How to Deploy WeChat using SCCM | Configuration Manager

In this article, I will demonstrate how to deploy WeChat using SCCM. WeChat is a Chinese multipurpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed by Tencent.

One of our customers requested us to package WeChat application in Configuration Manager. The goal was to deploy WeChat application silently using SCCM to all the computers in a specific site.

When you download WeChat you get an executable file. So while there is no .msi file provided by the developer, you can still install it silently using /S switch.

Download WeChat for Windows

You must download the latest version of WeChat for Windows from WeChat website. Save the installer to Sources folder or any shared folder. This folder will be used as content source while packaging the WeChat app.

How to Deploy WeChat using SCCM

Let’s look at the steps to package and deploy WeChat application using SCCM. To deploy WeChat using SCCM, launch SCCM console and go to Software Library workspace. Expand Application Management. Right click Applications and click Create Application.

In the create application wizard, on the General page, select Manually specify the application information. Click Next.

Specify WeChat application info such as Name, Publisher, Software Version etc. Click Next.

Specify additional information about the app. You may also specify an icon for WeChat application. This icon will be shown to users in Software Center. Click Next.

Click Add button to add a new deployment type. Select Type as Script Installer. The option Manually specify the deployment type information is automatically selected. Click Next.

Specify the content location, install and uninstall commands.

WeChat Install Command - "WeChat_C1012.exe" /S

WeChat Uninstall Command - "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Tencent\WeChat\Uninstall.exe" /S

Select Run installation and uninstall program as 32-bit process on 64-bit clients. Click Next.

In the next step, add a detection method.

• Setting Type – File System
• Type – File
• Path – %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Tencent\WeChat
• File or Folder Name – WeChat.exe
• Select The file system setting must satisfy the following rule to indicate the presence of this app.
• Property – Version
• Operator – Equals
• Value – 2.4.5.1

Click OK.

You may add more SCCM deployment types if necessary. Click Next.

Specify the user experience settings and click Next. On rest of the wizard steps click Next and close to create deployment type wizard.

Finally, on the Completion page, click Close.

The WeChat application must be distributed to all the distribution points. Learn how to distribute the content to distribution points in SCCM.

Once the WeChat content is available on distribution points, you can deploy the application to a device collection. Right-click the WeChat application and select Deploy. Use the deploy application wizard to deploy the application as Available or Required to a specific device collection.

If you wish to create a device collection for Windows 10 or Windows 11, refer to the below guides:

• Create SCCM Windows Server 2022 Device Collection
• Create Windows 11 SCCM Device Collection
• SCCM Device Collection for Windows 10 Computers

Test WeChat Application Installation in Software Center

To test the WeChat application installation, login to a client computer. Launch Software Center and click Applications. Select WeChat application and click Install.

The WeChat application downloads from the local distribution point and installs using the install command that we specified during application packaging. To monitor the WeChat application installation, open Appenforce.log file on the client computer.

Here is what you should see in appenforce.log file.

Prepared working directory: C:\Windows\ccmcache\3
Prepared command line: "C:\Windows\ccmcache\3\WeChat_C1018.exe" /S
Post install behavior is BasedOnExitCode
Waiting for process 7680 to finish. Timeout = 120 minutes.
Process 7680 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

Note: The application uninstalls works fine but with one minor issue. In first attempt it shows Removal Failed – Retry. Clicking retry again shows the install option.

Prepared working directory: C:\Windows\ccmcache\3
Prepared command line: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Tencent\WeChat\Uninstall.exe" /S
Post install behavior is BasedOnExitCode
Waiting for process 2696 to finish. Timeout = 120 minutes
Process 2696 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.

This completes the steps to deploy WeChat using SCCM.