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Startup Script GPO Runs But Doesn't Always Work (vbs)

Hi folks--first time poster here and have kind of a wacky question! I've got a VBScript set to run as a Startup Script in Group Policy. This script calls a couple of installers from a wide-open network share. The reason I've got it set as a startup script is that it needs to run elevated and this seemed like the easiest way to do it.

I've gotten it to actually work once, but on other computers in the same Test OU, it's showing that the policy has been applied, but the software update logfile never gets created and the software update is not installed. Can you think of any reason for the inconsistency? Additionally, the user notification that pops up if you run the script directly will not show up when this is run as a Startup script. I assume that's because it's running as BUILTIN\SYSTEM and not as the user who is actually logging into the computer?

I'll post the script here for your perusal.

option explicit
'On error resume next

Dim IE, Return, oShell, baseFolder, CPCMD, verbose, wShell, wExec, oFso, xmlhttp, xmldata, version, cmpName, url, progfiles

verbose = False    ' If verbose then display user message console else only display error msgbox

baseFolder = left(Wscript.ScriptFullName, instrrev(Wscript.ScriptFullName, "\") - 1)
Set oShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")  ' ShellExecute
Set wShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")      ' Exec and Run
Set oFso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

If Is64Bit() then
  progFiles = "C:\Program Files (x86)"
 Else
  progFiles = "C:\Program Files"
End If

If verbose Then  ' if not verbose - we must assume run as admin 
  If UACEnabled() Then
    Return = MsgBox("This installer must run with Administrator privileges." & vbcrlf & _
                  "Did you select ""run as administrator""?", vbyesno, "Run as Administrator")
    If Return = vbno then
      Return = oShell.ShellExecute("wscript.exe", Wscript.ScriptFullName,,"runas",1)
      WScript.quit
    End If
  End If
End if

If verbose Then  ' setup IE as user message console
  Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
  IE.Navigate "about:blank"   
  IE.ToolBar = 0
  IE.StatusBar = 0
  IE.Width=700
  IE.Height = 600 
  IE.Left = 50
  IE.Top = 50

  Do While (IE.Busy)
    Wscript.Sleep 200
  Loop    

  IE.Visible = 1             
  IE.Document.Body.InnerHTML = "<html><font face=arial size=4>Welcome to the VUMC 2010 Epic Hyperspace Client Pack 8 Installer!<br><br><font face=arial size=3>" _
    & "This installer will run each install step and report<br>the final result to a remote auditing server.<br><br>No interaction is necessary.<br>" _
    & "<br>This process will take about 10 minutes to complete.<br><br><u>Please do not use this computer while this process is running.</u><br>" _  
	& "<br>This window will automatically close when the process has completed.<br><br>Process Steps:<br>"
  DisplayMsg(Now & " Begin Installation.")
End If

	'Install Client Pack
	DisplayMsg(Now & " Begin Client Pack Installation.")
	CPCMD = "/ICP \\MYNETWORKSHARE\public\IT\EPIC\RA1386_HYPERSPACE_1161.msp /VCP /lec+ C:\temp\ClientPack8Install.log /qn /P SKIPDEPLOYMENTCHECK=1 IE8FOUND=1 /s"
	If UACEnabled() then
	   Set wExec = wShell.Exec("\\MYNETWORKSHARE\public\IT\EPIC\InstallMSP.exe " & CPCMD,,"runas",1)
	Else
	   Set wExec = wShell.Exec("\\MYNETWORKSHARE\public\IT\EPIC\InstallMSP.exe " & CPCMD)
	End If

    Do  ' wait for it to finish
      WScript.Sleep 10000
	  If wExec.Status=1 Then Exit Do
	Loop
	
	If wExec.ExitCode <> 0 Then 
      DisplayMsg(Now & " Hyperspace Client Pack Install failed with return code: " & wExec.ExitCode & ". Please contact Epic Support.")
      MsgBox (Now & " Hyperspace Client Pack Install failed with return code: " & wExec.ExitCode & ". Please contact Epic Support.")
      WScript.Quit
    End If
    
Return = InstallForms(baseFolder)

If Return <> 0 then
  DisplayMsg(Now & " Form registration failed with error code: " & Return & ". Please contact Epic Support.")
End if

DisplayMsg(Now & " Reporting Installation.")

' check version after install
version = oFso.GetFileVersion(progFiles & "\EpicSys\v7.8\Shared Files\" & "EpicACRuleEditor78.ocx")' Base IU5 = 78.01.3639, CP3 = 78.1.65.4785
cmpName = wShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%COMPUTERNAME%")
' Report back
 url = "http://m3.mc.vanderbilt.edu/CP3^HS2010"
'url = "http://m3alpha.mc.vanderbilt.edu:8080/CP3^HS2010"
  xmlData = cmpName & "*" & version
  xmlData = Replace(xmlData, " ", "")
  set xmlHttp = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")
  xmlHttp.Open "POST", url & "?" & xmlData, false
  xmlHttp.Send ""
  xmlHttp = Null

DisplayMsg(Now & " 2010 Epic Hyperspace Client Pack 8 Install complete.  This window will close in 20 seconds.")

