vGeek: Multiple ways to Install Software remotely on Windows

You don't want to use any tool.
You don't want to setup anything extra.
You want to schedule installation.

Its very easy to connect to schedule task remotely, setup a schedule and you are done. Best thing about it is you can schedule it, In this article I will be showing Patch or Hotfix installation remotely. To install patches in unattended mode, we will need to find parameters, to find them open command prompt or run type the hotfix file name and extension and append /h for help as shown below. (Here i am installing PowerShell upgrade remotely)

Here we will need to use parameters /quiet and /norestart as shown in windows update standalone installer screenshot.

Next Open task scheduler right click Task Scheduler > Connect to Another Computer, type the name computer you want to connect.

As you can see Task scheduler has connected to Clinet001.vlcoud.lab instead of local, Select Task Scheduler Library right click and create Basic Task.

Give some name to task, and it will trigger once only for me.

Setup some trigger time according to your need. and select start a program.

Next step is critical, Browse the program kept on shared drive. And provide parameters for silent installation, and last Finish shows summary whatever you have scheduled.

Next is very important configuration right click installpowershell and got to properties. (Without this schedule may fail)

In the properties you must select Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges, This is self explanatory. And supply the admin user name password to run the task with.

Once this is done you just have have to wait for your schedule time or right click schedule and run right away to execute program. (Once installation is done verify on remote server and delete the schedule.) My schedule status is Ready to run.

Once I click ok status will change to running (you will have to refresh the screen by clicking on the empty space), Once you verify software is installed on remote server you can delete the schedule.

Now this was the GUI version, How you can achieve the same with command line.
There is a inbuilt tool called schtask.exe below is the creation example. Green marked area you can change as per your need.
schtasks.exe /create /S client001 /RU vcloud\vKunal /RP Computer@1 /SC Once /TN InstallProgram /TR "\\ad001\Softwares\PowershellV3\Powershell v3 Windows6.1-KB2506143-x64.msu /quiet /norestart" /ST 13:30

It will create one schedule task. Next you can run it through same command schtasks.exe.
schtasks.exe /run /S client001 /TN InstallProgram

Now verify your application has installed correctly you can check history tab of task to view any errors., Once you check application install delete it now.

schtasks.exe /delete /S client001 /TN InstallProgram /F

You can use above 3 command in one batch file and create a script for remote installation.

Beauty of Task scheduler is you can even schedule it through Group Policy if you don't want to go with command line or scripting.

if you want it to do through powershell way there are cmd let available for schedule task in windows server 2012 r2 and windows 8.1 and above. (In powershell v5).

Disable-ScheduledTask
Enable-ScheduledTask
Export-ScheduledTask
Get-ClusteredScheduledTask
Get-ScheduledTask
Get-ScheduledTaskInfo
New-ScheduledTask
New-ScheduledTaskAction
New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal
New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet
New-ScheduledTaskTrigger
Register-ClusteredScheduledTask
Register-ScheduledTask
Set-ClusteredScheduledTask
Set-ScheduledTask
Start-ScheduledTask
Stop-ScheduledTask
Unregister-ClusteredScheduledTask
Unregister-ScheduledTask

Below are the parameter for schedule task create schtask.exe.

