Ticket ID: 25822 Creation Date: 5/3/2021 5:39 PM Product: SiteKiosk Classic Windows Attachment: -
TicketType: Support Request Version: 9.5.4117 Language: English
Views: 10905 Last Modification Date: 6/9/2021 10:16 PM Platform:
Level: Closed

Support Request: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version

Description

Hello,

We have 105 comptuers that are running an older version of SiteKiosk and we need to upgrade them. Is there a way to upgrade them without having to logon to each one?

https://www.provisio.com/en-US/CustomerSupportCenter/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=24834
The instructions above have a lot of manual steps.

Answer: (7)
Re: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version 5/3/2021 6:18 PM
Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry. The best and most supported way is installing SiteKiosk via GUI in the admin user. We do have command line tools available where you can use an asset management software to propagate your settings. You can find these out at our Developer Blog post - https://devblog.provisio.com/post/2013/05/17/Creating-an-Automated-SiteKiosk-Installation.aspx

After installing SiteKiosk and placing your configuration and support files, the most important piece is setting up the Auto Start settings. In the link above, you are provided the example: 


SKStartup.exe /i startup.xml /l "YourComp - 10 License(s)" /s 9QH6H-YWF7V-R2PAR-WT3MT-DX6F6


With this, you can register your SiteKiosk version and set Auto Start without GUI, but you will need to keep your configuration file and login user the same throughout. Your startup.xml file is generated from the Start SiteKiosk application. Here are the steps:

• Open "Start SiteKiosk" in your admin user account, this can be found in Windows Start Menu, using Windows Search bar or after saving your configuration file intending to run SiteKiosk.
• In SiteKiosk Quick Start menu, select Customize.
• Ensure the most current Configuration file is chosen.
• Select the radio button, Run SiteKiosk automatically.
• Check/Uncheck Settings only apply to restricted account, dependent on using another account.
• Check/uncheck Disable Keyboard input, note when using a domain account, if account login fails, keyboard entry is blocked - https://www.provisio.com/helpconsole/SiteKiosk%20Help/en-US/keyboard_lock_on_startup.htm
• Check Log in automatically at system startup. (Leave for default settings)Then click Settings on the same line.
• (Leave for defaults settings) Enter the domain and credentials of the other account to be used.
• (Click Ok.)
• Then click Export to save your Auto Start settings to replicate on another machine.
• Click Cancel.
• Copy the file to an easily accessible folder in Windows on the new machine. (C:\Program Files (x86)\SiteKiosk and C:\Users\Public are good locations)

Your final work will look like this: 


"C:\Program Files (x86)\SiteKiosk\skstartup.exe" /i "C:\Program Files (x86)\SiteKiosk\startup.xml" /l "YourComp - 10 License(s)" /s 9QH6H-YWF7V-R2PAR-WT3MT-DX6F6


or just: 


"C:\Program Files (x86)\SiteKiosk\skstartup.exe" /i "C:\Program Files (x86)\SiteKiosk\startup.xml"


If you need to set special folder permissions for the SiteKiosk user with System Security Manager application, then you have to service each computer manually. There is no command line utility to assist with that.

Best regards,
Andre.
Re: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version 5/12/2021 4:00 PM
Hello Andre,

I'm working directly with the originator of this thread to upgrade our SiteKiosk 9.5 clients to 9.8. Thank you for your detailed reply! We've got the installation aspect pretty much figured out based on our prior experience deploying SiteKiosk 8.8 and 9.5.

What we're really interested in are the preliminary steps listed in the SiteKiosk update FAQ (https://www.provisio.com/en-US/CustomerSupportCenter/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=24834) before upgrading to SiteKiosk 9.8. Namely, these two steps:

1.) Make sure that the "Auto Start" mode has been deactivated before installation.
2.) Make sure the SiteKiosk user is not logged in at the time of installation.

Is there a way to automate these steps? We are using the latest version of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM) and have successfully deployed hundreds of kiosk devices using multiple different configurations of SiteKiosk 9.5 and 8.8 in the past. However, these initial steps are new to us and we're struggling to find a way to accomplish them automatically, ideally through the same install script pushed by SCCM.
Re: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version 5/12/2021 5:00 PM
Hello,

Generally, further assistance with an SCCM or other inventory management software is outside the scope of SiteKiosk and SiteRemote. However, to address the concept of stopping SiteKiosk from running and logging off the SiteKiosk user, I would to focus on just the action of "Logging Off [User]". You can achieve this by running shutdown.exe command and parameters with administrative rights. This is normally blocked under the SiteKiosk user based on default System Security Manager settings. Since you are running under administrative rights, you do not need to worry. Whatever route you choose is up to you.

(If you have SiteRemote, it might be possible, please indicate and further steps will be sent.)

So to start the remote process of installing SiteKiosk, simply log off the current user, run the command to install SiteKiosk, place the necessary support files, run the skstartup.exe command and restart the computer (with administrative rights on all steps). Of course, you would want to test this on one computer before you distribute to all.

Best regards,
Andre.
Re: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version 5/12/2021 9:29 PM
Hi Andre,

Thank you for your fast response! Yes, we do have SiteRemote and would like to learn more. Additionally, we already have a startup.xml - can that be re-used or will a new one need to be created?
Re: How to Automate upgrading 105 Machines to most recent version 5/12/2021 9:37 PM
Hello,

I will send an email with the instructions. With the startup.xml file, you can reuse it but please be mindful of your settings for:

- Auto start user account
- Configuration file name

If they are incorrect, then the Auto Start will fail and stay at Windows logon screen or SiteKiosk will load the emergency configuration screen.

Best regards,
Andre.
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