There are a multitude of examples all over the internet, describing how to install software collectively and simultaneously on many computers. If you are prepared to pay for expensive deployment software such as Microsoft's SMS or Altiris's Deployment Studio then most installations can be carried efficiently, after the enormous administrative overhead of setting these up. However if like me, you are tasked with a deployment project where you have to keep costs at a minimum and the planning and execution of this deployment must be done with the tools that are readily available within a windows domain, then read on and feel free to use all or part of this method as i explain it.

I was tasked with the installation of Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 on 4000 computers throughout the UK at various remote locations, some computers where on the domain and some were in their own workgroup. All OS's from windows 95 to windows XP were included, the installations were to take place on a per user basis, where the user was selected in Active Directory and then Outlook was installed. I decided that the installations would take place in two parts, s server deployment for those pc's on the domain and a CD install for those pc's that are not on the domain.

In the case of the Windows 9x PCs, webmail via internet Explorer 5 was used after the High Encryption Pack was installed. Internet Explorer 5.5 includes this addon.