Unattended/All Users Explanation

When Prism installs a Package, the Package is broken up into two different portions; a user portion and a machine portion. The user portion contains all the shortcuts and user settings, while the machine portion contains the application files and machine settings. The machine portion of the Package is only installed once. The user portion is installed once for each user of the machine. This is all handled by Prism under the covers and is the behavior of all Package Tasks deployed through the Console.

When a Package is installed outside of the Console or via a Script (such as a Script Task in the Console), this behavior can be duplicated by setting the "Unattended/All Users" value in the Advanced settings of the Package's Properties. When an "Unattended/All Users" Package is installed, the file PTPNDFLS.EXE and a user only portion of the Package are created in the PTPNDFLS folder. A shortcut called "Install Pending Files" is added to the Startup folder of the All Users Start Menu. This shortcut points to PTPNDFLS.EXE with an /ApplyPending switch. PTPNDFLS.EXE is a fully functioning copy of PTCLIENT.EXE which will then install the User portion of Packages for each user as they log on. If the Client is already running, PTPNDFLS will let it handle the user portion of the Package, if not, PTPNDFLS will install the user portion itself.  Note: the Install Pending only runs once for each Package per user who logs on.

Prism Self-Executing Files (EXEs) have the same behavior, however the file that gets created on the target computer is SIFXINST.EXE rather than PTPNDFLS.EXE.