How To Deploy WinMerge using Intune

In this post, we will go through WinMerge Installation Using Intune Guide. Let’s look at the steps to deploy WinMerge using Intune; we will use the EXE file to deploy on the Windows 10/11 client machines.

WinMerge is a free software tool that can merge text files and compare data. By determining what has changed between versions and combining them, it is possible to decide how they have changed.

Windows-based WinMerge is an Open Source tool for differencing and merging. With WinMerge, you can compare both folders and files and see the differences in a visual text format that is easy to comprehend.

I found WinMerge to be more user-friendly and has a variety of options for customizing the comparison process to be an invaluable tool for quickly and easily identifying differences between files.

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You can easily download the WinMerge Application from the official WinMerge website. WinMerge offers various installation options for the desktop application, and here you need to download the windows based setup of the WinMerge Application.

Prepare Win32 App Installation Source for WinMerge

Preparing a Win32 app using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool is necessary before adding it to Microsoft Intune. To pre-process Windows classic (Win32) applications, you use the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool.

Let’s first identify the command line to perform the silent installation or uninstallation of Windows WinMerge.

Silent Installation of WinMerge

With the help of the internet, You can find an Install command for any application. In our case, we have to search the install command for the WinMerge Application. After searching, the install command for the WinMerge Application is WinMerge-2.16.24-x64-Setup.exe /verysilent /norestart.

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After you successfully install WinMerge using the install command in your test environment. Now you have to look for the Uninstall command. Refer to the below table for the details.

Install CommandUninstall Command
WinMerge-2.16.24-x64-Setup.exe /verysilent /norestart“%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\unins000.exe” /VERYSILENT /NORESTART
WinMerge Installation Using Intune Table1

Download the updated IntuneWinAppUtil.exe from GitHubRun IntuneWinAppUtil.exe file Run as administrator.

  • Please specify the source folder – Enter the folder that contains your application setup files. (For Example, C:\sources\Winmerge)
  • Please specify the setup file – Enter the setup file name (such as setup.exe or setup.msi), for example, WinMerge-2.16.24-x64-Setup.exe.
  • Specify the output folder – Input the output folder to generate the .intunewin file.
  • Do you want to specify catalog folder – Type N.

Note! Please wait a few minutes while running the Win32 Content Prep Tool. Once it generates the .intunewin file, the status indicates 100% at the bottom of the command prompt.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.1
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.1

Once the process completes, Browse to the output folder (For Example, C:\sources\Winmerge) to collect the Intune Win32 app deployment file.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune

Follow the steps below to upload the Intunewin file for deploying WinMerge to managed devices. Here’s how you can deploy WinMerge using Intune Portal.

  • Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center https://endpoint.microsoft.com/.
  • Select Apps > All apps > Add, or navigate to Apps > Windows > Windows Apps.
  • On the Select app type pane, select Windows app (Win32) under the Other app types and click Select.
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.2
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.2

On the Add app pane, click Select app package file. Click the browse button. After that, select the prepared file with the extension .intunewin. Detailed information about the app appears. You can now select OK on the App package file pane when you’re done.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.3
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.3

Enter the Name of the Windows App Win32 (For Example, WinMerge), and Enter the Description of the Windows App. Enter the Publisher name – WinMerge, and You may specify the additional app information here.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.4
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.4

After entering the above details, you will get the option to Upload an icon for the app by scrolling down on the same page. This icon is displayed with the app when users browse the company portal and click Next.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.5
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.5

The most important part is to specify the commands. On the Program, configure the app installation and removal commands for the app:

  • Install base: Add the complete installation command line to silent install WinMerge. (WinMerge-2.16.24-x64-Setup.exe /verysilent /norestart )
  • Uninstall command: Add the uninstallation command line for WinMerge. (“%ProgramFiles%\WinMerge\unins000.exe” /VERYSILENT /NORESTART)
  • Install behavior: Set the install behavior to System.

You can also specify the Device restart behavior and Post-installation behavior. Click Next to continue.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.6
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.6

On the Requirements page, specify the mandatory requirements that devices must meet before installing the update and click Next.

  • Operating system architecture: Choose the architectures needed to install WinMerge.
  • Minimum operating system: Select the minimum operating system needed to install WinMerge.

There are some built-in and custom requirements rules when creating your Win32 application. Explore Intune Win32 App Requirement Rules.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.7
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.7

On the Detection rules pane, configure the rules to detect the presence of the app. You can choose to add multiple rules. Here I selected the Manually configure detection rules format. Click on Add button, and A popup will appear showing the Detection rule, select File System.

After this, you have to check for the Detection Method. Here we try to use the File type for the detection method. For this, we need to go to a particular file location and select a certain file.

  • Select File in the Setting Type.
  • Select File in the Type box.
  • Copy the path in the Path box
    • %ProgramFiles%\WinMerge
    • Look for the file called “WinMergeU.exe

The following table provides clearer options for a detection method for an exe (WinMerge.exe) file. The Receiver.exe file version is important to get the SCCM supersedence working.

Setting TypePath/HiveFile Name/Key
File System%ProgramFiles%\WinMergeWinMergeU
WinMerge Installation Using Intune Table2

Check the details from the above table and enter as shown below carefully.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.8
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.8

You can also specify app dependencies where the applications must be installed before your Win32 app can be installed. Also, in the scope tag section, you shall get an option to Configure scope tags for this Windows App Win32 application.

Under Assignments, In Included groups, click Add groups and then choose Select groups to include one or more groups to which you want to deploy the Windows Update. Click Next to continue.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.9
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.9

Now you will see all the details you provided during the application creation process. Review your settings and select Create to add the app to Intune.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.10
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.10

Once you proceed to create, you will see the status Uploading is in progress, If you are thinking about how much time will it take to complete the upload? It depends on the size of the application and the speed of internet connectivity.

Please wait some time to complete the upload process, and you can check the progress by clicking on the Notification icon. Once the intune package is uploaded and finished, you will get the status “Upload finished.”

Intune Company Portal End Users Experience

Intune will deliver targeted applications to your groups when the devices check in with the service that applies to them.

On the client machine, In the Company Portal, You can click on the apps to track the details and check the progress. Here you can see the WinMerge application is installed successfully.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.11
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.11

To monitor the application installation from Intune Portal, select the application, and here you can check the device and user check-in status. If you click on Device install status, additional details are displayed.

Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.12
Deploy WinMerge using Intune Fig.12

Track WinMerge Win32 App Deployment

Once the application installation starts, the “Detection rule” will be evaluated. Checks were performed against the rules configured and the app “Install command” will be triggered.

You can track the details logged at IntuneManagementExtension.log located C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Log. You track the application activity in client devices. You can get through an excellent article on Intune Win32 App Issues Troubleshooting for more details.

Where is the folder where Intune downloads the applications before it installs on a Windows device? Intune cache folder location, Below are the 3 Intune Management Extension Agent working folders.

  • Incoming
  • Staging
  • Staged

Let’s learn Intune Win32 App Troubleshooting Client-Side Process Flow. You can look at the Level 3 deep dive troubleshooting Intune Management Extension (IME) Level 3 Troubleshooting Guide.

Author

Abhinav Rana is working as an SCCM Admin. He loves to help the community by sharing his knowledge. He is a B.Tech graduate in Information Technology.

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