Mass Deployment

Overview

The Windows agent is a standard MSI package, so every endpoint management system that deploys MSI files can roll it out: Microsoft Intune, Group Policy, Configuration Manager (SCCM), PDQ Deploy, Zoho Endpoint Central, and others. The deployment always consists of the same three decisions — the server URL, the registration method, and whether the Windows service is needed — passed as msiexec properties. This page gives the command line and the tool-specific steps.

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The command line

The complete form, with every property the package accepts. Replace each <placeholder>; drop the properties whose default you keep (the defaults are in the table below):

msiexec /i "<path>\DeskAlertsClient<version>.msi" /qn /norestart BASE_URL=<https://server-name> REGISTRATION_TYPE=<0|1|2|3|5|6|7> ENABLE_SERVICE=<true|false> ENABLE_WP_LS_SS=<true|false> ALERT_ON_LOCKSCREEN=<true|false> ALLOWING_UNTRUSTED_SSL=<true|false> DELETEPROFILE=<1|0> APPDIR="<installation folder>" AI_DESKTOP_SH=<1|0> AI_STARTMENU_SH=<1|0> AI_STARTUP_SH=<1|0> PINTOTASKBAR=<1|0> /l*v "<log file>"

A typical rollout passes only what differs from the defaults. This example — the server URL, the Simple registration method, a verbose log — was run on a test workstation: msiexec returned 0 after about 15 seconds, the service was running, and the agent started in the user's session at once:

msiexec /i "C:\Temp\DeskAlertsClient12.1.0.3.msi" /qn /norestart BASE_URL=https://alerts.acme.example REGISTRATION_TYPE=0 /l*v "C:\Temp\DeskAlertsAgent.log"

For a domain fleet the same line with REGISTRATION_TYPE=5 (Seamless) registers the users silently with their Windows identity.

Uninstall, with the package at hand or by product code:

msiexec /x "<path>\DeskAlertsClient<version>.msi" /qn /norestart

msiexec /x {<ProductCode>} /qn /norestart

Properties

Property	Values	Default	Description
BASE_URL	https://host[:port]	—	The server URL exactly as published. Required; an incomplete value (for example https:) makes the agent exit at start
REGISTRATION_TYPE	0 Simple, 1 Computer name, 2 Simple AD, 3 Azure AD, 5 Seamless, 6 Seamless hybrid, 7 Seamless for Azure AD	0	How the agent identifies the user — see the decision table below and Installing the Agent on Windows
ENABLE_SERVICE	true / false	true	Installs the DeskAlerts Client Service, needed for wallpaper, lock screen, screensaver, and alerts on the locked screen
ENABLE_WP_LS_SS	true / false	true	Enables the wallpaper, lock screen, and screensaver features (requires the service)
DISABLE_WP_LS_SS	1 / 0	0	The inverse of ENABLE_WP_LS_SS; pass one of the two, not both
ALERT_ON_LOCKSCREEN	true / false	false	Shows alerts on the locked screen (requires the service)
ALLOWING_UNTRUSTED_SSL	true / false	false	Accepts a server certificate the workstation does not trust. Test environments only — in production distribute the CA certificate instead
DELETEPROFILE	1 / 0	1	Removes the local alert history and content of a previous installation. Use 0 when upgrading, so that the registration and history survive
APPDIR	A path	C:\Program Files\ToolBarStudio Inc\DeskAlerts Client software\	The installation folder
AI_DESKTOP_SH	1 / 0	1	Desktop shortcut
AI_STARTMENU_SH	1 / 0	1	Start Menu shortcut
AI_STARTUP_SH	1 / 0	1	Startup shortcut — keep it: it starts the agent with the user's session
PINTOTASKBAR	1 / 0	0	Pins the agent to the taskbar
IGNOREDEPENDENCIES	ALL	—	Skips the dependency checks of Windows Installer; only in cleanup scripts that remove orphaned earlier versions
/qn or /quiet	—	—	No user interface
/norestart	—	—	No automatic restart
/l*v "<file>"	—	—	Verbose installation log; keep it on the device for failed installations

