Non OS Deployment task sequence HTA splash screen

[JeffPitt]

Greetings everyone. First off I want to thank the admins and users here for providing a great site. The guides and tips have help me greatly these past few years.

 

So here is my issue.

 

We are deploying some software updates via SCCM that consists of 6 packages. The first package in the string is an HTA splash screen telling the users to save and close anything that is open. When they click the OK button on the HTA, the rest of the packages are automated to silently install the updates then reboot the PC. We tried this using the standard Software Distribution to our pilot group but we noticed that half way through the install, users were already opening MS Office and this could cause issues with the installers.

 

I decided to move this model to the OS Task Sequence so the users can see the progress bar as the updates are being installed.

 

Everything works as it should except the hta splash screen.

 

The first action in my task sequence is to run a command line with cmd /k mshta.exe "path_to_hta\rass.hta" but the HTA does not launch and the task sequence does not continue to the next step.

 

It does not matter if the hta is located on the local hard drive or a network share. Kind of frustrating because this was a simple step in the Software Distribution model.

 

The Task Sequence is executed in a x86 Win7 environment and our standard users are not local admin's on their PC's

 

The smsts.log file is displayed below.

 

 

Start executing the command line: smsswd.exe /run: cmd /k mshta.exe C:\istools\rass\rass.hta TSManager 2/23/2013 6:24:09 PM 5268 (0x1494)
!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------! TSManager 2/23/2013 6:24:09 PM 5268 (0x1494)
Expand a string: WinPEandFullOS TSManager 2/23/2013 6:24:09 PM 5268 (0x1494)
Executing command line: smsswd.exe /run: cmd /k mshta.exe C:\istools\rass\rass.hta TSManager 2/23/2013 6:24:09 PM 5268 (0x1494)
=======================[ smsswd.exe ] ======================= InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)
PackageID = '' InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)
BaseVar = '', ContinueOnError='' InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)
SwdAction = '0001' InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)
Working dir 'not set' InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)
Executing command line: Run command line InstallSoftware 2/23/2013 6:24:10 PM 5344 (0x14E0)

[JeffPitt]

Just so you know this issue is resolved. I changed to package back to run "Only when a user is signed in" and placed the package to run before the task sequence in the advanced tab of the Task Sequence Properties

[anyweb]

and for those that don't know, the reason your users never saw the HTA popup originally is because task sequences run in System Context, whereas running a package can run in User context.