Deploying MSI Applications Using Intune (Multiple Options)

Before we learn the different methods available for deploying applications to Windows devices, remember that there are two primary types of app installers for Windows: EXE and MSI. With Intune, you can deploy both of these in addition to Windows Store apps. In this blog post, however, we'll focus on the different options for deploying MSI apps which is probably the easiest app type to deploy. If the application vendor offers an MSI installer file, we'll want to use it!

Option 1: Upload the MSI using the "Line of Business" App Type

SUMMARY:

MSI application deployments through Endpoint Manager are often the easiest and most successful. Simply upload the MSI as a line of business (LOB) application, choose the rest of the deployment settings, and deploy.

1. Open the Endpoint Manager (Intune) portal.

2. Select Apps in the left-hand menu blade.

3. Select Windows.

4. Select + Add and choose Line-of-business app (see below).

Below are some tips for a couple of the properties that might be helpful when configuring the app information:

1. App Install Context:

   1. When choosing the app install context, user and device-based contexts are NOT related to the user and device-based contexts of MSI files. When you assign an application in Endpoint Manager to a user group, you are simply telling the MSI to install to any device that the user is assigned to in Endpoint Manager (User Affinity); you are not telling Endpoint Manager to install the MSI for just the logged-in user of the machine.

   2. The MSI will install using whichever install context was specified in the MSI’s property table.

2. Ignore App Version

   1. Remember that MSI files contain property values such as ProductCode, UpgradeCode, and ProductVersion. Endpoint Manager will use this information to detect whether an application is installed and what version is installed. Knowing this:

   2. Select yes if you want Endpoint Manager to ignore what version is installed and only reinstall the application if the application is uninstalled.

   3. Select no if you want Endpoint Manager to not only check if the application is installed but also what version it is. Endpoint Manager will reinstall the application if the current version is different than the version originally deployed.

Option 2: Deploy a PowerShell Script

If you prefer to use a script to install the application on end-user devices, then you can use a script similar to the one listed below:

NOTE:

When using a script, you must deploy the .msi file to the machine or place it on an accessible file share.

If deploying the file to each machine, there are a few methods. One is to use the Invoke-URI command and download the file from an Azure blob container or a public file share service such as Box or OneDrive. Another option is to use the Copy-Item command and copy the file from an on-premises file share.

1. Open the Endpoint Manager (Intune) portal.

2. Select Devices in the left-hand menu blade then select Windows.

3. Select Scripts and remediations then select the Platform Scripts tab.

4. 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:

How to Use the Winget Command Line Tool to Install, Uninstall, and Update Windows Applications