Right-Click Options Available for Updates and Applications
You can easily customize updates for third-party applications using our custom right-click selection menu, including custom scripts, command lines, and more.
This article details the custom right-click actions available within our publishing service. Right-click actions can be applied at the All Products, Vendor and Product level with the products list in the Updates Rules and Application Rules tab.
All the custom actions and based on customer feedback, and can be applied as needed to improve your software update or application installation experience. Any customizations applied will also be used for any future updates or applications published.
Topics covered in this article:
- Publishing with Full-Content or Metadata Only
- Show package info: title, command-line, download URL, etc.
- Auto close application process before installation
- Skip installation when the application is in use
- Add custom pre/post scripts
- Delete desktop shortcuts(s) created by this application
- Disable self-updater
- Manage installation logging
- Modify command line
- Add MST transformation file
- Manage assignments
- Manage categories
- Manage security scopes
- Managed ESP Profiles
- Manage role scope tags
- Manage naming convention
- Manage Application User Experience
- Add the executable name(s) in the deployment type’s install behavior
- Move the application to a custom folder
- Set custom application icon and properties
- Display as a featured application in the company portal
- Exclude from auto-publishing rules
- Republish update(s) for these product(s) during next sync schedule
- Recreate detection script
- When a new application update is available…
- Open local content repository
Publishing with full-content or metadata only
The right-click options for full content and metadata only can be used to configure how you want software updates to be published to WSUS.
- Full Content: publishes the full content of the update to WSUS. Full content includes metadata and the update binaries and is required to download and deploy the update in WSUS/SCCM.
- Metadata only: publish only the metadata; update binaries are not published. Metadata only allows you to view the compliance details in SCCM/WSUS for the update, but you will be unable to deploy unless it’s re-published with full-content.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Software Updates
Show package info: title, command-line, download URL, etc.
This option will show information for the currently synchronized catalog.
Included Information:
- Title (Including version)
- File Name
- Command-line
- Download URL
- Digest
Columns can be added or removed by right clicking the column headers. Additionally, the list can be exported using the “Export…” button.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Auto close application process before installation
This option will configure the product’s self-updater to be disabled. This option will be only available on products where it’s supported.
- If an application is running while the update is installed, the application will automatically be closed in the background, and the update installation will be performed.
- If an application is running while an application is installed, the application will automatically be closed in the background, and the application installation will be performed.
This option can be helpful if you know a product may fail to update if the application is open, and you want to close the application automatically to ensure the software updates appropriately.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Skip installation when the application is in use
This option will allow you to skip an update or application installation if the application process is in use.
- If an application is running while the update is attempted, the update will be skipped and will retry during the next Software Updates Deployment Evaluation Cycle.
- If an application is running while an application installation is attempted, the application will be skipped and will retry during the next Application Deployment Evaluation Cycle.
This option can be helpful if you know a product may fail to update if the application is open, and you don’t want to close the application automatically unless the software is closed.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Add custom pre/post scripts
This option allows you to insert custom scripts that can be set to run either before or after the product installation.
When enabled, you can choose custom scripts by browsing out and selecting files to insert as a pre-update script or a post-update script. Each script inserted includes a field for arguments if necessary. You can also insert any additional files or folders that the script(s) may need access to.
Any scripts, files, or folders you choose from the below, will be included in the payload to the device. In other words, the script and any additional files and folders will be transferred locally to the device when the update or application is downloaded.
The file types supported for custom scripts are:
- .vbs
- .bat
- .ps1
- .exe
- .msi
Please note that if the product has already been published, you will need to republish the update.
- Available At: Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Note: When specifying a PowerShell .ps1 script file for either a pre or post-update script, and you attempt to pass an argument which accepts an array, you cannot use traditional PowerShell syntax.
It helps to understand that powershell.exe is invoked from cmd.exe and therefore the syntax of -MyParameter "Item1","Item2","Item3" will not parse as you might intend when used in the Argument field. This is because cmd.exe cannot interpert PowerShell arrays, it attempts to parse the second item in the array as a command or parameter.
