Deploy Showpad for Outlook using an MSI

Note: This article covers the legacy Showpad for Outlook desktop add-in, which is deprecated. We recommend the Showpad for Outlook 365 add-in, which admins can deploy centrally from the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Showpad for Outlook allows your users to send Showpad content from Microsoft Outlook. This integration allows your sellers to use branded Sharing Themes and collects all the content views and reshares in Showpad for you or your sellers to review.

If you have a lot of Windows devices in your company, it's easier to use a policy or a script to install your add-ons. You can deploy Showpad for Outlook on all the Windows devices in your domain, by using

• The MSI (Microsoft Software Installer) package
• A User Group Policy
• A PowerShell script

The MSI package can also be used for

• An alternative folder configuration for devices that have read/write restrictions

Key features

• Learn how to deploy Showpad for Outlook on your Windows domain
• Use a policy or a script to install the add-in on multiple devices
• Use the MSI for alternative folders when devices have read/write restrictions

You need this to succeed

The quick way

1. Ensure you have the prerequisite operating system and software installed
2. Use one of three methods to deploy Showpad for Outlook
   • MSI (Microsoft Software Installer) package
   • User Group Policy
   • PowerShell script
3. Optionally configure an alternative folder for devices that have read/write restrictions.

Do this step by step

MSI package

MSI installation for IT administrators:

• Microsoft Outlook doesn't have to be closed.
• WebView2 must be installed or deployed separately for the add-in to work.
• Start the MSI installation file and follow the instructions on your screen.
• Outlook will need to be restarted to load the add-in.

You can also run the MSI installation via the command line (cmd) with custom options. To do a silent installation in the background, we suggest running the MSI installer with this command:

msiexec /i "C:\path\to\setup\file\Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /quiet

To uninstall the package in the background, use the following command:

msiexec /x "C:\path\to\setup\file\Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /quiet

Proxy configuration when using the MSI installation:

There are five parameters that can be configured for the proxy installation:

• PROXYUSEDEFAULT: Use this option if you don't have to configure other settings. The default connection settings of the system will be used.
• PROXYUSEMANUAL: When using this option, you also need to add PROXYURL.
• PROXYURL: The URL or address of the proxy server.
• PROXYUSERNAME (optional)
• PROXYPASSWORD (optional)

Here's an example of how you can install via command line, using a manual configuration of the proxy server:

msiexec /i "Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /qn PROXYUSEMANUAL="True" PROXYURL="proxy URL" PROXYUSERNAME="proxy username" PROXYPASSWORD="proxy password"

Update the proxy configuration with the MSI package:

Run the same command as in the install process, for example:

msiexec /i "Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /qn PROXYUSEDEFAULT="True" 

Reset the proxy parameters on the current version:

Run the installation command without any parameters.

msiexec /i "Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /qn

Upgrade to the next version of the Showpad add-in, using proxy parameters:

The installation doesn't remember the previous values of the parameters, so you need to apply all the proxy parameters again. To upgrade an installed add-in to the next version, run:

msiexec /i "Showpad.OutlookAddin-<version_number>.msi" /qn PROXYUSEDEFAULT="True"

The new version will be installed and configured with the given parameters. If you run the command without any parameters, the new version installs without proxy parameters.

User Group Policy

If you use a Computer Group Policy, the add-in will be installed, but users won't be able to use it. Create a User Group Policy instead.

Prerequisites:

• Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 must be installed on the devices in your domain.
• Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013 or 2016. (Outlook for Mac is not supported.)
• Microsoft WebView2 must be installed or deployed separately for the add-in to work.
• The MSI installation package must be accessible via a local share.
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or higher.
• Visual Studio 2010 Tools For Office Runtime if you use Windows 7 or Windows 8 with Microsoft Office 2010.
• Internet Explorer 11 or higher.

Create the User Group Policy:

1. Open Group Policy Management.
2. Expand Forest, and go to your domain. Right-click on Domain Controllers, select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here….
3. Enter the name of the new GPO and confirm.
4. Select the newly created GPO, right-click, and select Edit.
5. In the Group Policy Management Editor, expand User Configuration, and Software Settings. Right-click on Software installation and select New, Package.
6. Browse to the network location of the MSI package and open it.
7. Choose a deployment method and confirm. We recommend using the Assigned option.
8. Right-click and select Properties.
9. Open the Deployment tab to change the deployment settings. Here you can select to install when the user logs on.
10. Open the Security tab and click Add.
11. Type the user names or groups to deploy the package on their devices.
12. Select the user or group and set the appropriate permissions for installation. Click Apply and confirm.
13. Exit Group Policy Management Editor and return to Group Policy Management. Select the new policy. In the Security Filtering section, you can enter the user name or group name for users this policy should be applied to.
14. To apply the policy on the user's device: if you selected "Install this application at logon", the user must sign in again. You can also force the policy by running gpupdate /force in a command prompt or PowerShell.

PowerShell script

You can use PsExec to deploy Showpad for Outlook on multiple or selected devices.

Prerequisites:

1. Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 must be installed on the devices in your domain.
2. Microsoft Outlook 2010, 2013 or 2016. (Outlook for Mac is not supported.)
3. Microsoft WebView2 must be installed or deployed separately for the add-in to work.
4. The MSI installation package must be accessible via a local share.
5. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or higher.
6. Visual Studio 2010 Tools For Office Runtime if you use Windows 7 or Windows 8 with Microsoft Office 2010.
7. Internet Explorer 11 or higher.

PowerShell options:

.\PsExec64.exe \\Target_PC_Share_name -u username -p password -h cmd /c "msiexec.exe" /i "\\ShareName\ShareFolder\Showpad.OutlookAddin-2.10.0.4.msi" /qn

• Target_PC_Share_name: Share name (or IP address) of the device where the MSI should be installed.
• username: User name of the user the add-in is installed for.
• password: Password of the user the add-in is installed for.
• Full path to the MSI file in the shared folder: \\ShareName\ShareFolder\Showpad.OutlookAddin-2.10.0.4.msi

Alternative folder configuration

When working with devices that have read/write restrictions, you can install Showpad for Outlook using alternative folders. The configuration of these alternative folders is done at the application level, meaning it applies to all users of the same device.

Note: If the session/drafts/data folders are modified, users may be logged out, and drafted data may be lost.

Installation folder selection

• During the installation process of Showpad for Outlook using the MSI file, you can select an alternative folder. Use this step to select the folder where to install the add-in.
  To use the Showpad for Outlook add-in, device users need read/write access to this folder.

Configure the folders

1. When the installation process is complete, navigate to the installation folder you added and open the file

   Showpad.OutlookDesktopAddIn.dll.config 

2. In this file, go to the following section.

   <configuration> <applicationSettings> <Showpad.OutlookDesktopAddIn.Properties.Settings>

3. Find the settings for the additional folder configuration:
   • ImagesFolderPath
   • SessionFolderPath
   • ShowpadDraftsFolderPath
   • ShowpadDataFolderPath
   • ExperienceCacheFolderPath
   • AssetCacheFolderPath
   • LoginCacheFolderPath

4. Add the value of the alternative path to all these settings to overwrite the default path. Here's an example of a configuration value:

   <setting name="ImagesFolderPath" serializeAs="String">
   <value>D:/TestFolderInstallation/imgs</value>
   </setting>

5. Users need to restart Outlook after changing this configuration.