Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Support for network administrators. for software deployment and management through Active Directory Group Policies.

Moderators: TrackerSupp-Daniel, Tracker Support, Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team, Chris - Tracker Supp, Sean - Tracker, Tracker Supp-Stefan

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City_IT
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Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by City_IT »

What's the best way to push out a new license key with Group Policy. PDF-XChange Editor Plus 6 was previously deployed either through a Windows Image or locally and not through a GP software deployment with msi and mst files. Our license expires next month and we will be renewing. Wish you would have incorporated that process into your GP templates to streamline management. I'd like to do this prior to deploying version 7. Domain users are standard users.
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hello City_IT

I believe that this article should help with initially deploying via Group Policy: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... ough-a-GPO
As for licensing. Each of the Tracker Software MSI installers have a list of options and switches that can be applied when installing the software. These include choosing features, passing serial keys and user information, the level of user interaction during the install and more.
It is always prudent to check these for the build you are installing. To get the switches and options for your package start it in a GUI environment and on the first screen click the Help button and you can read there or print the options and know they are correct for the installer build you are using.
Note! The command line switches cannot be applied directly when Publishing or Assigning software through a GPO. You must create and apply a transform.
These Articles should help with that aspect:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... sform-file
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -ADMX-file
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... r-products

We also have a specialist available for these matters, If you have further questions on the matter, please post them here, or send us an email directly support@pdf-xchange.com and he will certainly followup.
Hope this helps!
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

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Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
Support@pdf-xchange.com
City_IT
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Re: Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by City_IT »

TrackerSupp-Daniel,

So you're saying that to update the license, the best way is to redeploy the entire msi installer package with an mst to pass the new license key? Is there a way to use a logon script to push just the new key to existing installs? If so, would you have an example of the script to use either the actual key string or the xcvault key file?
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi City_IT,
perhaps Daniel misunderstood your needs. Indeed you can push a key after installation. When you install any of our products they also install XCVault.exe, a utility to manage serial keys. It can be used to deploy keys unattended.
https://help.pdf-xchange.com/pdfxe ... edpub.html
What you want is /AddKeys:

Code: Select all

/AddKeys
This command installs all license keys from .xcvault files. 

Syntax
xcvault.exe [/AddKeys] [/M|/S|/R] <xcvault_file> 

/M – specifies that new keys are added in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry section and administrative rights are required.
/R – specifies that new keys will be unencrypted when added. Please note that this does not affect existing keys.
/S – specifies that the command is not permitted to show error/information messages. 

Example
xcvault.exe /AddKeys "c:\Personal.xcvault"
You need to decide if you want the key in HKLM for all users, or HKCU for the current user.

I am interested in your comment:
Wish you would have incorporated that process into your GP templates to streamline management
I am not sure I understand how you envisage that working. Can you elaborate?

To update keys via a group policy I would push the XCVault command per machine with Admin rights, it will go into HKLM and be available to all users on said system.

I hope that helps.
Paul
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
City_IT
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Re: Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by City_IT »

Paul - Tracker Supp,

Thank you! I'll give that a try.
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Deploying updated license via Group Policy

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello City_IT,

Please do let us know how it goes!

Cheers,
Stefan
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