What are the different types of GoTo for Teams MSIs?
There are two types of MSI installers offered.
- MSI for per-machine installation.
- MSI for per-user installation during user login.
Who is it for?
MSI for per-machine installation
- The company wants a single installation (saves disk space).
- Single install location facilitates easier IT rules for Firewall allow lists and Software Restriction Policies (SRP).
- Companies can choose to manually roll out updates or let users auto-update (requires admin privileges for users).
- Since the MSI for per-machine installation requires admin privileges for auto-updates, this type of MSI is recommended when manual updates are used.
- Per-machine installation makes it easier to restrict users from uninstalling the app (due to requiring admin privileges).
MSI for per-user installation during user login
- The company does not want to manage the app for the user other than just pre-install it for them.
- They let the user update and uninstall the app if they desire.
- The MSI for per-user installation during user login deploys the app in the user folder; thus, the auto-update does not require admin privileges. We recommend this MSI if automatic updates are preferred.
Overview of the MSI for per-machine installation
- Installation requires elevation (admin permissions).
- Automatic updates can be enabled or disabled. They are enabled by default.
- If automatic updates are enabled:
- The user is notified about updates.
- Any available updates are automatically installed upon exit.
- When an update is installed, the user will see a User Account Control prompt to grant admin permissions, because the update affects all users on the machine.
- If the user does not or cannot authorize the action, the update will not happen, and the user will be prompted again in the future.
- If automatic updates are disabled:
- The user will not receive notifications for new updates.
- The only way to update the app is for the company to roll out a new MSI.
- Rolling out a new MSI will update or roll back the app to the version carried in the MSI. This includes cases where an auto-update may have installed a newer version than the version in the MSI being rolled out. To ensure consistency in the update approach, it is suggested to either perform a one-time MSI roll out and let automatic updates take care of future updates, or to consistently roll out the MSI with automatic updates disabled and establish a manual update cadence.
Overview of the MSI for per-user installation during user login
This is an MSI for deploying a per-user installer of the app on the machine level (in Program Files) and setting up a login hook for all current users and any new users to run the per-user installer at user login. This MSI deploys the user installer of the app and not the app itself. The user installer will add the GoTo for Teams desktop plugin for each user who logs in on the machine. The app will be installed only the first time the user logs in and will be installed in the user's profile.
- Installation of the MSI requires elevation (admin permissions), while the per-user install performed at user login does not. The per-user install at user login is silent.
- The MSI install sets up a RunOnce entry for each existing user profile on the machine, including the default (template) user profile.
- The entry contains a command line starting the per-user installer in silent mode.
- The entry added to the default (template) user profile ensures that new users who sign in for the first time on a machine will get the app too.
- The RunOnce entry ensures that the user installer will be started only once per user. Windows deletes RunOnce entries after they are executed.
- Uninstalling the MSI removes the RunOnce entry added by the installer (if it still exists), including the entry in the default (template) user profile.
- Automatic updates can be enabled or disabled. They are enabled by default.
- If automatic updates are enabled:
- The user is notified about updates.
- Any available updates are automatically installed upon exit.
- Updates happen for each user individually, do not require admin permissions, and will not update other users.
- If an auto-update happens, the app version will be newer than the version of the MSI and the per-user installer that installed it.
- If automatic updates are disabled:
- The user will not receive notifications for new updates.
- The only way to update the app is for the company to roll out a new MSI.
- Rolling out a new MSI will update the per-user installer and set the RunOnce entries as described above. Upon user login the GoTo for Teams desktop plugin will be installed (for first time users) or updated (for existing users) to the new version of the MSI.
- Rolling out a new MSI will update or roll back the app to the version carried in the MSI. This includes cases where auto-update may have installed a newer version than the version in the MSI being rolled out. To ensure consistency in the update approach, it is suggested to either perform a one-time MSI roll out and let automatic updates take care of future updates, or to consistently roll out the MSI with automatic updates disabled and establish a manual update cadence.
MSIs specification sheet and comparison
| Item | MSI for per-machine installation | MSI for per-user installation during user login |
|---|---|---|
| Default installation folder of the MSI (this is where the MSI installs an EXE installer + package file) | %ProgramFiles%\GoTo for Teams plugin Machine Installer | %ProgramFiles%\GoTo for Teams plugin User Login Installer |
| When and how is the app installed | During MSI installation, on the machine level. | At user login, only once per user, on the user level. |
| Default installation folder of the app | %ProgramFiles%\GoToForTeams | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\GoToForTeams |
| MSI requires elevation | Yes (runs in machine context). | Yes (runs in machine context). |
| How many Add/Remove Programs entries are visible | 1 Only one GoTo for Teams plugin app entry exists on the machine level. |
2 The MSI adds entry "GoTo for Teams plugin User Login Installer" on the machine level, the per-user installer adds entry for the GoTo for Teams plugin on the user level. |
| Uninstallation | Uninstallation of the MSI uninstalls the app. | Uninstallation of the MSI only removes the per-user installer and the RunOnce login hook, but does not uninstall the apps installed on the user level. Users can uninstall the GoTo for Teams plugin, which does not affect the MSI installation.
