You can edit the Windows registry to prevent the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client from installing on specific computers when you use the site-wide automatic client push installation method. The registry of each Configuration Manager primary site server contains a list of computers to exclude from site-wide automatic client push installation. When you exclude these computers, they can still be found by using Configuration Manager discovery methods. In addition, this registry entry does not prevent the client from installing when you use other client installation methods, such as the Client Push Wizard or by manually running CCMSetup.exe.

Important
If you use the Registry Editor incorrectly, you might cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using the Registry Editor incorrectly. Use the Registry Editor at your own risk.

When you add a computer to the ExcludeServers list, Configuration Manager sets the installed flag in the resource record for this computer. During standard operation, the installed flag prevents Configuration Manager from reinstalling the client when automatic site-wide client push installation is enabled. When you add a computer name to the exclude list, it also prevents Configuration Manager from installing the client on that computer when it is discovered and automatic site-wide client push installation is enabled.

If you later remove the computer from the exclude list because you want to install the client, the installed flag remains. To clear this flag so that the client will install, you must also run the Clear Install Flag maintenance task. To verify whether the installed flag is set for a computer, view the properties of the resource in the Administration workspace. The item Client in the Discovery data list displays Yes when the installed flag is set and No when the install flag is not set.

Use the following procedures to add computers to the exclude list and to run the Clear Install Flag task if this task is necessary.

To add computers to the exclude list to prevent client software from being installed when automatic site-wide client push is enabled

  1. Open the Windows Registry Editor on the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site server for the site that you want to exclude a computer from joining.

  2. Locate the SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER sub-key by browsing to the following path:

    • For a 32-bit operating system: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/SMS/Components/SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER

    • For a 64-bit operating system: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Wow6432Node/Microsoft/SMS/Components/SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER

  3. To enter the name of the computers that you want to exclude, double-click the key ExcludeServers to open the Edit Multi-String window.

  4. In the Edit Multi-String window, specify the NetBIOS name of each computer that you want to exclude. Press the Enter key after you type each computer name to ensure that each computer name appears on a separate line.

  5. After you have entered all the computer names of computers to exclude, click OK. Close the Registry Editor window.

To clear the install flag so that client software will install when automatic site-wide client push is enabled

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

  2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, click Sites, and then select the site that automatically installs the client software.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Settings group, click Site Maintenance.

  4. In the Site Maintenance dialog box, select Clear Install Flag, and then click Edit.

  5. In the Clear Install Flag Properties dialog box, specify the following:

    • Select Enable this task to enable the clear install flag task.

    • Configure the schedule to control how often the task runs.

  6. Click OK to close the Clear Install Flag Properties dialog box.

After this task runs at the specified schedule, any computers that you remove from the exclude list can now be installed by using automatic site-wide client push installation.

See Also