Many times it is an issue with the Administrators to deploy Google Chrome enterprise wide as there are lots of issues like:

1) Many people would have already installed various other versions of Chrome either through MSI or through exe.

2) How to customize Google chrome for enterprize wide deployment.

First, I would like to mention here that Google Chrome Enterprise version can be downloaded from the following location:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/business/browser/

This site contains an MSI, which is already customized for business as in there are no desktop/Taskbar shortcuts and the application automatically goes to Program files folder.

If you need to customize this, it is best to capture this MSI as it runs a Setup.exe from within. You can use WISE Package Studio or any other tool for doing a Setup Capture for this application.

I would say that, this MSI is good enough to go like this too so not recommended to waste your time in capturing the MSI unless specifically required.

You can add master_preferences file in the Google\Chrome\Application folder with following contents:

{

"homepage" : "http://msiworld.blogspot.com",

"homepage_is_newtabpage" : false,

"browser" : {

"show_home_button" : true,

"check_default_browser" : false,

"window_placement": {

"bottom": 1000,

"left": 10,

"maximized": false,

"right": 904,

"top": 10,

"work_area_bottom": 1010,

"work_area_left": 0,

"work_area_right": 1680,

"work_area_top": 0

}

},

"bookmark_bar" : {

"show_on_all_tabs" : true

},

"distribution" : {

"skip_first_run_ui" : true,

"show_welcome_page" : false,

"import_search_engine" : false,

"import_history" : false,

"create_all_shortcuts" : true,

"do_not_launch_chrome" : true,

"make_chrome_default" : false

}

}

If you add this, change the install sequence of Custom Actions which are already there in the MSI to run before InstallFiles action. This will make sure your master_preferences file is retained till end.

Uninstall Any Previous Version of Chrome:

To Uninstall any previous version of Chrome, I have written this VBScript which can be run before the installation of your MSI.

'==============================================================

'Lines to get the computer Name

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002

Set wshShell = WScript.CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )

strComputerName = wshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings( "%COMPUTERNAME%" )

dim folder, MyProperties, arrMyProperties, Exe, Param, oReg, strKeyPath, strValueName

'==============================================================

'To check whether the OS is 32 bit or 64 bit of Windows 7

'==============================================================

'Lines to detect whether the OS is 32 bit or 64 bit of Windows 7

Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputerName & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\CentralProcessor\0"

strValueName = "Identifier"

oReg.GetStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue

'==============================================================

'Checking Condition whether the build is 64bit or 32 bit

if (instr(strValue,"64")) then

folder = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome"

RegVal = ReadReg ("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome\UninstallString")

End If

if (instr(strValue,"x86")) then

folder = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome"

RegVal = ReadReg ("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome\UninstallString")

End If

'==============================================================

MyProperties = RegVal

arrMyProperties = Split(MyProperties, "-")

Exe = arrMyProperties(0)

Param = "--uninstall --multi-install --chrome --system-level --force-uninstall"

'Uninstall Previous version Chrome

'==============================================================

wshShell.run Exe & Param, 1, True

'Delete leftover folder and files from Previous version Chrome

'==============================================================

dim filesys

Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

If filesys.FolderExists(folder & "\") Then

filesys.DeleteFolder folder

End If

Function ReadReg(RegPath)

Dim objRegistry, Key

Set objRegistry = CreateObject("Wscript.shell")

Key = objRegistry.RegRead(RegPath)

ReadReg = Key

End Function

Hope these steps will reduce your efforts in deployment of Chrome.