Deploying EXE Applications Using Intune (Multiple Options)
Updated: Jun 24
Before we learn the different methods available for deploying applications to Windows devices, remember that there are two primary file extension types for Windows application installers: .exe and .msi (both of which you can deploy with Endpoint Manager). You can also deploy Windows Store apps.
In this post, we'll learn the different options for deploying EXE files.
Table of Contents
Option 1: Use the Win32 Content Prep Tool (.intunewin)
Microsoft offers a tool that you can use to create a .intunewin installer file from preexisting EXE or MSI installer file(s), allowing us to use the Windows app (Win32) app deployment type in Endpoint Manager.
See the quote below from Microsoft explaining why:
If you mix the installation of Win32 apps and line-of-business apps during Autopilot enrollment, the app installation might fail as they both may attempt to use the Trusted Installer service at the same time which causes a failure due to this conflict.
See a description of the tool below provided by Microsoft:
Use the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool to preprocess Windows classic (Win32) apps. The tool converts application installation files into the .intunewin format. The tool also detects some of the attributes that Intune requires to determine the application installation state. After you use this tool on the app installer folder, you'll be able to create a Win32 app in the Microsoft Intune admin center.
Step 1: Download the Tool
Click here to download the tool from Microsoft's GitHub repository
Once downloaded, double-click the folder to unzip and extract the contents.
The tool is labeled, IntuneWinAppUtil.exe.
Double-clicking on this file will start the content prep tool.
Step 2: Create a Win32 App from the EXE file.
Once you double-click the IntuneWinAppUtil.exe file, a new window appears with a few prompts (see example image below). You must specify the following:
Source Folder: the path to the folder that contains the installer .exe file.
Setup File: the name of the installer file (make sure to include the extension ".exe").
Output Folder: the destination path for the final .intunewin file.
"Do you want to specify catalog folder (Y/N)": only select yes if the installer file has a catalog file. If you are unsure, catalog files have the ".cat" extension. Most likely, you will type in "N" and hit enter.
In the example above, I chose the same folder for my output that I did for my source folder so that both the .exe and the .intunewin files would be together. This is not necessary, however.
Step 3: Upload the .intunewin File as a Win32 App to Endpoint Manager
Now that you have converted the .exe installer to a .intunwin file, you can upload it as a Win32 application install type in Endpoint Manager.
Open the Endpoint Manager (Intune) portal.
Select Apps in the left-hand menu blade.
Select Windows.
Select + Add and choose Windows app (Win32)
Next, you'll configure the rest of the Win32 application deployment. Click here to view the full guide from Microsoft.
Below are some tips that might be helpful when configuring a couple of the properties in the app information:
Install Command: this field may have auto-populated, but if not, then enter the same command that you would use if executing the .exe installer file using CMD prompt being inside the directory where the installer file lives. For example: setup.exe /quiet
If unsure what the install parameters are, consult the application vendor's documentation.
You can also use a program like WinRar to extract the original .exe file and view the contents of the text files (see example below). Note that not all .exe files are wrapped archived files - there may not be anything to extract.
Uninstall Command: this field may have auto-populated, but if not, then you'll most likely use the msiexec tool to uninstall the application. Same as the install command, you'll need to enter in the command as if you were executing it from the CMD prompt. You'll need the application's MSI product code for this. To grab the product code, follow the steps below:
Install the application on your machine.
Run the PowerShell script below, replacing "app_name" with the name of the application you installed.
Once you have the product code, the uninstall command will be something similar to msiexec /x "{product_code}." For an example, see the second example below; the UninstallString property gives you exactly what you need.
Detection Rule: Unlike line-of-business (LOB) application deployments, you have to instruct Endpoint Manager how to detect if the Win32 application installed successfully or not. Ensure your detection rule is resilient to app updates; it should be configured so that if an application update occurs, it still detects the app and doesn’t attempt to reinstall (unless of course, you want it to). For a list of all the detection methods and their explanations, click here.
Option 2: Deploy a PowerShell Script
You can also use a script and Endpoint Manager to deploy a .exe installer file to company devices and then run the installer. See the steps below:
In the example script below, I used the Copy-Item command to copy the .exe file from an on-premises file share.
Open the Endpoint Manager (Intune) portal.
Select Devices in the left-hand menu blade then select Windows.
Select Scripts and remediations then select the Platform Scripts tab.
Select + Add (see below).
Option 3: Use Winget
Winget is a command-line tool provided by Microsoft that allows you to install, uninstall, and update applications. To learn more about this tool and how to use it to deploy applications, click the link below!