To workaround this, you could pass a string to your parameter with a delimiter and within your script split the string on the delimiter. Here is an example:
Delete desktop shortcuts(s) created by this application
This option will automatically delete any public desktop shortcut(s) created by a product’s installer.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Disable self-updater
This option will disable the product’s auto-update feature if it exists.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Manage installation logging
This option enables logging during the installation of the update on the client device.
When enabled, the publishing service will create a directory (default path: C:\windows\ccm\logs\PatchMyPCInstallLogs) that will store the vendor’s installation log for that product, providing greater detail if troubleshooting is necessary. There are additional checkbox options to enable verbose logging, prefix the log with the computer name of the client device, and to designate a backup location to store log files for failed installations.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Modify command line
This allows you to modify the command line by inserting additional arguments.
When enabled, a field will appear to insert additional arguments that will be appended to the existing silent command-line arguments for the product’s installation.
- Available At: Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Add MST transformation file
For products that use an MSI based-installer, you can apply a Transforms file. A transform can modify information that is in any persistent table in the installer database.
Within the MST file dialog, you need to select the (.MST) file and optionally a (.CAB) file, if required.
- Available At: Products that use MSI Based Installers
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Manage assignments
This option allows you to manage the assignments you would like created for your Win32 applications (Intune Apps, and Intune Updates).
When you select to Manage assignments a UI is presented as shown below where you can Add assignment.
This is a live query of our Azure AD tenant for groups. There are some filtering options to assist with finding the desired group to target with an assignment.
Once an assignment is created the Name, Availability, Deadline, or Restart grace period column content can be clicked to open the Assignment editor. This provides configuration options for these settings as shown below.
These changes will be applied to the Intune application or update during a Publisher synchronization.
Note: Changes made in the Assignment editor to an existing assignment will be applied when an application or update is created. These changes will not affect an existing application or update in Intune. When a new version is released and is published any edits to existing assignments will be put in place. If you are adding an assignment that did not previously exist then all settings will be applied during a synchronization.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Intune Apps, Intune Updates
Manage categories
This option allows you to set the categories that will be assigned to Win32 applications (Intune Apps, and Intune Updates)
The categories are pulled from Microsoft Intune for your configured tenant. Categories can optionally be added to your tenant with the + button in the upper right-hand corner.
Note: Categories will be added to existing applications and updates during the next publisher sync, but they will not be removed for existing applications and updates. Whenever a new application or update is created the Publisher will ensure the currently specified categories are in place.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Intune Apps, Intune Updates
Manage security scopes
This option allows you to set the Security Scopes an application in ConfigMgr should be associated with. The Publisher will set the Security Scopes for the applications during the sync.
The security scopes are pulled from your ConfigMgr environment. You can refresh the list with the button in the top right corner. Additionally, you can right-click the headers to add or remove columns.
Note: Security scopes will be added to existing applications during the next publisher sync, but they will not be removed for existing applications. Whenever a new application or update is created the Publisher will ensure the currently specified security scopes are in place.
Note: Security scopes will require new permission, specifically Application > Set Security Scope, and Security Scopes > Read, which you may not have in your Security Role created for Patch My PC. You can follow the instructions in this article to either re-import an updated role or set the new permissions manually. If you choose to re-import the role it will simply overwrite the permissions and retain your existing role assignments.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Manage ESP Profiles
This option allows you to manage the Enrollment Status Page profiles which any Win32 application can be associated with (Intune Apps).
The ESP are pulled from Microsoft Intune for your configured tenant. Note that the profile must have ‘Show app and profile configuration progress‘ set to ‘Yes‘ in order to appear in the list for selection. An example list is shown below. Also, this feature will require your Azure App Registration to have DeviceManagementServiceConfig.ReadWrite.All permissions set.
Any Win32 application created by the publisher will be added to the ESP which are selected for the respective application.
Manage Role Scope Tags
This option allows you to manage the role scope tags which a Win32 application is associated with in Intune.
