This article is for IT administrators looking to deploy Draftable Desktop across their organization.
Configuring Draftable Desktop settings via Group Policy
Draftable Desktop offers a range of Group Policy settings for license deployment, application configuration and update management. More information is documented here.
Installer for enterprise deployments
For deployments in enterprise environments, the default installer for Draftable Desktop may not be suitable. Draftable Desktop offers two alternative installers: a per-user MSI installer and a machine-wide MSI installer.
Each installer has trade-offs, different recommended deployment scenarios, advantages, and installation steps.
Default Installer
Installer Type: Regular executable (.exe)
Installer Scope: Per-user
Requires Admin: No
Recommended scenarios: Individual users, small-scale deployments
Download URL: https://dl.draftable.com/desktop/DraftableDesktopSetup.exe
This installer is recommended for most scenarios and is the default installer provided. It's the easiest to use and has minimal requirements - ideal for individual users.
Benefits
- No administrator privileges are required for installation
- Updates are automatically applied
Notes
- Each user on the system needs to run the installer (per-user deployment)
- Each user maintains their own copy of the product
Installation
- Run the installer
- Follow the prompts, which will include selecting the install location and entering the product key
- Draftable Desktop is installed and ready to use
Per-User MSI
Installer Type: MSI (Windows Installer)
Installer Scope: Hybrid (Per-user)
Requires Admin: Yes (for initial installation only)
Recommended scenarios: Large-scale deployments to individual systems
Download URL: https://dl.draftable.com/desktop/DraftableDesktopUser.msi
This installer is typically the best option for enterprise deployment. The product is delivered as an MSI, recommended for enterprise deployments outside of certain specific scenarios for which the Machine-
Wide MSI would be a better option. It is important to understand the following about the per-user MSI:
- A user with administrator rights installs the MSI on the desired system. The Draftable Pro is installed in a system-wide location.
- When users log in the system-wide copy is automatically installed to their account. Effectively, the Draftable Desktop is installed per-user using the system-wide copy as the template.
- When users launch the Draftable Desktop the automatically installed per-user copy is run. From this point, Draftable Desktop functions as if the user had downloaded and installed the default installer.
Benefits
- Automates installation for all users on a system when they log into their account
- Users still receive updates just like a Default installer, hence updates are applied automatically
Notes
- Since each user has their own copy of the product, additional storage space will be used.
- Uninstalling the MSI will not uninstall the product from user accounts (but will ensure the product is not automatically installed for new users)
- The version installed by the MSI will not automatically update.
- User copies will be automatically updated in the background
- It is still recommended to periodically update the installed MSI
- The Per-User MSI will result in Draftable Desktop automatically being installed on user login provided:
- Draftable Desktop isn't already installed for the user account
- The user hasn't previously uninstalled Draftable Desktop
- Troubleshooting: The installer will fail if this file location exists (e.g. from a previous installation):
%localappdata%/DraftableDesktop
This can be fixed by uninstalling any existing Draftable Desktop installations and deleting the above folder (and any contents). - You can also deploy the Pre-User MSI via Microsoft Intune. Using this method you must then also provide the license key via a group policy, which you can do here.
Installation
- Run the installer with administrator rights
- Sign out of your Windows user account
- Sign back into your Windows user account
- Draftable Desktop is installed and ready to use
- You can confirm that Draftable Desktop is correctly installed if an application named 'DraftableDesktop Deployment Tool' is listed under Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel
Machine-Wide MSI
Also Known As: Native MSI, Per-Machine MSI
Installer Type: MSI (Windows Installer)
Installer Scope: System
Requires Admin: Yes
Recommended scenarios: Citrix & Remote Desktop Services deployments, high-security environments
Download URL: https://dl.draftable.com/desktop/DraftableDesktopSystem.msi
This installer is only recommended for specific deployment scenarios where the other installers are unsuitable. The most common scenario is Microsoft RDS and Citrix deployments where a single shared installation is desired, typically for storage efficiency.
This installer is a "true" system-wide installer, unlike the Per-User MSI. The software is installed to a
system-wide location and can be launched by all users of the system, including concurrently as in RDS
and Citrix deployments.
Benefits
- A single installation can be shared by all users on that machine
- Administrators have the control to manage updates
- Offers support for concurrent usage by multiple users on that machine
Notes
- Administrator rights are required for the initial installation and updates
- All product updates must be manually downloaded and installed
- System dependencies must be manually installed (e.g. .NET)
Installation
- Run the installer with administrator rights
- Follow the prompts, which will include entering the install location and entering the product key
- Draftable Desktop is installed and ready to use