Installing the Applied CSR24 Connection Suite

To batch print certificates from CSR24, install the Applied CSR24 Connection Suite, which includes the Applied CSR24 Extension and Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector. You can only install the Connection Suite components on workstations with Microsoft Windows operating systems. Install the Connection Suite on every computer used to access CSR24. If you connect using a terminal server (for example, using a remote desktop), you must install the Connection Suite on the terminal server.

Your organization can allow users to install the Connection Suite themselves, or your system administrator can install the components en masse on all applicable workstations. This document provides installation instructions for each of these workflows. The Single-User Installation section provides standalone installation instructions for users installing the extension and Desktop Connector themselves. The Mass Installation section provides information for system administrators installing these components across multiple workstations at once. We recommend that only users with experience editing registry entries and creating and distributing script files to multiple workstations perform the mass installation steps.

Single-User Installation

Individual users can install the Applied CSR24 Extension and Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector from the Connection Suite button in the CSR24 Navigation Menu if they have rights to install software and browser extensions on their local machines.

Follow the instructions below to install the extension and Desktop Connector on a single workstation. The extension is available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You must install the extension separately for each web browser that you use to access CSR24. Additionally, you must install the extension before you can download and install the Desktop Connector.

1. Navigate to System Admin > Form Spool.
2. Click Connection Suite in the navigation menu to open the Connection Suite pop-up window.
3. Click the Install button for the Applied CSR24 Extension. The extension installation varies, depending on your browser:
• Google Chrome
  1. The Chrome Web Store opens the Home > Extensions > Applied CSR24 Extension page. Click the Add to Chrome button.
  2. A pop-up message displays the permissions for the extension. Click the Add extension button.
• Mozilla Firefox
  1. The Firefox Browser Add-ons > Extensions page opens to the Applied CSR24 Extension. Click the Add to Firefox button.
  2. A pop-up message displays the permissions for the extension. Click the Add button.
• Microsoft Edge
  1. The Edge Add-ons page opens to Home / Productivity / Applied CSR24 Extension. Click the Get button.
  2. A pop-up message displays the permissions for the extension. Click the Add extension button.
4. In the Connection Suite pop-up window, click the Install button for the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector.
   Note: You must install the Applied CSR24 Extension before you can download and install the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector.
5. After the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector (MSI) file finishes downloading, open the MSI file and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
   Note: Installing the Desktop Connector to the default location is recommended.

Mass Installation

System administrators can perform mass installations of the Applied CSR24 Extension and the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector on multiple workstations in your organization's network simultaneously. If a user accesses CSR24 from multiple browsers, the extension must be installed separately for each one. Install the extension before installing the Desktop Connector.

You must download the Desktop Connector MSI installation file from the Connection Suite menu before you can distribute it.

Applied CSR24 Extension for Google Chrome

You can install the Applied CSR24 Extension to workstations using Google Chrome in either of two ways. If you have a Google Admin account, you can use the Google Admin console. If not, you must edit each workstation’s registry.

Installing the Applied CSR24 Extension from the Google Admin console

If your organization uses Google Workspace, you must use a Google administrator account to access the Google Admin console and manage Google services or devices for a group. To learn more about managing Chrome policies from the Google Admin console, see Automatically install apps and extensions in the Google Chrome Help Center.

You must allow all of the Applied CSR24 Extension permissions for the extension to function; no permissions can be blocked. To learn more about the permission options, see Set app and extension policies in the Google Chrome Help Center.

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console at admin.google.com using your administrator account.
   Note: You must have an administrator account. You cannot access the Google Admin console using a personal Gmail account.
2. From the Google Admin console Home page, navigate to Devices > Chrome.
3. Navigate to Apps & extensions > Users & browsers or Managed guest sessions.
4. To apply your changes to all users and enrolled browsers, leave the highest-level organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select the child organizational unit containing the users and browsers to which you are distributing and installing the extension.
5. Navigate to the Applied CSR24 Extension.
6. Under Installation policy, select Force install.
7. Click Save.
   Note: If you configured a child organizational unit, you may be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings, depending on your organization's structure. Take care to avoid any unintended changes to parent or child organizational unit settings.

Installing the Applied CSR24 Extension to Google Chrome by editing registry values

If your organization does not use a Google administrator account, system administrators can distribute and install the Applied CSR24 Extension to Google Chrome on user workstations by editing the workstations’ registries.

These instructions assume that you are already familiar with the process of creating a script file to edit the registry and distributing the file across multiple workstations. Using your preferred methods for creating and distributing the file, you must edit the parent registry key containing the Applied CSR24 Extension to force the installation of the extension in Google Chrome. These instructions identify the parent registry key and the format for editing it.

If you install the extension using registry entries, users cannot remove or disable the extension without removing the registry key. After you have pushed out the registry changes to users, the extension will be installed the next time each user opens Chrome, but it may take a moment to complete.

1. Edit the parent registry key: Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist\<n>
2. The <n> is an incrementing numeric value representing the extension, with a value of the form <store id>;<update url>. To force the installation of the Applied CSR24 Extension, add the store ID for the Applied CSR24 Extension and the specific URL for Google Chrome:

• <store id>: knpkgfimignhedhkgjegdadakgbkoakg
• <update url>: https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

The finished code to force the installation of the Applied CSR24 Extension to Google Chrome will resemble this example: Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist\ knpkgfimignhedhkgjegdadakgbkoakg;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

Applied CSR24 Extension for Mozilla Firefox

System administrators can distribute and install the Applied CSR24 Extension to Mozilla Firefox on user workstations by editing the workstations’ registries. Before performing these steps, you may want to familiarize yourself with the Mozilla Policy Templates documentation on GitHub, which provides information on additional registry keys and their values, but be aware that the information is in flux. Make sure to download the latest release of the templates for the most accurate list.

