Repairing broken applications using Software Center and SCCM 1810 (System Center Configuration Manager)

Introduction

This is a quick and short post on one of the new and welcomed additions to application management in System Center Configuration Manager 1810 (SCCM). Starting with 1810, we now have the ability to let the end users quickly repair installed applications through the Software Center.

This will come handy in self-service scenarios or when support-personal are trying to solve application specific issues. A common and well known troubleshooting scenario, is to try and repair a broken application. Curious? Read on 🙂

The repair function at display in the Software Center

Configuration Manager

  • All the new magic lies in when configuring the deployment type of the application. In this scenario, I’m deploying 7-zip as a .msi file. This allows me to leverage the repair parameter (/f) as displayed in below illustration
  • Note that the repair program also allows you to be creative with batch or Powershell. If you have an application which is not installed with the windows installer and doesn’t have a repair switch, have no fear: Create your own script doing what’s required in order to repair the given application

  • When deploying the application you intend to allow repairing of, make sure to tick on: Allow end users to attempt to repair this application

  • This will result in a new repair button on the application in the Software Center

  • And all the actions are logged to AppEnforce.log on the client running the repair

Enjoy this new feature 🙂

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