We recently deployed IE7 to the Client PCs using Software Delivery Solution and I wanted to share few things regarding IE7 Deployment.

We used standard installation package from Microsoft, but you can use Internet Explorer 7 Administration Kit to modify installation package.

We created target deployment collection by checking if the IE7 record is present in Add/Remove Programs.

In effect we have two collections:

Collection One: Computers with IE7 installed,

with filter

Click to view.

Inv_AeX_OS_Add_Remove_Programs is populated by machine inventory, we run machine inventory twice a day.

Collection Two: Computers targeted for IE7 deployment

This collection includes All Windows XP PCs and excludes Collection One: Computers with IE7 installed

I know that target collection may be build with single SQL query, but I have found this way easier and more manageable.

Below are the installation notes:

• IE7 can be installed silently, without a reboot and without any user interaction

  Command line is: IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe /quiet /update-no /norestart switch /update-no will make installation faster, as IE7 will not try to download updates from Microsoft

• IE7 is installed using 'pre-stage' technology: user is able to use IE6 until PC is rebooted and only then files are replaced and installation is complete.

  We have found one slight issue with this: after IE7 is pre-staged, but PC has not been rebooted yet, favourites in IE6 stop working.

• IE7 installation keeps all users settings: home page, favourites, browser history, recently typed urls, secure certificates.
• Installation package is 14.7 Mb and actual installation takes about 5 minutes.
• IE7 can be uninstalled and PC can be reverted back to IE6, but only if additional MS updates for IE7 have not been applied.

  This is one of the reasons we used switch /update-no

• After installation, when IE7 is run for the first time, user must answer two questions on two pages and then IE7 is ready for use. Initial configuration cannot be suppressed, as it is there by design, and runs once for every user on a PC. We had to send an e-mail to users with screen shots.