These instructions assume that you are already familiar with the process of creating a script file to edit the registry and distributing the file across multiple workstations. Using your preferred methods for creating and distributing the file, you must edit the parent registry key containing the Applied CSR24 Extension to force the installation of the extension in Mozilla Firefox, as well as the parent registry key that controls the user’s ability to uninstall the extension.

These instructions identify the parent registry values and the format for editing them. After you have pushed out the registry changes to users, the extension will be installed the next time each user opens Firefox, but it may take a moment to complete.

Edit the following parent registry values:

1. Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\Install\<n>: This value tells the user’s workstation where to locate the extension to install it.
• <n> is an incrementing numeric value, starting at 1 and corresponding to a specific extension. The value for this key can be either a URL or a network path:
1. Example URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/somefile.xpi
2. Example Network Path: //path/to/somefile.xpi
• The name of the XPI file can be versioned, or simply latest.xpi.
1. Applied recommends using latest.xpi, which ensures that the user's workstation always downloads the latest version of the extension. latest.xpi keeps all users' extension installations current without the need for manual updates to the registry when a new version is available.
2. If your organization has a policy of testing extensions before pushing them to user stations, you may use the versioned URL. However, you must update the registry continually, by providing the updated version of the URL or by updating the installer at the network path, in order to keep the extension current for users.
2. Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\Locked\<n>: This value determines whether the user can uninstall the extension.
1. The <n> is an incrementing numeric value, starting at 1 and corresponding to a specific extension. This value determines whether the given <n> extension can be disabled or uninstalled.
2. If you give the user the option to uninstall the extension, they cannot reinstall it until you push a new version at Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\Install\<n>.

If your organization has previously established a restricted policy on users’ browsers to limit extension installations, you must allow the Applied CSR24 Extension using the Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\ExtensionSettings registry entry. This registry key controls the configuration for the extension. The allowed_types field whitelists the types of extensions and apps that can be installed in Firefox. The value is a list of strings, each of which should be extension, theme, dictionary, or locale. For the Applied CSR24 Extension, extension is required. Additionally, the restricted_domain field lists domains where extensions cannot run their scripts. Make sure this field does not contain the domain of your Applied CSR24 instance.

Applied CSR24 Extension for Microsoft Edge

System administrators can distribute and install the Applied CSR24 Extension to Microsoft Edge on user workstations by editing the workstations’ registries. Before beginning the installation, see Microsoft Edge – Policies – Extension policies for more information on the breadth of the configurable options.

These instructions assume that you are already familiar with the process of creating a script file to edit the registry and distributing the file across multiple workstations. Using your preferred methods for creating and distributing the file, you must edit the parent registry key containing the Applied CSR24 Extension to force the installation of the extension in Microsoft Edge. These instructions identify the parent registry key and the format for editing it.

After you have pushed out the registry changes to users, the extension will be installed the next time each user opens Edge, but it may take a moment to complete.

1. Edit the parent registry key: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallForcelist\<n>
2. The <n> is an incrementing numeric value, starting at 1 and corresponding to a specific extension, with a value of the form <store id>;<update url>. To force the installation of the Applied CSR24 Extension, add the store ID for the Applied CSR24 Extension and the specific URL for Microsoft Edge:

• <store id>: nknnaoephkjpijckabahpdcnaafendbg
• <update url>: https://edge.microsoft.com/extensionwebstorebase/v1/crx

The finished code to force the installation of the Applied CSR24 Extension to Microsoft Edge will resemble this example: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallForcelist\ nknnaoephkjpijckabahpdcnaafendbg;https://edge.microsoft.com/extensionwebstorebase/v1/crx

If your organization has previously established a restricted policy on users’ browsers to limit extension installations, ensure that all permissions are allowed for the Applied CSR24 Extension and/or determine the sources from which users can install extensions can be installed, using the following registry entries:

• SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionSettings

This registry key controls the configuration of the extension. The allowed_types field whitelists the types of extensions and apps that can be installed in Microsoft Edge. The value is a list of strings, each of which should be extension, theme, dictionary, or locale. For the Applied CSR24 Extension, extension is required.

• SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionIntallSources

This registry key defines the URLs that can install extensions and themes. You can install items from any URL that matches an item in this list. You must allow the location of the CRX files and the URL of the page where the download starts. Additionally, the restricted_domain field lists domains where extensions cannot run their scripts. Make sure this field does not contain the domain of your Applied CSR24 Browser instance.

Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector

Before distributing this component, you must download the file locally. The latest Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector MSI installation file is available for download from the Connection Suite menu in Applied CSR24. If you need a version of the Desktop Connector other than the latest version for testing purposes, contact Applied Customer Support to obtain the file.

Once you have the MSI file, you can distribute it using a series of PowerShell commands. For more information on running a single command on multiple machines at once, see Microsoft – Invoke-Command.

Deploying the Desktop Connector MSI File using PowerShell commands

Follow these instructions to download the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector MSI file and invoke the PowerShell commands to distribute it across multiple workstations:

1. Open Applied CSR24 in a supported browser and log in.
2. Click System Admin > Form Spool > Connection Suite.
3. Click the Install button for the Applied CSR24 Desktop Connector to download the latest verified MSI file.
4. Distribute the downloaded MSI file using this series of PowerShell commands: Copy-Item -Path {local path to MSI file} -Destination {remote destination folder} Invoke-Command -ComputerName {remote machine name} -ScriptBlock { & cmd /c "msiexec /i {remote destination folder} /qn INSTALLDIR={folder name}" }