 SCHTASKS /Create [/S system [/U username [/P [password]]]]  
   [/RU username [/RP password]] /SC schedule [/MO modifier] [/D day]  
   [/M months] [/I idletime] /TN taskname /TR taskrun [/ST starttime]  
   [/RI interval] [ {/ET endtime | /DU duration} [/K] [/XML xmlfile] [/V1]]  
   [/SD startdate] [/ED enddate] [/IT | /NP] [/Z] [/F] [/HRESULT] [/?]  
 Description:  
   Enables an administrator to create scheduled tasks on a local or  
   remote system.  
 Parameter List:  
   /S  system    Specifies the remote system to connect to. If omitted  
             the system parameter defaults to the local system.  
   /U  username   Specifies the user context under which SchTasks.exe   
             should execute.  
   /P  [password]  Specifies the password for the given user context.  
             Prompts for input if omitted.  
   /RU username   Specifies the "run as" user account (user context)  
             under which the task runs. For the system account,  
             valid values are "", "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM"  
             or "SYSTEM".  
             For v2 tasks, "NT AUTHORITY\LOCALSERVICE" and   
             "NT AUTHORITY\NETWORKSERVICE" are also available as well   
             as the well known SIDs for all three.   
   /RP [password]  Specifies the password for the "run as" user.   
             To prompt for the password, the value must be either  
             "*" or none. This password is ignored for the   
             system account. Must be combined with either /RU or  
             /XML switch.  
   /SC  schedule   Specifies the schedule frequency.  
             Valid schedule types: MINUTE, HOURLY, DAILY, WEEKLY,   
             MONTHLY, ONCE, ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
   /MO  modifier   Refines the schedule type to allow finer control over  
             schedule recurrence. Valid values are listed in the   
             "Modifiers" section below.  
   /D  days     Specifies the day of the week to run the task. Valid   
             values: MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT, SUN and for  
             MONTHLY schedules 1 - 31 (days of the month).   
             Wildcard "*" specifies all days.  
   /M  months    Specifies month(s) of the year. Defaults to the first   
             day of the month. Valid values: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR,   
             MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC. Wildcard "*"   
             specifies all months.  
   /I  idletime   Specifies the amount of idle time to wait before   
             running a scheduled ONIDLE task.  
             Valid range: 1 - 999 minutes.  
   /TN  taskname   Specifies a name which uniquely  
             identifies this scheduled task.  
   /TR  taskrun   Specifies the path and file name of the program to be   
             run at the scheduled time.  
             Example: C:\windows\system32\calc.exe  
   /ST  starttime  Specifies the start time to run the task. The time   
             format is HH:mm (24 hour time) for example, 14:30 for   
             2:30 PM. Defaults to current time if /ST is not   
             specified. This option is required with /SC ONCE.  
   /RI  interval   Specifies the repetition interval in minutes. This is   
             not applicable for schedule types: MINUTE, HOURLY,  
             ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
             Valid range: 1 - 599940 minutes.  
             If either /ET or /DU is specified, then it defaults to   
             10 minutes.  
   /ET  endtime   Specifies the end time to run the task. The time format  
             is HH:mm (24 hour time) for example, 14:50 for 2:50 PM.  
             This is not applicable for schedule types: ONSTART,   
             ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
   /DU  duration   Specifies the duration to run the task. The time   
             format is HH:mm. This is not applicable with /ET and  
             for schedule types: ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
             For /V1 tasks, if /RI is specified, duration defaults   
             to 1 hour.  
   /K         Terminates the task at the endtime or duration time.   
             This is not applicable for schedule types: ONSTART,   
             ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT. Either /ET or /DU must be  
             specified.  
   /SD  startdate  Specifies the first date on which the task runs. The   
             format is mm/dd/yyyy. Defaults to the current   
             date. This is not applicable for schedule types: ONCE,   
             ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
   /ED  enddate   Specifies the last date when the task should run. The   
             format is mm/dd/yyyy. This is not applicable for   
             schedule types: ONCE, ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONIDLE, ONEVENT.  
   /EC  ChannelName Specifies the event channel for OnEvent triggers.  
   /IT        Enables the task to run interactively only if the /RU   
             user is currently logged on at the time the job runs.  
             This task runs only if the user is logged in.  
   /NP        No password is stored. The task runs non-interactively  
             as the given user. Only local resources are available.  
   /Z         Marks the task for deletion after its final run.  
   /XML xmlfile   Creates a task from the task XML specified in a file.  
             Can be combined with /RU and /RP switches, or with /RP   
             alone, when task XML already contains the principal.  
   /V1        Creates a task visible to pre-Vista platforms.  
             Not compatible with /XML.  
   /F         Forcefully creates the task and suppresses warnings if   
             the specified task already exists.  
   /RL  level    Sets the Run Level for the job. Valid values are   
             LIMITED and HIGHEST. The default is LIMITED.  
   /DELAY delaytime  Specifies the wait time to delay the running of the   
             task after the trigger is fired. The time format is  
             mmmm:ss. This option is only valid for schedule types  
             ONSTART, ONLOGON, ONEVENT.  
   /HRESULT      For better diagnosability, the process exit code  
             will be in the HRESULT format.  
   /?         Displays this help message.  
 Modifiers: Valid values for the /MO switch per schedule type:  
   MINUTE: 1 - 1439 minutes.  
   HOURLY: 1 - 23 hours.  
   DAILY:  1 - 365 days.  
   WEEKLY: weeks 1 - 52.  
   ONCE:  No modifiers.  
   ONSTART: No modifiers.  
   ONLOGON: No modifiers.  
   ONIDLE: No modifiers.  
   MONTHLY: 1 - 12, or   
        FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, LAST, LASTDAY.  
   ONEVENT: XPath event query string.  
 Examples:  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "doc" on the remote machine "ABC"  
     which runs notepad.exe every hour under user "runasuser".   
     SCHTASKS /Create /S ABC /U user /P password /RU runasuser  
          /RP runaspassword /SC HOURLY /TN doc /TR notepad   
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "accountant" on the remote machine   
     "ABC" to run calc.exe every five minutes from the specified  
     start time to end time between the start date and end date.  
     SCHTASKS /Create /S ABC /U domain\user /P password /SC MINUTE  
          /MO 5 /TN accountant /TR calc.exe /ST 12:00 /ET 14:00  
          /SD 06/06/2006 /ED 06/06/2006 /RU runasuser /RP userpassword  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "gametime" to run freecell on the   
     first Sunday of every month.  
     SCHTASKS /Create /SC MONTHLY /MO first /D SUN /TN gametime   
          /TR c:\windows\system32\freecell  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "report" on remote machine "ABC"  
     to run notepad.exe every week.  
     SCHTASKS /Create /S ABC /U user /P password /RU runasuser  
          /RP runaspassword /SC WEEKLY /TN report /TR notepad.exe  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "logtracker" on remote machine "ABC"  
     to run notepad.exe every five minutes starting from the  
     specified start time with no end time. The /RP password will be  
     prompted for.  
     SCHTASKS /Create /S ABC /U domain\user /P password /SC MINUTE  
          /MO 5 /TN logtracker   
          /TR c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe /ST 18:30  
          /RU runasuser /RP  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "gaming" to run freecell.exe starting  
     at 12:00 and automatically terminating at 14:00 hours every day  
     SCHTASKS /Create /SC DAILY /TN gaming /TR c:\freecell /ST 12:00  
          /ET 14:00 /K  
   ==> Creates a scheduled task "EventLog" to run wevtvwr.msc starting  
     whenever event 101 is published in the System channel  
     SCHTASKS /Create /TN EventLog /TR wevtvwr.msc /SC ONEVENT  
          /EC System /MO *[System/EventID=101]   
   ==> Spaces in file paths can be used by using two sets of quotes, one  
     set for CMD.EXE and one for SchTasks.exe. The outer quotes for CMD  
     need to be double quotes; the inner quotes can be single quotes or  
     escaped double quotes:  
     SCHTASKS /Create   
       /tr "'c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplorer.exe'   
       \"c:\log data\today.xml\"" ...