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19 March 2017
20 March 2017

Single GPO install of x86 and x64 nFront Password Filter

Problem

This article explains how to use one GPO to push the installation of the 32-bit and 64-bit version of nFront Password Filter.  

Solution

This is an example of creating one GPO which deploys 32 and 64 bit versions of nFront Password Filter to 2 different member servers.  One member server is Windows 2003 (32-bit) and the other is Windows 2008 R2 (x64). 

 

Place the MSI files in a shared directory on a server.  We suggest you make the share Read Only for Authenticated Users and make it a hidden share.  

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 1

The servers are in a single OU that will be targeted by the software deployment GPO.

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 2

We create the GPO and link it to the target OU.

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 3


Notice the software is specified based on the UNC share name.  Actually using an FQDN instead of the server's NetBIOS name would have been even better as DNS is more reliable for name resolution.

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 4


Edit the policy.  Go to Deployment tab and click Advanced button at bottom.

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 4a


Uncheck the box to make the 32-bit app available to x64 machines.  

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 5


The GPO will look like this.  It appears the 2 MSI packages are the same but one is 32-bit and the other is 64-bit.  If you right-click and select properties for each you will notice the difference in Platform.

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 6


This is a 32-bit app (Platform=Intel)

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 7


This is the x64 app (Platform = AMD64)

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 8



The x64 app has no option to "make 32-bit app available to x64 servers"

Single GPO install for x86 and x64 version screen 9