Note: IT administrators can uninstall the GoTo for Teams plugin installed per user using a script. Please see the Sample scripts when deploying GoTo for Teams to multiple computers for more information.
|
| Cleaning up user profile(s) on uninstall | User profiles have to be cleaned up manually. Multiple users on the machine can use the app installed by the MSI for per-machine installation. Uninstalling the MSI does not remove any user profiles, even for the current user executing the uninstall (note that the uninstall is often done from the SYSTEM account).
Note: IT administrators can clean up the user profile(s) using a script. Please see the Sample scripts when deploying GoTo for Teams to multiple computers for more information.
|
User profile will be cleaned up per user when the user uninstalls the GoTo for Teams plugin. Uninstalling the MSI does not uninstall the GoTo for Teams plugin. |
Control automatic updates with MSI install property
- The MSI for per-machine installation sets the registry setting on the machine level (HKLM\Software\LogMeInInc\GoToForTeams).
- The MSI for per-user installation during user login sets the registry setting on the user level (HKCU\Software\LogMeInInc\GoToForTeams).
Properties supported by the MSIs
The MSIs support custom properties that can be supplied during installation to customize the deployment. These properties can be supplied to the command line if the MSI is installed via a command line, or via a transform file (MST) if deployed via Group Policy Object (GPO) or other deployment software.
Example of a command line specifying MSI properties: msiexec.exe /i GoToForTeamsSetupMachine-x64.msi APPLICATIONFOLDER="%ProgramFiles%\CustomGoToFolder" FORCERUN=1
Properties supported by the MSI for per-machine installation
| Property name | Description |
|---|---|
| MSIINSTALLDIR | A valid path where the MSI installs a per-machine EXE installer and its package file. If not specified, the default path used is %ProgramFiles%\GoTo for Teams plugin Machine Installer.
Note: Support for environment variables is limited. Environment variables can be used only if they are substituted before invoking the MSI (e.g. on the command line). They cannot be used in an MST transform file as they will be passed unsubstituted to the MSI and the MSI will treat them literally.
|
| APPINSTALLDIR | A valid path where the app is installed. If not specified, the default path used is %ProgramFiles%\GoToForTeams.
Note: Support for environment variables is limited. Environment variables can be used only if they are substituted before invoking the MSI (e.g. on the command line). They cannot be used in an MST transform file as they will be passed unsubstituted to the MSI and the MSI will treat them literally.
|
| FORCERUN | By default, the MSI installer will not start the application after installation. To make the MSI start the app after installation, set this property to 1. |
| AUTOMATICUPDATES | See the section control automatic updates with MSI install property (above) and the control automatic updates guide for a background information on automatic updates. If the AUTOMATICUPDATES property is set to 1 (enabled) or 2 (disabled) for the MSI for per-machine installation, it will set the registry setting in the app registry key on the machine level to the provided value. |
| SUPPRESSUSERINSTALLCHECK | By default, the MSI for per-machine installation will check for existing per-user installations on the machine and fail with an error if a per-user installation is found. To suppress this check, set this property to 1. This property is supported in versions 4.8 and above. |
Properties supported by the MSI for per-user installation during user login
| Property name | Description |
|---|---|
| MSIINSTALLDIR | A valid path where the MSI installs a per-user EXE installer and its package file. If not specified, the default path used is %ProgramFiles%\GoTo for Teams plugin User Login Installer.
Note: Support for environment variables is limited. Environment variables can be used only if they are substituted before invoking the MSI (e.g. on the command line). They cannot be used in an MST transform file as they will be passed unsubstituted to the MSI and the MSI will treat them literally.
|
| FORCERUN | By default, the per-user installer will not start the application after it installs it during user login. To make the per-user installer start the app after installation, set this property to 1. |
| AUTOMATICUPDATES | See the section control automatic updates with MSI install property (above) and the control automatic updates guide for a background information on automatic updates. If the AUTOMATICUPDATES property is set to 1 (enabled) or 2 (disabled) for the MSI for per-user installation during login, it will set the registry setting in the app registry key on the user level to the provided value. |
Downloads
The MSIs are offered in 64-bit and 32-bit architectures. They install the app in the respective architecture.
The MSI architecture must match the OS architecture. The 64-bit MSI will fail with an error message if run on a 32-bit OS, and the 32-bit MSI will fail with an error message if run on a 64-bit OS.
The MSIs can be downloaded here.