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I want to deploy Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader and FileZilla on the workstations but there are two way doing this, install via GPO or Unattended Install (deployment server).

How Unattended Install is different from GPO Install? Which is reasonable approach to use?

I'll-Be-Back
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IntelliMirror / group policy installations are rather limited in options. Typically, you would not want to try installing anything than pre-fabricated MSI packages, possibly with vendor-supplied transforms allowing for some parametrization of the install process.

While this might be fine for a number of simple deployments (and in the case of Office even for not-so-simple deployments thanks to the MDT), you would quickly feel the limits of it when needing to install this obscure package wich comes with an executable installer accepting a bunch of poorly documented parameters on the command line. Or needing to install at a specific schedule. Or trying to upgrade an already installed package. This is where you would need deployment software like the SCCM where you have significantly more options and a cartload of additional complexity.

the-wabbit
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  • Someone suggest me to install all the software I need manually on the desktop and then image it to deploy it. Sound simple and easy to do - what do you think of this solution? – I'll-Be-Back Sep 24 '13 at 23:44
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    @I'll-Be-Back it sounds like you haven't thought ahead enough to have a plan for upgrading that software when the next version comes out... – MDMarra Sep 24 '13 at 23:46