Here is another way how to create MSI package:

- download FREEWARE WinINSTALL LE 2003
- install WinINSTALL LE 2003 on some computer (for example SERVERX)
- install clear system (Windows XP on PC) - find and run disco32.exe on SERVERX from PC and make SNAPSHOT (disco32.exe)
- install BOINC (DO NOT RUN BOINC SERVICE), set all your settings you want (delete shotcuts, set project, it is possible change BOINC service run as LOCAL SYSTEM ACCOUNT, ...)
- run disco32.exe again (it will create MSI package on SERVERX)

I tired to use it and it is working fine, no problem. I prefer create it by ORCA, but I am not able do it as I wish. This solved my problem.

Hi michalsx


We're actually quite lucky that BOINC is a simple install (I won't even start on QuickTime....Grrrrrrrr!!!!!)

The upside to using the MST though is that
a) You don't have to bother with the above. (Clean machines are a pain, but are really the way to go with repackaging. You might want to try Microsoft's Virtual PC Trial - very handy for this sort of thing)
b) The same MST can be used for minor upgrades (BOINC had 4 such upgrades in about a week a couple of months back.)
c)The MST creation is now much quicker (See above post )

Is the Local System Account for the service the only reason for the custom packaging ???? (I quite agree it's a pain)

Regards Slug

Morning depriens

Here is how to deploy BOINC on your network with Windows 2003 SBS Server. I thought It would be a good idea to start from the begining again. (I do not know how good you are with computers, so I have made the instructions very detailed.)

1. Logon to your Windows 2003 Server with the Administrator username and password.
2. Download the latest version of BOINC from here and save it to your desktop.
3. Download the file WCG_BOINC_MST_Creator.hta by clicking this link
4. Click 'Start' > 'Run', delete any text that maybe in the box and drag the file boinc_5.2.13_windows_intelx86.exe from your Desktop into it. Go to the end of the text in the box and add a space then /a. You should end up with something like this.

"C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\boinc_5.2.13_windows_intelx86.exe" /a

Click the OK button to start the creation of the Administration package. (If you get a security warning, just click the 'Run' button.)
5. Click Next once and you will be asked for a 'Network Location'. In this box you want to enter your server's name and the network location where SBS stores applications (this is called 'ClientApps') and a 'BOINC' folder. So, if your server is called MYSERVER you should enter

\\MYSERVER\ClientApps\BOINC

Click the 'Install' button. After the files have been processed, Untick the 'Launch BOINC' checkbox in the final window and click 'Finish'
6. Rename the file WCG_BOINC_MST_Creator.htm to WCG_BOINC_MST_Creator.hta Click 'Yes' when you get the warning about changing file extensions.
7. Double click the WCG_BOINC_MST_Creator.hta file. In the window that appears, fill in the information as I have in the example below. Don't forget to use your own BOINC account key and use you own server name rather than MYSERVER.

You can change any of the checkboxes, Default Profile and 'Location to install BOINC to', but, personally, I would not add a username/password for the service and would not have BOINC automatically start when a user logs on. If you want to use the BOINC Manager or BoincView to view the state of BOINC on the PCs with your server, add the IP address of your server's 'Server Local Area Connection' network connection in the Allow Remote Access box. (You can get that by running IPconfig in a command window. The Default on SBS is 192.168.0.1) As you will be running on an internal network, I would not bother with a password.
7. Click the 'Generate MST' button and after a few moments a message should appear saying that the MST has been created. Close the message and the window. You can now delete WCG_BOINC_MST_Creator.hta and boinc_5.2.13_windows_intelx86.exe from your Desktop.

