Extra Steps to Automatically Enroll Windows IoT Devices

Introduction

This article details the steps for installing WXP Insights agent on Windows IoT devices, which is the same way as in Windows full-client devices. Also, learn how to disable WXP Write Manager, modify environmental variables, install WXP Insights, re-enable WXP Write Manager, and manage updates through group policies.

Disabling WXP Write Manager

Before downloading and installing the WXP Insights agent on the thin client device, the WXP Write Manager must be disabled to allow the auto-update to be correctly disabled. To disable the WXP Write Manager:

1. In the Control Panel, select the WXP Write Manager Configuration application.

2. From this application, the option to enable or disable the manager is visible.

3. Once disabled, restart the thin client device and proceed with the below installation steps.

Note:

• After disabling the WXP Write Manager, changes are considered permanent system configurations. Redirecting and caching writes in an overlay protects the thin client's contents and decreases wear.

• When installing the WXP Insights agent, it might be necessary to temporarily change some environmental variables to point to the thin client device (C:) instead of the RAM drive (Z:). The RAM drive might be too small for the temporary files cached during the installation of some applications.

To change the environmental variables:

1. Right-click the Start button and select System from the menu. Pressing the Windows key + X will also bring up the System menu.

2. Select Advanced system settings, and then select Environmental Variables.

3. Change the value of the TEMP and TMP variables to C: \Temp.

After disabling the WXP Write Manager,  select the preferred method of installing the WXP Insights agent for Windows and enrolling the device in an HP WXP service and follow the instructions in the article:

• Deploying via SCCM using Single Installer (.exe)

• Deploying via SCCM with ZIP Package (.msi)

• Installing WXP Insights Agent into a Windows Custom Image

• Deploying using Company PIN with Batch Script

• Deploying via Intune with ZIP Package (.msi)

• Deploying via Intune Using the Single Installer (.exe) Method

• Deploying Using Ivanti

• Deploying via Active Directory GPO Using Single Installer (.exe)

Re-Enabling WXP Write Manager

Once the WXP Insights agent has been successfully enrolled, the WXP Write Manager can be enabled to make the permanent system configuration:

1. Open the WXP Write Manager Configuration application.

2. From the application, select the option to enable the manager.

3. Restart the thin client device to save the permanent system configuration.

Managing Updates after WXP Insights Client Enrollment

The WXP Insights Windows Application's updates are managed via a policy, which is a group of registry updates to the device. The auto-update policy can be enabled and disabled depending on whether the user wants to temporarily halt client version expiration.

Controlling WXP Insights and WXP Insights Analytics Packages

This section provides various options for controlling the deployment and auto-upgrade of WXP Insights and WXP Insights Analytics packages.

Enabling Auto-Update Policy

The article - Managing Updates for WXP Insights Agent provides details the process of managing software updates. Click on the link to learn more.

Note: The updates remain blocked until the agent software expires in six months, and there is an additional one-month grace period for the Admin to correct the auto-update policy. If the auto-update policy is followed, devices will perform auto-updates exactly after the expiration of the grace period.

Disabling Auto-Update Policy

This section provides information on how to permanently block auto-updates of WXP Insights and WXP Insights Analytics software unless IT Admins manually update them. With this option, the updates are entirely in a controlled environment. Users can provide a command line switch during the first-time installation of the WXP Insights agent using setup.exe. For example: setup.exe /silent ZTEMODE=1 CPIN=XXXX DisableAutoUpdate=True.This would update a registry entry that the WXP Insights Updater will use to determine whether to auto-update WXP Insights and WXP Insights Analytics.

Note: 

• If the target platform is Arm devices, use WXPInsights-arm.exe in place of setup.exein the above command.

• For WXP Insights Agent versions 5.26.63 onwards, the executable files are renamed to WXPInsights.exe and WXPInsights-arm.exe

• Key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Hewlett-Packard\HPTechPulse\GPO\TechPulseVersionPolicy

• Value: DisableAutoUpdate (set the value to True)

For devices that already have the WXP Insights agent installed, customers can directly set the above registry using group policies to prevent auto-updates for agents. 

Note: 

1. The command-line switch is just an additional option to disable the auto-update at the time of installation. It also creates the same registry, which customers who use WXP Insights can directly set. This functionality is supported by client version 4.23.88.0 and onwards.

2. WXP Insights 5.26.13 onwards supports for Arm.