The role scope tags are pulled from Microsoft Intune for your configured tenant. An example list is shown below. Also, this feature will require your Azure App Registration to have DeviceManagementRBAC.Read.All permissions set.
Any Win32 application created by the publisher will be assigned the role scope tags selected for the respective application.
Note: Role scope tags will be added to existing applications during the next publisher sync, but they will not be removed for existing applications. Whenever a new application is created the Publisher will ensure the currently specified role scope tag associations are in place.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Intune Apps, Intune Updates
Manage naming convention
This option allows you to set a custom naming convention for the Win32 applications that are created by the publisher. (Intune Apps, and Intune Updates)
There are variables available for customizing the name that will be used for the Intune Win32 application as shown below.
You can click the links of the variable names to insert them into your naming convention. The resulting applications can be seen in Intune with the naming standard set.
Note: the %OriginalName% will be the default name that Patch My PC uses. It can be inserted as a variable if you want to build on the default name. If the pattern is empty, the default name is also used.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Intune Applications, Intune Updates
Manage application user experience
This option allows you to set custom user experience options for the application. The ability to set Installation behavior is limited due to not all applications supporting a user based install. User-based installations will be a possibility for Applications in the catalog with this option going forward.
If the ‘Installation behavior’ option is grayed out this means the application does not support a user based installation. The UI should prevent you from creating an unsupported Application User Experience.
When enabled, the deployment type for any application created for the product will have the user experience tab populated according to the configuration set in the wizard above.
Note that you are able to select which options are inherited when you set this option at the Vendor or All Products level. See below for an example.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Add the executable name(s) in the deployment type’s install behavior
This option, when enabled, allows the publishing service to define the executable files in the install behavior tab that must be closed by the user for available deployments, or close automatically for required deployments for the application installation to succeed.
These file names will be set in SCCM under the Install Behavior tab in the application’s deployment type properties.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Move the application to a custom folder
By default, all applications created will end up in the root of your applications folder within Configuration Manager. This option lets you choose a custom folder to move the published applications to.
It is also possible to create a new folder using the + button or refresh the list with the refresh button.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Set custom application icon and properties
By default, the application metadata and icon’s will be based on the software vendor.
This option allows you to customize the properties of the application, as it would be seen in the SCCM console and Software Center.
You can customize the application name, localized application name, localized description, and even set a custom icon for the application. When enabled, the publishing service will use the defined properties during initial application creation or when an application is updated for the product.
This option may be helpful if you need the application name and other settings to be static for certain task sequence installation scenarios.
- Available At: Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Display as a featured application in the company portal
This option allows you to set an application as featured for the company portal or software center application.
The following checkbox in the Software Center tab of an application will be automatically enabled.
And for Intune, it will set the below-highlighted feature to ‘Yes’
- Available At: Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Intune Applications
Exclude from auto-publishing rules
Selecting this option will block the product from being enabled, even if the option to auto-enable products based on SCCM inventory scans is active, or the equivalent Intune option, and the product meets or exceeds the device count threshold for automatic publishing.
Excluded products will be visually crossed out in the Update/Application Rules tab(s).
- Available At: Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates
Republish update(s) for these product(s) during next sync schedule
This option will enable the product update to be republished during the next publishing service sync.
More info on when, why, and how to republish updates can be found here.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Software Updates
Recreate detection script
This option will force the Publisher to recreate the PowerShell detection script for the selected application(s).
Use Cases:
- New code signing certificate
- If you have a new code signing certificate for your WSUS server, this option lets you recreate and resign all the detection scripts used by the applications published by Patch My PC
- Detection script changes
- Occasionally we will make changes to the detection method script. This can be to improve logging, resolve bugs, or improve the accuracy of detection. Recreating the script will ensure the latest detection method script is used.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications
When a new application update is available…
This option allows you to define how to update a specific product when a new application update is released. This feature will take residence over the options defined on the global level.
- Available At: Products
- Applicable To: Applications
Open local content repository
The option will open your configured local content repository.
- Available At: All Products, Vendors, and Products
- Applicable To: Applications, Software Updates