Deploy Apps with Intune Win32

Win32 apps are the workhorse of Intune deployments. Unlike MSI or Store apps, Win32 gives you full control over installation, detection, and requirements. Here’s the complete guide.

Why Win32?

• Bigger apps — Up to 8GB per app
• Custom installs — Any installer type
• Requirements — Check prerequisites before install
• Detection — Multiple ways to verify install

The Two Tools You Need

1. Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool

Download from: https://github.com/microsoft/Microsoft-Win32-Content-Prep-Tool

2. IntuneWinAppUtil.exe

# Convert installer to .intunewin
.\IntuneWinAppUtil.exe -c C:\Apps\7zip -s 7zip-x64.exe -o C:\Apps\Output

Step-by-Step Deployment

Step 1: Prepare the App

# Create output folder
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path C:\Apps\Output -Force

# Run the prep tool
# This creates a .intunewin file with detection logic

Step 2: Upload to Intune

1. Go to Apps → Windows → Add
2. Select Windows app (win32)
3. Upload your .intunewin file

Step 3: Configure Install/Uninstall

# Install command
# Example for 7-Zip:
"7zip-x64.exe /S"

# Uninstall command
# Check in registry:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\7-Zip

Step 4: Set Requirements

Requirement	Use When
OS version	App requires specific Windows version
Architecture	x86 vs x64 apps
RAM	Minimum memory needed
Disk space	Required free space
File/Folder exists	Prerequisite app installed
Registry value	Previous app version

Step 5: Detection Rules

Choose how Intune knows the app is installed:

Method	Best For
MSI product code	MSI installers
File exists	EXE-based apps
Registry key	Apps with registry entries
Script	Complex detection

# Example: File detection
Path: C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7zFM.exe
Detection method: File or folder exists

Step 6: Assign to Users/Devices

• Required — Auto-install
• Available — User self-service
• Uninstall — Remove from devices

Troubleshooting

App Not Installing

# Check Intune logs
$LogPath = "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Intune\Logs\MDMMgmt.log"
Get-Content $LogPath -Tail 100

# Check Win32 app logs
$IntuneLog = "$env:TEMP\IntuneApps.log"

Detection Rule Not Working

# Test detection manually
Test-Path "C:\Program Files\AppName\app.exe"

# Check registry
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\AppName"

Pro Tips

1. Always test in audit mode first
2. Use requirements to prevent failures
3. Create detection rules from uninstall strings
4. Document install/uninstall commands

Wrap-Up

Win32 apps give you the most control in Intune. Master this and you can deploy anything.

Questions? Drop them below!