Packaging and deploying applications with Patch My PC Cloud

What Custom Apps does

Custom Apps lets you package your own or in-house software and publish it to Microsoft Intune straight from the Patch My PC Cloud portal.

You upload the raw installer. Patch My PC wraps the content into the Win32 .intunewin format and uploads it to Intune for you. You never run the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool (IntuneWinAppUtil.exe) by hand, and you never upload a package to Intune manually.

What this replaces

Catalog apps vs Custom Apps

Patch My PC has two ways to deliver software. Pick the right one before you build anything.

Before you start

Requirements

• An Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Premium, or MSP Patch My PC subscription.
• Your company is onboarded to Patch My PC Cloud and set up.
• An Intune connection configured if you publish to Intune from the Cloud, or also deploy catalog apps.
• The on premises Publisher is only needed if you publish Custom Apps through it. Version 2.1.20.0 or later is required in that case. Cloud to Intune does not need the Publisher.

What to gather for each app

Choose your installer type

How much work the wizard does for you depends on what you feed it. This single choice drives the rest of the build.

Step by step: create a Custom App

Sign in to portal.patchmypc.com, open the App Catalog, and click Add App. The Custom Apps Deployment Wizard opens. It has five tabs.

1. File tab: upload the installer Click Add Primary Install File and select your MSI or EXE, or choose an installer script. The file hash is calculated as it uploads. Add any extra files or folders the installer needs, then click Next.
   Important If you add PSADT scripts, the target devices need .NET 4.7.2 installed.
2. General Information tab: describe the app Set the icon (512 x 512 px), App name, Vendor, Description, and Internal Notes. Write the App name exactly as it should read in the Company Portal, and keep it unique. If two apps share a name, only one shows in the Company Portal. Click Next.
3. Configuration tab: how it installs Set Install Context (System or User), Architecture, Version, Apps & Features name, Language, Conflicting Processes, Silent Install parameters, and the Uninstall command. For an MSI most of this is filled for you. Add Information and Privacy URLs. Click Next.
4. Detection Rules tab: prove it installed Leave Patch My PC Default (Recommended) selected unless you have a reason not to. It checks the uninstall registry for your app name and a version equal to or greater than the one you set. Click Next.
5. Summary tab: review and create Check every value. Use Prev to fix anything. When correct, click Create. The app appears in your App Catalog ready to deploy.

MSI easiest

This is the everyday case. Say you have AcmeAgent.msi.

1. Upload Add AcmeAgent.msi as the Primary Install File. Next.
2. Describe Icon, App name Acme Agent, Vendor Acme, Description. Next.
3. Confirm Configuration Patch My PC reads the product code, version, and uninstall command from the MSI. Set Install Context to System and confirm Architecture. Add silent switches only if the MSI needs them, for example /qn. Next.
4. Detection Leave Patch My PC Default. Next.
5. Create Review and click Create.

EXE some legwork

An EXE does not store its details in a standard place, so detection needs help. Patch My PC publishes a helper script that reads the right values from the registry.

1. Test install first Install the EXE on a clean test VM or in Windows Sandbox. Open Installed Apps and note the exact display name and version.
2. Run the helper Use the CustomAppsHelper script to pull the display name, version, and uninstall string from the registry.
3. Build the app Upload the EXE. On the Configuration tab enter the Apps & Features name and Version exactly as found, the silent install switches, and the uninstall command.
4. Detection Patch My PC Default works once the name and version match the real installed values.

Microsoft 365 Apps special case

Microsoft 365 Apps is not an MSI. It uses Click to Run, driven by setup.exe from the Office Deployment Tool and an XML config. That is why it needs more steps than a normal app.

Prepare the files

1. Build your config at config.office.com and save it as Install.xml.
2. Download the Office Deployment Tool and extract setup.exe.
3. Create an Uninstall.xml from the install config. Do it by hand, or use Patch My PC's helper.

Build the Custom App

• Primary Install File: setup.exe
• Extra Files: Install.xml and Uninstall.xml
• Silent install: /configure Install.xml
• Uninstall command (custom): & '.\setup.exe' /configure '.\uninstall.xml'
• Detection: Patch My PC Default. Test install once to capture the exact ARP name and version.

Online vs offline content

Deploy the app

Creating the app adds it to your catalog. Deploying it sends it to Intune and assigns it to people.

1. Open the app Find your Custom App in the App Catalog and click Deploy.
2. Configurations Add pre or post install scripts if needed. For zipped content, a pre install script expands the archive before the installer runs.
3. Assignments Target your Entra ID groups. Start with a small test group.
4. Deploy Confirm. Patch My PC publishes the app to Intune.
5. Validate Install from the Company Portal on a test device. Check the install log under C:\Windows\Temp if anything fails.

Migrating existing Intune apps

If apps are already in Intune, do not blindly repackage everything. Treat it as a triage and cutover exercise: sort what is there, move each class the right way, and align detection so the switch is silent.

1. Triage what is already there

Pull the existing app list from Intune and sort each app into one of four buckets. Each is handled differently.

2. Migrate without disruption

The key to a clean cutover is detection. When the new app's detection (Apps & Features display name, and version equal to or greater than) matches what is already installed, devices report as installed and Patch My PC simply takes over patching, with no reinstall and no user impact.

1. Stand up the PMPC version Enable the catalog app, or build a Custom App for line of business software.
2. Pilot to a small group Target an Entra ID group that already has the legacy app installed.
3. Validate detection Confirm the app reports as installed with no reinstall, and that future updates flow.
4. Broaden the assignment Extend the PMPC app to the full target groups.
5. Retire the legacy app Remove its assignment, or delete the legacy app object.

Maintain: update, modify, remove

How detection works

Intune needs a way to know the app is present. The default detection method scans the uninstall registry and looks for a match.

• The Display Name matches the Apps & Features name you set on the Configuration tab.
• The Display Version is equal to or greater than the version you set.

When you deploy the latest build of a product and do not know the exact version number, this name plus version rule is what makes detection reliable. The values you enter must match what the installer actually writes. This is why a test install matters for EXE and Microsoft 365 Apps.

Troubleshooting and gotchas

Install logs for most Custom Apps land in C:\Windows\Temp. Microsoft 365 Apps writes its own log there too.

Reference links

Patch My PC documentation

• Custom Apps home
• Custom Apps Overview
• Custom Apps Requirements
• Onboard to Custom Apps
• Create a Custom App (File, General Information, Configuration, Detection Rules, Summary tabs)
• Update a Custom App
• Modify a Custom App
• Uninstall a Custom App
• Delete a Custom App
• Find properties for EXE-Based Installers
• Add an Intune Connection

Worked examples and scripts

• Package Microsoft 365 Apps as a Custom App
• Package Visual Studio 2022 as a Custom App
• Patch My PC Community Scripts (GitHub)
• CustomAppsHelper script (EXE properties)

Microsoft

• Win32 app management in Intune
• Office Deployment Tool
• Office Customization Tool (config.office.com)
• Change Microsoft 365 Apps update channels