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Deploy GitM across machines

Rolling the installer out to many workstations. GitM ships as an Inno Setup .exe; the same binary installs interactively or quietly.

Prerequisites

Silent / standardized install

Inno Setup installers accept standard silent switches. For an unattended push:

GitM-Setup-1.6.4.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES

Notes: - The prerequisite check still runs. If a machine is missing Git/LFS/.NET, the installer exits without installing — deploy prerequisites first. - PrivilegesRequired=admin: run the install in an administrative context (SCCM/Intune system context, or an elevated session). - Default install dir is C:\Program Files\GitM\. Override with /DIR="..." if you must. - The installer runs 64-bit RegAsm to register COM; this needs the .NET Framework RegAsm present (it is, with .NET 4.8).

What gets registered

Per machine, the installer writes:

  • COM class for CLSID {F4073A99-5C32-4113-9EAD-011F4A6BF3A6} (InprocServer32 → mscoree.dll + managed assembly info), under both HKCU and HKLM.
  • …\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\Addins\{GUID} — default value 1 (enabled), Title = "GitM", Description. Written under both HKCU and HKLM.
  • …\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\AddInsStartup\{GUID} — default value 1 (load on startup).

The CLSID GUID is fixed for the product and must never change between versions, or existing installs break.

SolidWorks versions

The SolidWorks add-in registry path is version-independent (the same Addins\{GUID} key is read by all installed SolidWorks versions). So a single registration generally covers SW 2022–2025 on the machine. Confirm per version via Tools → Add-Ins in each — see Verify and troubleshoot deployment.

Per-user data

GitM creates per-user settings and logs in %APPDATA%\GitM\ on first run. Nothing machine-wide needs seeding for normal use.

Expected result

  • GitM is installed and registered on each machine.
  • After a SolidWorks restart, the GitM PDM task pane appears and the add-in is enabled.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Cause Fix
Silent install "does nothing" on some machines Prerequisite missing → installer aborts silently with /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES. Check exit code; deploy prerequisites; re-run.
Installed but no task pane COM registration incomplete, or add-in disabled in SolidWorks. Verify and troubleshoot deployment.
Works for the installing admin, not the logged-in user HKCU keys written under the wrong profile. Rely on the HKLM keys; confirm both were written.

Known limitations

  • No MSI / no Group Policy MSI deployment — the deliverable is an Inno Setup .exe. Use your tooling's "run an executable" deployment type with silent switches.
  • Unsigned during development — SmartScreen/AppLocker policies may need an exception until the installer is code-signed.
  • No auto-update — new versions are deployed as a new .exe; plan upgrades through your software management.
  • The installer does not enumerate installed SolidWorks versions to register each individually; it relies on the version-independent registry path. Validate on each SW version you support.