Deploy Google Sketchup 7 using Active Directory

Google only distributes google sketchup as an exe file which is not assignable through Active Directory Group Policy. This exe is only a wrapper for the msi file though and this msi is able to be assigned to computers.

To get the msi file double-click on the GoogleSketchUpWEN.exe downloaded and when its at the “Welcome to the google sketchup 7 setup wizard” open windows explorer and goto the folder:

Under Vista: C:\Users\User\Local Settings\temp\

Under WinXP: C:\documents and settings\User\Local Settings\Temp\

and look for a folder that looks like 7zS4211.tmp, This folder was named differently on the machines I tried but it always started with “7z” and ended in “.tmp”.

Within that folder is “GoogleSketchUp7.msi” and a “setup.exe” which can now be assigned to your computers using the Active Directory Group Policy Software Installation settings or installed using a command line to machines individually using a login script.