Decisions

Decision	Property	Recommendation
Server URL	BASE_URL	The https:// server URL, the same one the agents' browsers can open
Registration method	REGISTRATION_TYPE	5 (Seamless) for domain-joined Windows devices, 6 (Seamless hybrid) when the accounts are synchronized from Entra ID in a hybrid environment, 7 (Seamless for Azure AD) for Entra ID-joined devices, 3 (Azure AD) for interactive Microsoft sign-in, 2 (Simple AD) when users outside the domain must enter their AD credentials, 0 (Simple) when users sign in with DeskAlerts credentials
Windows service	ENABLE_SERVICE	true if wallpaper, lock screen, screensaver, or alerts on the locked screen are used
Lock-screen features	DISABLE_WP_LS_SS, ALERT_ON_LOCKSCREEN	DISABLE_WP_LS_SS=0 ALERT_ON_LOCKSCREEN=true for everything on; DISABLE_WP_LS_SS=1 ALERT_ON_LOCKSCREEN=false for popups and tickers only
Certificate trust	ALLOWING_UNTRUSTED_SSL	Omit in production; distribute the CA certificate instead
Shortcuts	AI_DESKTOP_SH=0 AI_STARTMENU_SH=0	Usually no desktop or Start Menu shortcut in a managed rollout; keep the Startup shortcut

Note: Deploy the agent per machine (system context). It registers the signed-in user when the user's session starts, so a device used by several people registers each of them in turn with the seamless methods.

Return codes

Code	Meaning
0	Installed
3010	Installed, restart required
1641	Installed, restart started
1603	Fatal error — read the msiexec log
1612	Installation source missing — an earlier version cannot be removed because its MSI is gone
1619	The package cannot be opened — damaged or blocked file
1714	An older version cannot be removed — see the cleanup notes below

Detection

Method	Rule
File	C:\Program Files\ToolBarStudio Inc\DeskAlerts Client software\DeskAlertsClient\DeskAlertsClient.exe exists
Registry	A key under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall whose DisplayName contains DeskAlerts with the expected DisplayVersion
MSI	The product code of the build

Recommendations

• Distribute the MSI as a package and copy it to the local disk before running msiexec; running it straight from a network share or a distribution cache occasionally corrupts the package (error 2753).
• Keep the installation log (/l*v) on the device for failed installations.
• Allow 30 minutes for the installation step and up to three retries.
• Keep the registration method identical to the one the existing agents use; a different method registers the users again as new recipients.
• Use DELETEPROFILE=0 when upgrading existing installations, so that the local registration and alert history survive; DELETEPROFILE=1 is for re-imaging and for devices that were registered against another server.
• After a silent installation the agent starts with the user's next sign-in through the Startup shortcut. Do not add a second start of DeskAlertsClient.exe while the agent is running: two instances in one session show two tray icons and are throttled by the server (HTTP 429, one sign-in per client every 3 seconds).
• Check the version afterwards with the file properties of DeskAlertsClient.exe — every DeskAlerts binary carries the product version and, after a +, the hash of the build commit, which support uses to identify a build exactly.

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Before a Rollout

1. Synchronize the directory (Settings → Users & access → IAM sync) so that users exist in the audience before their agents register with a domain-based method.
2. Set the Audience access level to a level that allows the chosen registration method.
3. Pilot with a small group; check Audience explorer, the Agent radar widget, and a test alert.
4. Prepare the certificate: with a corporate CA, make sure the CA certificate is in the Trusted Root store of the target devices (Group Policy or MDM profile).
5. Roll the agents out in waves: thousands of agents starting at once run into the sign-in throttling (HTTP 429).

