By editing the Windows registry, you can prevent the Configuration Manager 2007 client from installing on specific computers when using the site-wide automatic client push installation method. The registry of the Configuration Manager 2007 site server contains a list of computers that should be excluded from site-wide automatic client push installation. Computers that are excluded from the client installation can still be found by using Configuration Manager 2007 discovery methods. This procedure does not prevent the client from installing when you are using 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 could require you to reinstall your 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, it is flagged with a status of installed, which prevents the client from reinstalling by using the automatic site-wide client push installation method. If you later remove the computer from the exclude list, this flag remains. To change this status to uninstalled, you must run the clear install flag task. You can view the install status for a client on the General tab of the Resource Properties dialog box. To open this dialog box, right-click a computer in the Configuration Manager console, and then click Properties. The item Client in the Discovery data list indicates the install status of the client.

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 using automatic site-wide client push

  1. Open the Windows Registry Editor on the Configuration Manager 2007 site server that hosts the site that you want to exclude a computer from joining.

  2. Locate the SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER sub-key by browsing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/SMS/Components/SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER.

  3. To enter the name of the computers 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 you want to exclude. Press the Enter key after typing each computer name to ensure that each computer name appears on a separate line.

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

To clear the Install Flag so that client software will install

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site code> - <site name> / Site Settings / Site Maintenance / Tasks.

  2. Double-click Clear Install Flag to open the Clear Install Flag Properties dialog box.

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

    • Select the checkbox to enable the clear install flag task.

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

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

See Also