If verbose Then ' pause before closing message console
  WScript.Sleep 20000
  IE.Quit
End If

'///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
'Begin Functions
'///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Function InstallForms(base)
  Dim progFiles, oFSO, oShell, intReturn, Q
  Q = Chr(34)
  If Is64Bit() then
    progFiles = "C:\Program Files (x86)"
  Else
    progFiles = "C:\Program Files"
  End if
  Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  Set oShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
  If verbose Then DisplayMsg(Now & " Installing Custom Form Update.")
  oFSO.CopyFile base & "\VUMCAttendingProvider78.ocx", progFiles & "\EpicSys\v7.8\Shared Files\"
  intReturn = RegisterFile("/s " & Q & progFiles & "\EpicSys\v7.8\Shared Files\VUMCAttendingProvider78.ocx" & Q)
  If intReturn>0 Then 
    MsgBox(Now & " Error: VUMCAttendingProvider78.ocx failed to install - error code: " & intReturn)
  Else
    DisplayMsg(Now & " Installed Form Update.")
  End If
  
  InstallForms = intReturn  
End Function

Function RegisterFile(params)
  Dim oShell, intReturn
  Set oShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
  If UACEnabled() then
    intReturn = oShell.ShellExecute("regsvr32.exe", params,,"runas", 1)
  Else
    intReturn = oShell.ShellExecute("regsvr32.exe", params,,,1)
  End if
  RegisterFile = intReturn
End Function

Sub DisplayMsg(m)
  If verbose Then IE.Document.Body.InnerHTML=IE.Document.Body.InnerHTML & "<font face=arial color=blue>" & m & "<br>"
end sub

Function Is64Bit()
  Dim oWMI, colItems, oItem, bnReturn
  bnReturn = false
  If IsXP() then
    bnReturn = false
  Else
    Set oWMI = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\CIMV2")
    Set colItems = oWMI.ExecQuery("SELECT OSArchitecture FROM Win32_OperatingSystem")
    For each oItem in colItems
      If oItem.OSArchitecture = "64-bit" then
        bnReturn = true
      End if
    Next
  End If
  Is64Bit = bnReturn
End Function

Function IsXP()
  Dim oWMI, colItems, oItem, bnReturn
  bnReturn = false
  Set oWMI = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\CIMV2")
  Set colItems = oWMI.ExecQuery("SELECT BuildNumber FROM Win32_OperatingSystem")
  For each oItem in colItems
    If oItem.BuildNumber < 4000 then
      bnReturn = true
    End if
  Next
  IsXP = bnReturn
End Function

Function UACEnabled()
  Dim oShell, bnReturn
  bnReturn = false
  If not IsXP() then
    Set oShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
    If oShell.RegRead("HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\EnableLUA") then
      bnReturn = true
    End If
  End If
  UACEnabled = bnReturn
End Function

Open in new window

Ron Malmstead

You may try a 5 or 10 second delay.
It could be due to it running before the necessary windows services are started.

Wscript.Sleep(10000)

..installer scripts normally run better as LOGON scripts rather than startup scripts.

PorkTater

ASKER

They do, but this one really needs to run elevated.

SharifMcD

mostly the root cause of such behavior, is the access permission
- i mean usually when you run the start up a PC with your username and password (I assume you are admin) the GPO will applied and the script will run fine

- but if you supplied a normal username (no admin permission) the policy will applied as will and script will run BUT if there is any processes required administrative privilege (like installation of software) it will abandoned

to work around [I'm not expert with VBS] i use to ask my colleague to add a line to the script to run the installation process in the admin mode [just like the option RUN AS]

i hope this answer your question
regards,

Don

First off, "Startup" scripts run under the "System" context....no username or password required.

Are you using the correct command line options

http://managedsurrender.com/wiki/doku.php?id=hyperspace:install

Also looking at your script, my guess would be that your msgbox's are holding up the install during startup---as there is no way to answer them.

PorkTater

ASKER

Unfortunately, I wasn't provided with an msi package for this installation, just a script file that calls a couple of executables and then runs some reporting (see above). I can't really use the normal software push methods, which is why I'm trying to do this via the Startup or Logon GPOs.

Do you think it might be easier to add some kind of code to my script to elevate it and then run it as a Logon policy instead of a Startup policy?

Ron Malmstead

If you run it as a login script it will run under the permissions of the user who is logging on. By your specification, the user would need admin permissions on the local machine.

PorkTater

ASKER

Right, unless I were to add some sort of Runas code, as I mentioned in my previous post. I'm just not entirely sure what code I would need to add, exactly.

Ron Malmstead

You could try to shell it from. Vbs. I'm on mobile though so can't test it at the moment. Just an idea

SOLUTION

RobSampson

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PorkTater

ASKER

Ok, I've made those changes--script seems to function when run directly, but I'm still having some issues getting it to run when used as a Startup Script. I've also added a sleep function at the beginning--we'll see if that helps.

If I were interested in running this as a LOGON script, can anyone recommend some code that would allow me to elevate it as high as possible?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

RobSampson

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PorkTater

ASKER

Will try this out first thing Monday and let you know--thanks!

RobSampson

Hi, any idea what the problem ended up being?