How to Deploy Microsoft .NET Framework 4 with Group Policy with Startup Script

To deploy .NET Framework 4 to your network you must use a startup script. No longer can you push .NET Framework out via an MSI file as with earlier versions such as .NET Framework 1.1.

I wrote a script that your welcome to copy it to push the .NET framework to all x86 and x64 windows based PC's on your network.

Save the following as a ".bat" file.

setlocal

REM *********************************************************************
REM Environment customization begins here. Modify variables below.
REM *********************************************************************

REM Enter the Product Name.
set ProductName=Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile

REM Set DeployServer to a network-accessible location containing the Office source files.
set DeployServer=\\kbomb.local\netlogon\software

REM Set LogLocation to a central directory to collect log files.
set LogLocation=C:\Windows\Logs

REM *********************************************************************
REM Deployment code begins here. Do not modify anything below this line.
REM *********************************************************************

IF NOT "%ProgramFiles(x86)%"=="" (goto ARP64) else (goto ARP86)

REM Operating system is X64. Check for 32 bit Office in emulated Wow6432 uninstall key
:ARP64
reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\%ProductName%"
if NOT %errorlevel%==1 (goto End)

REM Check for 32 and 64 bit versions of Office 2010 in regular uninstall key.(Office 64bit would also appear here on a 64bit OS)
:ARP86
reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\%ProductName%"
if %errorlevel%==1 (goto DeployOffice) else (goto End)

REM If 1 returned, the product was not found. Run setup here.
:DeployOffice
start /wait %DeployServer%\dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe /passive
echo %date% %time% Setup ended with error code %errorlevel%. >> %LogLocation%\%computername%.txt

REM If 0 or other was returned, the product was found or another error occurred. Do nothing.
:End

Endlocal

Please modify the DeployServer path to fit your environment.

Copy the script into the startup script folder inside the group policy object. Make sure you use a startup script and not a logon script! Refer to the following screenshot:



My script is called frameworkinstall.bat

Link this group policy object to your computer accounts. When the workstations refresh there group policy they will automatically install .NET Framework v4 on next reboot.

Taken with my iPhone 4:



Note: If you do not want the user to see the progress of the installation, please change /passive to /q. This will result in the PC hanging at the "Running Startup Scripts" for a few minutes. I personally prefer to present the users with a progress bar!