Helpful Hints

Tips and tricks for Custom Apps

The tips below will help ensure that your use of custom apps is as smooth as possible.

• Do not include the version number in the App Name.

  • The App Name will not change when new versions are added through the portal, so having the version in the App Name can lead to a mismatch.

    

    Example of a Custom App named with a version number versus a Custom App without a version number in the name
• Utilize the "%" wildcard in the "App & Features" name on the "Configuration" pane.

  • Replace version number with the % wildcard if the version number is in the Apps & Features Name, this will allow App Detection as well as Update Requirement rules to detect older versions of the application on an endpoint.

  • Important Note: The "Apps & Features Name" is used to determine applicability and detection. Using an overly generic "Apps & Features Name" may cause Intune Updates to be detected as required on devices without the software installed.

    

    Examlple of wildcard usage when creating a Custom App

Finding properties for EXE-Based Installers

When creating Custom Apps for MSI-based installers, Custom Apps will do most of the work for you, including filling out the important fields on the "Configuration" pane. Unfortunately, EXE-based apps do not store this information in a standardized way. To help customers create EXE based apps, Patch My PC built a simple script to extract the required information from the registry for EXE-based apps.

Access the script here: https://github.com/PatchMyPCTeam/Community-Scripts/tree/main/Other/CustomAppsHelper

Updating MSI Apps that use the same ProductCode for all Versions

By default, the Custom Apps Detection and Applicability rules, will detect an application is installed if the provided MSI Product Code is found. Some applications do not update their Product Code between versions. In these cases, the MSI Update will never be found applicable, and the MSI app, will be detected, even if an older version is installed on an endpoint.

To work around this issue, simply change the MSI Product Code to all 0's when creating the Custom App, this will force the detection and applicability scripts to fall back to DisplayName and DisplayVersion detection.

Workaround for Applications that require folders to be uploaded

Patch My PC Custom Apps currently does not support uploading a folder structure into the package. Patch My PC intends to add this feature in the near future. If a custom app requires a folder structure to be uploaded follow the workaround below:

1. In the App Creation Wizard upload your main file as usual.

   1. Do not upload any additional files here.

      

      Example of uploading the setup.exe for Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Proceed through the app creation process as usual. (Note the Silent Install Parameters in the screenshot show "/sAll", but the correct silent install parameter for this app is "--silent")

   

   Creating Adobe Acrobat Pro General Information pane

   

   Creating Adobe Acrobat Pro Configuration pane
3. Once the app is created in the portal, open the Patch My PC Publisher and navigate to the appropriate tab (ConfigMgr Apps, Intune Apps, or Intune Updates).

4. Select your application to sync.

5. Right-click your custom app, and choose "Add custom pre/post scripts".

   

   Patch My PC Publisher with Adobe Acrobat Pro Custom App right-click options, Add custom pre/post scripts highlighted
6. Click "Browse..." next to "Additional Folders" and add the extra folders required for installation

   

   Patch My PC Publisher "Choose Custom Pre/Post Script(s)" window open with "Browse..." button highlighted

   

   Patch My PC Publisher "Choose Custom Pre/Post Script(s)" window open with additional files and folders selected and highlighted
7. Click OK

8. Navigate to the Sync Schedule tab, and run a manual sync

   

   Patch My PC Publisher Sync Schedule tab open with Run Publishing Service Sync button highlighted
9. Your custom app should be created with all of the files and folders needed for installation.

   

   File list of Adobe Acrobat Pro Custom App with additional files and folders shown