Deploying KnowIT on your Windows Network using GPO

Deploying KnowIT on your Windows Network using GPO

This method of remote installation will only work if you are running Windows Server and the target workstations are joined to the domain.

You will need:
  • Network Administrator credentials
  • Name of the machine running Windows Server (domain controller)
  • A server or network share which is always available

Download the KnowIT Windows installer and license file

Log in to your KnowIT account and download both the KnowIT Windows Installer and the license file (license.txt) from the Install wizard.

Copy the KnowIT files to a network file share

Create a folder somewhere on a server or network share which is always available and then right click the folder, and go to "Share with" --> "Specific people"


Type "Domain Computers" in the search field, ensuring that the "Domain Computers" are given read permissions and then click "Share".

Do the same for "Domain Users". Then copy the KnowIT Installer and license file to this new folder.


Make a note of the network path (\\YOURSERVERNAME\FOLDERNAME) as you'll need this in step 6.

Open Group Policy Management

Log into your Windows Server using Remote Desktop connection then in the remote session:

Open Group Policy Management from "Start" --> "Administrative Tools" --> "Group Policy Management".

If you can't see it, go to the "Server Manager" (also in Administrative tools) and select the "Features" tab on the left-hand side and then click "Add Features" in the pane on the right.

Check the box in the new window that says "Group Policy Management", and then click through the next few screens.

Once installed, you can open Group Policy Management using the steps above.  

Find your Group Policies

In Group Policy Management, navigate to "Forest: YOURDOMAIN" --> "Domains" --> "YOURDOMAIN" --> "Group Policy Objects".

Create a new group policy object

Right click the folder "Group Policy Objects" and click New.

Type in a name for your GPO, something like "Install KnowIT".

Once you've created your new GPO, it will show up under the "Group Policy Objects" folder.

Click on the KnowIT GPO you just created. In the right pane on the bottom, there is a box that says "Security Filtering".

Click on and remove the "Authenticated Users" entry.


If you only want KnowIT deployed on certain computers, add all the specific computer names that you want the software to be deployed on.

Otherwise, if you want KnowIT on all computers, add the group "Domain Computers".

Go back up to the "YOURDOMAIN" folder (in the navigation pane) and right click it.

Click "Link an existing GPO". Click the KnowIT GPO and click OK.

Add a registry item for the KnowIT license path

Now go back to KnowIT GPO under "Group Policy Objects" folder, and right-click it.

Click on "Edit". A new window will open.

Navigate to "Computer Configuration" --> "Preferences" --> "Windows Settings" --> "Registry".

Right click inside the empty pane on the right and go to "New" --> "Registry Item".


In the new window that pops up, change the Hive to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" and fill in the following fields:
  • Key Path:  Software\Policies\KnowIT\Path
  • Value name: LIC
  • Value data: \\YOURSERVERNAME\FOLDERNAME\license.txt
Click "OK".

Add the KnowIT installer to the GPO

Now in the left pane of the Group Policy Management Editor window navigate to "Computer Configuration" --> "Policies" --> "Software Settings" --> "Software installations".

Right click inside the empty pane on the right and go to "New" --> "Package".

In the new window that pops up, navigate to the shared folder that you created earlier (\\YOURSERVERNAME\FOLDERNAME) and select the KnowIT Installer.

Click the "Assigned" bubble and then click OK.

Wait a minute and refresh. You should see the installer listed. If not, wait a little longer.

Close and Wait

You're almost done. Just close all of your windows on the server and the next time your workstations restart, they will install KnowIT before the computer allows a user to logon.

(Note: It may take up to 2-3 restarts for the server to update the GPO on a workstation.)

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