Tips & Tricks: How to prevent users from uninstallation of IM clients?

Sometimes security policies of a company require to prevent users rights to uninstall instant messenger software from their local PC. Our software already offers an option that prevents users from existing the IM client application. That can be done via "RestrictExitProgram=1" setting in the Setup.ini configuration file and Setup.ini Configuration Tool. Both of them are available for download at www.bopup.com But there is no option to disable uninstallation of the application from Programs and Features panel (Add/Remove Programs (ARP) in earlier Windows versions). But that's possible too.

Since setup packages of Bopup IM client software are provided in MSI files then it is possible to use command line options for msiexec launcher by putting standard Windows Installer properties. In order to disable Remove option in the Control Panel "ARPNOREMOVE=1" (in upper case) must be used. Thus the command line that launches the setup package and installs it with no disabled remove option in ARP should be the following:

msiexec /i bopupmes.msi ARPNOREMOVE=1

Bopup Observer client observer.msi package name must be specified instead of bopupmes.msi

There are so many options, and it is even possible to set IM server name by putting "IMSERVER=" property (in upper-case letters) to set a name/address of Bopup Communication Server. 

Yes, there is a little problem to use the command line options if the IM client applications are deployed/upgraded via Active Directory Group Policies (GPO). So we plan to add a new option to the setup.ini configuration file to support uninstallation through it.