Easy Guide to Deploy Chrome Browser Using ConfigMgr

This chrome browser deployment guide covers the steps to deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr. We will package Google Chrome browser (enterprise) in SCCM and deploy it to our endpoints.

Google provides the essential tools to deploy Chrome Browser for your enterprise. Google also provides instructions, recommendations, and critical considerations for deploying Chrome Browser in an enterprise environment.

Chrome Enterprise lets you deploy and manage Google Chrome Browser using ConfigMgr. The admin tools allow administrators to configure, package, and deploy Chrome Browser at the system level. You can also manage policies on an ongoing basis.

Download the latest chrome browser deployment guide. The guide is published by Google and is a very helpful document.

This guide focuses on the Windows Installer (MSI) version of Chrome Browser for enterprise, which is available for Windows 10. We will package and deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr.

Download Google Chrome Enterprise [MSI Installer]

First let’s download the Google Chrome Enterprise (msi installer). After that we will create Google Chrome Application in SCCM. To download the latest version of Google Chrome browser, visit the Chrome Enterprise browser download link.

The Google Chrome browser for enterprise is available for :-

• Chrome for Windows 64-bit
• Chrome Windows 32-bit
• Chrome DMG for macOS (x86)
• Chrome PKG for macOS (x86)
• Chrome DMG Universal Installer for macOS (x86 and ARM)
• Chrome PKG Universal Installer for macOS (x86 and ARM)

Since most of the organizations use Windows 10 OS, we will download the Windows 64 bit version of chrome. For your information, when you download Google Chrome enterprise for Windows 10, the package includes the following.

• Chrome MSI Installer
• ADM/ADMX templates with 300+ user and device policies
• Legacy Browser Support policy
• Manageable automatic updates

The Google Chrome Enterprise download is roughly 97.5 MB in size. When you click Download button, you get a .zip file. Extract the file GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi and save it to Sources folder.

Create Google Chrome Application in SCCM

The steps to create Google Chrome Application in SCCM includes.

• Launch the Configuration Manager console.
• Navigate to Software Library\Application Management\Applications.
• Right click Applications and click Create Application for Google Chrome.

On the General page, specify the settings for Google Chrome application. Select Automatically detect information about this application from installation files. Select Type as Windows Installer (*.msi file) and specify the location of Google Chrome .msi file. Click Next.

Since we have the Google Chrome .msi installer, the install, uninstall and other details will be picked by SCCM automatically. Click Next.

On the General information window, specify the application name and other details such as Publisher, software version etc. Set the installation behavior to install for system if resource is device, otherwise install for user. Click Next.

On the Summary window, verify the Chrome settings and click Next.

Finally the wizard now creates Google chrome application in SCCM. Click Close.

Specify Google Chrome Icon for Software Center

This is an optional step where you specify the Google chrome icon so that it is visible for users in Software Center. Specifying an icon also makes it easy to locate the applications in software center.

To specify a new Google chrome icon in SCCM

• Launch the SCCM console.
• Go to Software Library\Overview\Application Management\Applications.
• Right click Google Chrome application and click Properties.
• Under the properties window, select Software Center Tab.
• At the bottom, click Browse and select Google Chrome Icon and click Apply.
• When you click Apply, the Chrome icon shows up next to icon field. Click OK to close the properties window.

Distribute the Chrome Application to Distribution Points

Before we deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr, we will first distribute the application to SCCM distribution points. The application content has to be on a local distribution point for smooth installation of app.

Select the Google Chrome application, right click and click Distribute Content.

On the Content window, click Next.

On the Content Destination window, click Add button and specify the distribution points. Click Next.

On the Completion window, click Close. Once the application is distributed to DP, we will deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr.

Deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr

We are all set to deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr to our endpoints. Right click Google Chrome Enterprise and click Deploy.

On the General window, click Browse and select the device collection to which you want to deploy Google Chrome. Click Next.

Since we have already distributed the content to distribution points, click Next.

On the Deployment Settings window, specify if you would like to make the application as Available or deploy it as required. I am going to select Available as option here. Click Next.

On the Scheduling window, you get the option to schedule or make this app available at specific time. If not the application will be made available as soon as possible to client computers. Click Next.

Specify the User Experience settings for the deployment and click Next.

This completes the steps to deploy chrome browser using ConfigMgr. Close the Deploy Software Wizard.

Install Google Chrome from Software Center

In the above step, we deployed the Google Chrome application to a device collection. Now, let’s test how well the application installs on the client computer.

Login to the Windows 10 computer and launch the software center. You may also deploy Software Center shortcuts to help users launch software center quickly.

Click the Applications tab and select Google Chrome Enterprise application. On the Application details page, click Install.

The client computer first downloads the google chrome content from the local distribution point and starts installing in the background.

SCCM has got several log files for each components. You can monitor the application installation progress by opening the AppEnforce.log file using the CMtrace log tool.

The Google Chrome enterprise application installation is successful.

App enforcement environment: Context: Machine Command line: msiexec /i "GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi" /q
 Allow user interaction: No    UI mode: 1
 User token: null Session Id: 1
 Content path: C:\Windows\ccmcache\e
 Working directory:     AppEnforce
 Prepared working directory: C:\Windows\ccmcache\e
 Found executable file msiexec with complete path C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe
 Prepared command line: "C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe" /i "GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi" /q /qn
 Valid MSI Package path = C:\Windows\ccmcache\e\GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi
 Advertising MSI package [C:\Windows\ccmcache\e\GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi] to the system.
 Executing Command line: "C:\Windows\system32\msiexec.exe" /i "GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi" /q /qn with user context
 Working directory C:\Windows\ccmcache\e
 Post install behavior is BasedOnExitCode
 Waiting for process 4532 to finish.  Timeout = 120 minutes.
 Process 4532 terminated with exitcode: 0
 Looking for exit code 0 in exit codes table…
 Matched exit code 0 to a Success entry in exit codes table.

Deploying Chrome Updates using SCCM

I am sure by now you know that to deploy Chrome browser using ConfigMgr is quite easy. But what about deploying the Chrome browser updates using SCCM ?. How do I push the Chrome updates to endpoints and keep them updated to latest version.

Chrome checks for new updates regularly, and when an update is available, Chrome applies it automatically when you close and reopen the browser.

However a user can manually check for new Chrome Updates.

• On your computer, launch Google Chrome.
• At the top right, click More. Click Help > About Google Chrome.
• If you are running latest version of Chrome, you will see Google Chrome is up to date.
• If not click Update Google Chrome. After the updates install, click Relaunch.

But installing the updates manually is not the solution in large organizations. In such cases, there are lot of third party tools that push the chrome updates using SCCM. These tools integrate with SCCM and an admin can deploy Chrome updates to endpoints.

I will be covering more about deploying the chrome browser updates in my upcoming post.