentation. For more information about MDT, see Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Update 1.

Offline servicing for Windows

You can add the Internet Explorer 10 update to Windows images by servicing them offline (also known as slipstreaming). This approach integrates Internet Explorer 10 into the images so that you can deploy Windows with Internet Explorer 10, 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: