An administrative installation creates a source image of an application or product on a network. Users in a workgroup who have access to this administrative image can install the product from this source. Updating the application for this workgroup is done in two steps:

• First, the small update patch can be applied to the administrative image.
• Second, the changes in the small update need to be propagated to the users.

To apply a small update patch to an administrative image

1. Obtain the small update in the form of a patch package. For example, the small update named Patch.msp.
2. Obtain the path to the administrative image.
3. From the command line use:

   msiexec /a [path to administrative image .msi file] /p patch.msp

4. This updates the application files and the .msi file of the administrative image. For a list of the options that can be used with Msiexec.exe, see Command Line Options. Windows Installer automatically determines whether the administrative image is using short file names and sets the SHORTFILENAMES property.
5. The resulting administrative image is the same as that produced by an administrative installation using a full product CD-ROM that includes the update. When new users install the application from this source they receive the updated application.

To propagate the small update to the workgroup

• Members of the workgroup obtain the changes by reinstalling the application from the administrative image using the procedure described in Applying Small Updates by Reinstalling the Product.

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Build date: 6/5/2008