Now to deploy BOINC to your PCs (As you're using SBS, we'll use some of the built in wizards to make things a bit easier!)
1. Click Start > Server Management.
2. In the left panel, click Security Groups. (The right panel will list all of the individual security groups that have been created on the server)
3. In the right panel click Add a Security Group. In the 'Welcome' window, click Next.
4. In the 'Name of the Security group:' textbox, enter the following

(You can change the name and description if you want to) Click Next.
5. In the Group Membership window you will find that only users are shown, not individual computers, so we will do nothing here. Just click Next and then Finish. Close the window that shows that the group being created when it has finished. Close Server management.
6. Open Active Directory and in the left panel select YOURDOMAIN.local > MyBusiness > Security Groups. In the right panel, double click the security group called 'World Community Grid' and click the 'Members' tab
7. Click 'Add' and in new window, click 'Object Types'. In this new window, make sure that 'Computers' are ticked and the rest unticked. Click OK. Now Click 'Advanced' and then 'Find Now'. All of your computers will now appear in the bottom of the window.
8. Select all of the computer that you want to run BOINC on (NOT THE SERVER) and then click OK. Click OK again and you should be back on the members tab which will now show all of the computers you have selected. (You can change your selection at any time if you get new computers or need to remove BOINC from one.) Click Ok to close the security group properties window.
9. Open Group Policy Management and navigate to Forest: YOURDOMAIN.local > Domains > YOURDOMAIN.local > MyBusiness. Right click MyBusiness and select 'Create and Link a GPO Here...'
10. Name the GPO 'World Community Grid (BOINC)'. Click OK and the new item will listed under MyBusiness.
11. Left click the new GPO and in the right panel, at the bottom, you will see 'Authenticated Users'. Click the 'Add Button' below and in the window that appears enter the name of the security group created earlier (you only need to type the first few letters as the server will work it out !). Click OK. Select 'Authenticated Users' and then click the 'Remove' button. (Click Ok to confirm the removal.)
12. Right click the new GPO in the left panel and select 'Edit'. In the Group Policy Object Editor window that will open, navigate to Computer Configuration > Software Settings > Software installation. As this is the first time you have used this GPO, right click 'Software installation' and select properties. In the window as shown below. Again, do not forget to use your server's name

Click OK.
13. Right click the new GPO again and select New > Package... In this window, select the folder BOINC and then the BOINC.msi file. Click Open
14. In the next window, click the 'Advanced 'option and then OK (This is important as you can not add an mst to an msi later)
15. In the BOINC properties window, click the 'Modifications' tab. Click the 'Add' button, select the BOINC folder and then the BOINC.mst file. Click 'Open' and now click OK. (After a moment, an item called 'BOINC' will appear. If you ever need to remove it because of an upgrade, right click BOINC and select All Tasks > Remove... Accept the default option and click OK.)

If you decided to use the Allow Remote Access in the MST creation bit, you will have to modify the windows firewall if it is running on the local domain. Fortunately, you can also do this with the GPO.
16. In the Group Policy, Navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Firewall > Domain Profile. In the right panel open the option 'Windows Firewall: Define port exceptions.' Select the 'Enable' Option and then the 'Show' button. Click 'Add' and in the textbox put

1043:TCP:192.168.0.1:Enabled:BOINC

(Obviously, use your servers IP address, which maybe differerent from the 192.168.0.1 that I have used in the example above.) Click OK > OK > OK

17. Close all of the windows on your server and then restart your workstations. BOINC will now be installed on all of the ones you added to the security group.

Evening depreins
I'm doing exactly the same - it is the best feature of SBS !

Back to your problem...

Just for your info, when the workstation is restarted and you are sitting in front of the screen (not remote desktop, I'm afraid), you will see the information window that displays 'Starting Windows...', 'Applying Security settings...', etc. You should also see 'Apply Software...' followed by 'Installing BOINC...'. The login windows will then appear.

To find out the problem, can you post the event viewer log for the applications section for the workstation you are installing BOINC to. The errors in question will be marked 'Application Management' and will appear just after the workstation is restarted.

Change it back, A distribution group does not distribute software. (Not a very helpful name, I know !!! )

Hi Lazy, I just want to thank you. For snapshot I need about 2 hours to prepare MSI package. With you script it takes about 5 minutes?