SCCM Install Behavior for Applications | ConfigMgr | Endpoint Manager

Let’s check SCCM Install Behavior for Applications. In Configuration Manager, you can configure an application deployment to check if certain executable files run on the client. In application deployment properties, you can use the option to check for processes that might disrupt the installation of the application.

This is more useful for SCCM Admin while deploying an application, and closing the running process. Based on your input, If one of these executable files is running, the client blocks the installation of the deployment type.

A prompt will appear to the user to close the running executable file before the client can install the deployment type. For deployments with the purpose required, the client can automatically close the running executable file.

Let’s follow the below steps to improve Install Behavior for detecting open applications. If you want to explore the complete guide for application deployment, Check out this blog post deploying an application using SCCM.

Check for Running Executable Files

In the SCCM console, go to the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management, and select the Applications node.

Select an existing application in the Applications node and select the Deployment Types tab. Right-click on the deployment type and select Properties.

Switch to the Install Behavior tab, and select Add. In the Add Executable File window, enter the name of the target executable file. Specify a friendly name for the application to help you identify it in the list. Select OK to save.

For Example – We will deploy the Zoom application to a device and specify the executable file Teams.exe. It will check Teams should not be running before installing Zoom. Ensure that it must be closed.

Click Apply and Ok to close the deployment type properties window.

Important – If you configure an application to check for running executable files and include it in the Install Application task sequence step, the task sequence will fail to install. If you don’t configure this task sequence step to continue on error, then the entire task sequence fails.

End-User Experience

Let’s check the end-user experience of SCCM Software Center Applications.

Available Deployment

• Launch Software Center on Windows Device that you manage.
• Select the Applications tab to find and install applications that you deploy to this device.
• Here you see the Zoom application configured above. Click on the Zoom Application to start the installation.

Select the Install button to start application installation.

If you deployed the application as Available, and a user tries to install it, the application failed to install. The client prompts the user to close the specified running executable files before proceeding with the installation.

Close the Teams app and retry the installation from the Software Center. The application started installations.

Required Deployment

If you deployed the application as Required and specified to Automatically close any running executables you specified on the install behavior tab of the deployment type properties dialog box.

Then the client displays a notification. It informs the user that the specified executable files are automatically closed when the application installation deadline is reached.

If the user tries to install the application before the deadline, the deployment will fail. It notifies the user that the installation couldn’t complete because the specified executables are running.

Note – This option will only be available for required deployment with the above-configured install behavior.

• If you don’t want the user to see these messages, On the User Experience tab, select the option to Hide in Software Center and all notifications.

Important – If you select the option to Hide Software Center and all notifications, the notification
will not be shown to users, and the running application added as executable in App Install behavior will be closed without prompt, and the user could lose unsaved data.

If you deployed the application as Required, and didn’t specify to Automatically close any running executables you specified on the install behavior tab of the deployment type properties dialog box, then the installation of the app fails if one or more of the specified applications are running.

Resources

Deploy applications with Configuration Manager

Author

About Author – Jitesh, Microsoft MVP, has over five years of working experience in the IT Industry. He writes and shares his experiences related to Microsoft device management technologies and IT Infrastructure management. His primary focus is Windows 10 Deployment solution with Configuration Manager, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), and Microsoft Intune.