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Replacing Earlier Versions

Do not install the 12 package over a DeskAlerts 11 agent. For a clean rollout, run an uninstall-then-install script that also deletes the old installation folder:

msiexec /x {OldProductCode} /qn /norestart IGNOREDEPENDENCIES=ALL

rmdir /s /q "C:\Program Files\ToolBarStudio Inc\DeskAlerts Client software"

msiexec /i "C:\Temp\DeskAlertsClient12.1.0.3.msi" /qn /norestart BASE_URL=https://alerts.company.com REGISTRATION_TYPE=5 ENABLE_SERVICE=true /l*v "C:\Temp\DeskAlertsAgent.log"

Exit code 1605 from the uninstall step (product not found) is normal. Two cases need attention:

• Different registration method: reinstalling with another REGISTRATION_TYPE is supported, but the users register anew under the new method.
• Orphaned earlier versions: when the earlier versions were installed by a deployment tool whose cache has since been cleaned, Windows Installer cannot remove them (error 1714 / 1612). Contact DeskAlerts support for help with the cleanup.

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Microsoft Intune

1. Wrap the MSI as a Win32 app with the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool:

IntuneWinAppUtil.exe -c "C:\DeskAlertsInstaller" -s "DeskAlertsClient12.1.0.3.msi" -o "C:\DeskAlertsInstaller\output"

2. In the Intune admin center, go to Apps → Windows → Add, choose Windows app (Win32), and upload the .intunewin file.
3. Under Program, set the install command to the command line above and the uninstall command to msiexec /x "DeskAlertsClient12.1.0.3.msi" /qn /norestart. Install behavior: System. Device restart behavior: App install may force a device restart only if the fleet allows it; otherwise No specific action.
4. Under Requirements, select 64-bit and Windows 10 1607 as the minimum version.
5. Under Detection rules, choose MSI (Intune reads the product code from the package) or the file rule from the Detection table above.
6. Under Return codes, keep the defaults and add 1612, 1619, and 1714 as Failed.
7. Assign the app to the device groups and monitor Device install status.

A line-of-business (LOB) app with the plain MSI also works; Intune then passes the properties from the Command-line arguments field.

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Group Policy

1. Copy the MSI to a share readable by Domain Computers.
2. Because Group Policy software installation cannot pass MSI properties, deploy with a computer startup script that runs the msiexec command line. Use the product code to make the script idempotent and copy the package locally first:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{ProductCode}" >nul 2>&1 && exit /b 0

copy /y "\\fileserver\deploy\DeskAlertsClient12.1.0.3.msi" "%TEMP%\DeskAlertsClient.msi"

msiexec /i "%TEMP%\DeskAlertsClient.msi" /qn /norestart BASE_URL=https://alerts.company.com REGISTRATION_TYPE=5 ENABLE_SERVICE=true /l*v "%TEMP%\DeskAlertsAgent.log"

3. Link the GPO to the OUs with the target computers. Do not assign the MSI directly as a software installation package: version replacement is unreliable that way.

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Configuration Manager (SCCM), PDQ Deploy, Zoho Endpoint Central

Create a package or application with the MSI as the source and the command line above as the install command (/qn /norestart plus the properties), the uninstall command with /x, and run it in the system context, whether or not a user is signed in, hidden, with a 30-minute time limit. Use the file or registry detection from the table above and the return codes listed. PDQ Deploy: an Install step with the MSI file and the parameters /qn /norestart BASE_URL=… REGISTRATION_TYPE=… ENABLE_SERVICE=true. Zoho Endpoint Central: a software package with Installation command set to the same line, deployed with a configuration to the target computers.

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Monitoring the rollout

Where	What to check
Dashboard → Agent radar	Endpoints per platform and version, split by Seen today, 1-29 days ago, 30+ days ago
Dashboard → Connected audience	Connected desktop endpoints right now
Audience explorer → Users	Each user's endpoints with agent version, last activity, online state
Reports → Recipients	Per-recipient delivery history
The management tool	Installation status and the msiexec log on failed devices

Devices that installed the agent but never appear in the portal usually cannot reach the server URL or do not trust its certificate — see the troubleshooting table in Installing the Agent on Windows.