Hello-

Is there currently a way (or are there plans) to get Intune to be able to manage non-Microsoft software updates? I'd love to be able to manage my Adobe Acrobat, Flash, etc. updates through it.

Thanks!

Currently Windows Intune doesn’t support managing non-Microsoft software updates. 

Thank you for your feedback. We will keep your feedback in mind as we explore features for future versions.

Thanks,

Karuna

• Marked as answer by David Wolters Monday, May 16, 2011 2:17 PM

Just to confirm - this is possible now, right?

It seems like it's possible to upload 3rd party installation packages to Intune for deployment.

I came here to the forum to try and learn how to do it for common things like Flash and this old thread is the first thing I found, so perhaps there aren't that many people talking about it!

If anyone's interested, I'd be eager to chat with others that are trying to do this.

Eoin,

I would love to do that as well but I have yet to figure out a way to do it. I have installed the trial and have been playing with it but there seems to only be a way to upload updates and then deploy them. There doesn't seem to be a way to have the Intune client report back to the console about Adobe, Flash, Java or other updates. If you've figured out a way I'm anxious to hear about it!

Eoin,

I do this for some non Microsoft packages but others are problematic, especially on 64bit computers with 32bit software updates (it seems) (JAVA GRRR).

If the vendor provides MSI and MSP files its pretty easy, otherwise you end up playing games trying to find the right tests on update.

One thing to keep in mind is this -- if you are doing patching/updates you use the Update section (same place you approve Microsoft updates from). The update allows to test for the existence of Product ID (windows installer), existence of registry locations, etc.

You use Software Distribution when its something either that is being installed for the first time or sometime the Major Version (office 2010 exists, adding Office 2013) or that automatically overwrites prior installed editions.

Example you would install Adobe Reader 11.0 through software distribution, and then 11.04 through Update and then 11.05 through update.

Since 11.05 is a Out of Band security patch that requires 11.04 it wont apply until After 11.04 is in place, which itself won't apply until 11.0, 11.01, 11.02, or 11.03 was in place.

Thus the sequence is pretty simple - assuming you get the MSI and MSP files.

Other products are harder - I have had the worst time with Java but that is Java - you can look back for YEARS and find issues with there installer on 64bit computers with 32bit browsers having issues.

I found as a good source to search for the following: "SCCM package XXXXXX" where XXXXX is the software you are looking for.

Not enough out there specific to Intune but often the info you find can help by searching for SCCM or ConfigManager.

I have often found the itninja site helpful as well since they organize by software package - although a lot of the info is on KACE not SSCM or Intune. Example:

http://www.itninja.com/tag/oracle-java-7-update-45

If you have specific problems I have had good luck here with the MSFT tech's trying to help, and if you get fully stuck you can try opening a support case. https://support.microsoftonline.com/default.aspx?productkey=intunesupp

BTW for software distributions I often create multiple groups, especially for items like Java on 64bit computers that are hard to sequence - a very clumsy way to sequence. (Put computer into group that installs 64bit Java, once computer use remote task to reboot, once complete MOVE computer to group that installs the 32bit package targeted to 64bit computers, once complete remote task reboot, ....)

It doesn't have the capabilities of SCCM to sequence but we can work around that most of the time.

So far Java has been my biggest problem (of software that can be installed silently) - and of course items like driver/firmware updates which I just don't do through Intune.

-Neil

Hi Neil,

Great answer!!   For reasons I don't understand - the forums here aren't notifying me of replies to my posts, so I didn't realise anyone had added to the thread.

I have Flash and Reader working well now, and one nice little extra that I got working was to use a (mst) transform file on the Adobe Reader installer which tweaks the app properties a bit - the main one I was interested in was to disable the auto-update checker.  You might already know about that, but let me know if you'd like details.  (I'll have to remember to check the thread here!)

Sounds like Intune is doing the business!