.mst files

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Does anyone know of any good links or information for the procedure for creating and deploying .mst files through active directory? Am studying for the 70-294 exam and could do with some help in deploying different configurations to different groups etc

Thanks

 

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I had to refer to this thread just to see what .mst files were, then I discover that they're not in the list!

Can you give some more details for the non knowing such as myself?

 

SG: an .mst file is a file you can make to modify/customise an .msi installation.


•To assign applications:

Open the Group Policy snap-in, then, in Computer Configuration, open Software Settings.
Right-click the Software Installation node, click New, and click Package.
Result: The File Name list in the Open dialog box shows those Windows Installer packages located at the SDP you specified as the default. If the Windows Installer package is located on a different network share, you can browse to find the SDP for the package.
In the File Name list in the Open dialog box, select the Windows Installer package to be assigned, then click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box, click Assigned (or Advanced Published and Assigned), then click OK. If this is an application under the Computer Configuration node of the Group Policy snap-in, the Published choice appears dimmed, because packages can only be assigned to computers, not published.
Deploying applications with modifications
Modifications are associated with the Windows Installer package at deployment time rather than when the Windows Installer is actually using the package to install or modify the application. Modifications (.mst files) are applied to Windows Installer packages (which have the .msi extension) in an order specified by the administrator. This order must be determined before the application is assigned or published.

•To add or remove modifications for applications:

Open the Group Policy snap-in, then, in Computer or User Configuration, open Software Settings.
Right-click the Software Installation node, click New, then click Package.
In the File Name list in the Open dialog box, select the Windows Installer package to be published, then click Open.
In the Deploy Software dialog box, click Advanced Published Or Assigned, then click OK.
In the Properties dialog box for the package, click the Modifications tab.
To add modifications, click Add. In the Open dialog box, browse to find the modification file (.mst), then click Open. You can add multiple modifications.
To remove modifications, click the modification you want to remove, then click Remove. Repeat until each unwanted modification has been removed.
To set the order of modifications, select a modification and then click Move Up or Move Down. Modifications are applied according to the order specified in the list.
Make sure that the modifications are configured exactly the way you want them, then click OK.

Important: Do not click OK until you have finished configuring the modifications. When you click OK, the package is assigned or published immediately. If the modifications are not properly configured you will have to uninstall the package or upgrade the package with a correctly configured version.
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source.

edit: this can be used to create an mst.

 

Thanks omni, that is what i thought for deploying modifications but was sure i was missing something out! Thanks for clearing that up

 

Simon, .mst or transform files are used in conjunction with specified .msi files to deploy the same application (msi file) to different users or groups with different configurations (mst files).

I.e. a company can use group policy to deploy MS Office. If its departments require different configurations of the package you can simply use different GPO's and .mst files in combination with the original .msi file for each department to deploy the different configurations