Deploying FFS for users in the domain using Group Policy Objects?

[borovicka11]

Hi,
is there any possibility to deploy FFS for users in the domain using Group Policy Objects on Windows server, please?
I would like to start FFS for each user by his Login and then repeat the task after some period. And finish the job during Logoff.
If does exist such possibility, what is the way to realize that?
Any advise and script will be appreciated.
Josef

[mlx01]

Hello

yes you can !

You can silently install FFS like that :

FreeFileSync_6.0_Windows_Setup.exe /S /D=C:\FreeFileSync
(/D to specify the target dir, if not set, it will be %programfiles%)


Then, on my side, i created a scheduled task (via GPO) on each machine that runs this :
- run program : "c:\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe"
- parameters : "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
- every 5 min + when user logs out

That allows :
- to backup every profile every 5 minutes
- create 1 only XML file located on a server, so if you want to add a new directory to synchro, only 1 place to modify ;-)

In the ffs_batch, i use %USERPROFILE% vars that will be replaced on the fly in the machines with current connected users.

BUT : there is still 1 problem with my method, when user disconnects from the network (case : laptop) he has a naughty screen every 5 minutes because FFS doesn't find the file "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
So i manually edit the scheduled tack on the machine and in the conditions, i check "only start if this network is available" + my company network.

Unfortunately, this checkbox cannot be done via GPO :( because the listed networks in the dropdown menu have GUIDs that are different from one laptop to another, for the same network name.

this is my method, if you have better ideas, i'm opened !

[mlx01]

BTW : i set in the silently install the target dir, because i'm sure of it for the scheduled task. I don't want to create a scheduled task for x86 machines and another one for x64, because my tests with a %programfiles% var didn't work.
(either in x86 or x64, a "program files" directory exists that matches %programfiles%, but in x64, it is called "program files (x86)")

By specifying the target dir while installing i'm free of that problem.

[Pako]

Hello

yes you can !

You can silently install FFS like that :

FreeFileSync_6.0_Windows_Setup.exe /S /D=C:\FreeFileSync
(/D to specify the target dir, if not set, it will be %programfiles%)


Then, on my side, i created a scheduled task (via GPO) on each machine that runs this :
- run program : "c:\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe"
- parameters : "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
- every 5 min + when user logs out

That allows :
- to backup every profile every 5 minutes
- create 1 only XML file located on a server, so if you want to add a new directory to synchro, only 1 place to modify ;-)

In the ffs_batch, i use %USERPROFILE% vars that will be replaced on the fly in the machines with current connected users.

BUT : there is still 1 problem with my method, when user disconnects from the network (case : laptop) he has a naughty screen every 5 minutes because FFS doesn't find the file "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
So i manually edit the scheduled tack on the machine and in the conditions, i check "only start if this network is available" + my company network.

Unfortunately, this checkbox cannot be done via GPO :( because the listed networks in the dropdown menu have GUIDs that are different from one laptop to another, for the same network name.

this is my method, if you have better ideas, i'm opened !

I became accustomed to running scripts via the task scheduler, which in turn run the programs. Thus, in case of vbscript you can use:

Dim objShell, objFSO
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject ("WScript.shell")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFSO.FileExists("\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch") Then
   objShell.run ("C:\Program Files\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe " & "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch")
Else
WScript.quit
End If


[borovicka11]

BTW : i set in the silently install the target dir, because i'm sure of it for the scheduled task. I don't want to create a scheduled task for x86 machines and another one for x64, because my tests with a %programfiles% var didn't work.
(either in x86 or x64, a "program files" directory exists that matches %programfiles%, but in x64, it is called "program files (x86)")

By specifying the target dir while installing i'm free of that problem.

Hi MLX,
super! I think that this is just I needed. I will simulate your instructions, tomorrow. I am looking forward to resolving my problems :)
Thank you very much!
Josef

[borovicka11]

Hi Pako, oh, I am reading your reply just now. Thank you very much for your script. I will be able to not study it until tomorrow.
Thanks. Josef
P.S.: What country are you from? I like your nick. It is rather funny in our language
I am from Czech Republic...

[mlx01]

I became accustomed to running scripts via the task scheduler, which in turn run the programs. Thus, in case of vbscript you can use:

Dim objShell, objFSO
Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject ("WScript.shell")
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFSO.FileExists("\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch") Then
   objShell.run ("C:\Program Files\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe " & "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch")
Else
WScript.quit
End If


hi
i was about to put this batch file into c:\FreeFileSync :
ffs.bat
-------
@echo off
if exist \\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch (
c:\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe \\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch
) else (
REM echo "FICHIER NOK"
)


and run in scheduled task ffs.bat (with no args).

[prasiva]

Hello

yes you can !

You can silently install FFS like that :

FreeFileSync_6.0_Windows_Setup.exe /S /D=C:\FreeFileSync
(/D to specify the target dir, if not set, it will be %programfiles%)


Then, on my side, i created a scheduled task (via GPO) on each machine that runs this :
- run program : "c:\FreeFileSync\FreeFileSync.exe"
- parameters : "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
- every 5 min + when user logs out

That allows :
- to backup every profile every 5 minutes
- create 1 only XML file located on a server, so if you want to add a new directory to synchro, only 1 place to modify ;-)

In the ffs_batch, i use %USERPROFILE% vars that will be replaced on the fly in the machines with current connected users.

BUT : there is still 1 problem with my method, when user disconnects from the network (case : laptop) he has a naughty screen every 5 minutes because FFS doesn't find the file "\\my_server\my_share\my_profilecopy.ffs_batch"
So i manually edit the scheduled tack on the machine and in the conditions, i check "only start if this network is available" + my company network.

Unfortunately, this checkbox cannot be done via GPO :( because the listed networks in the dropdown menu have GUIDs that are different from one laptop to another, for the same network name.

this is my method, if you have better ideas, i'm opened !

Hi,
thank you for your recent advice. Can you give me another one, please?
I am not be able to install FreeFilSnyc over GPO.
(FreeFileSync_6.0_Windows_Setup.exe /S /D=C:\FreeFileSync)
How did you solve it?
We have approximately 150 PC's in our domain so I cannot install the application manually.
Thank you for you help
Josef

[mlx01]

Hi,
thank you for your recent advice. Can you give me another one, please?
I am not be able to install FreeFilSnyc over GPO.
(FreeFileSync_6.0_Windows_Setup.exe /S /D=C:\FreeFileSync)
How did you solve it?
We have approximately 150 PC's in our domain so I cannot install the application manually.
Thank you for you help
Josef

Hello
don't you have a deployment tool, such as SCCM or OCS inventory ?
Normally GPO are ok to deploy, but i do not like this way very much.

What error do you have in windows event viewer (on the client side).
Is the network share available for these computers ?

I put the FFS in my deployed masters of computers now, so each new reinstalled one has already this software.