A. New applications in Windows 2000 have .MSI files which are used to deploy them via Group Policies however your older applications will not have MSI files.
In 'How do I create a MSI file from a legacy application?' we saw how to create an MSI file from a legacy application however there is a large amount of work involved with this and an alternative method is available via ZAP files however I should stress MSI is the approach to take where possible.
ZAP files are just text files that provide instructions for deploying older applications however there are some restrictions:
- Applications cannot be assigned to users or computers, they can only be published
- Applications do not automatically repair themselves
- Normally require user intervention
- Do not install with elevated privileges, users require the privilege to install software
The ZAP file consists of two sections, the \[Application\] and \[Ext\] sections.
The application section contains the name of the setup command, a version to display, a friendly name and a URL, for example:
\[Application\]<br> FriendlyName = WinInfo Version 2.2<br> SetupCommand = setup.exe /unattend<br> DisplayVersion =2.2<br> Publisher = SavillTech<br> URL = http://www.savilltech.com/wininfo.html
The file extension section just lists extensions which should be associated with the new application, e.g.
\[Ext\]<br> SAV=
To publish a ZAP file perform the following:
- Start the Group Policy editor and open a group policy
- Select the 'User Configuration' branch
- Expand 'Software Settings'
- Right click on 'Software installation' and select New - Package
- Select the File type "ZAW Down-level application packages (*.zap)" and select the created ZAP file. Click Open
- Select 'Published' from the deployment method and click OK
- It will now be displayed as a published application
