I'm deploying Claude Desktop through Microsoft Intune with RoboPack handling patch management. The application is packaged as an MSIX and installed in machine scope. The deployment works, but I'm unsure whether this is the best configuration for Claude Cowork, since a user-scoped installation may fail to register Cowork with its virtualization service.
For updates, I'm currently updating the existing installation rather than uninstalling it first. This temporarily leaves the installed and staged packages on the device until Claude is closed and the update finishes. I'm avoiding a full uninstall because it could interrupt users and potentially remove settings such as MCP connectors, extensions, and other user configuration.
Has anyone deployed Claude Desktop through Intune, particularly using RoboPack? I'd be interested in the settings and packaging approach that worked for you, including whether you used MSIX or EXE packaging and whether you configured updates as upgrades or uninstall-and-reinstall operations.
2 Answers
The main thing I’d want to clarify is whether RoboPack is deploying the MSIX directly or wrapping it in a PowerShell installation script. The answer can affect detection rules, install context, and how updates are triggered.
Keeping the previous package during an update is reasonable if Claude needs to be closed before the staged version can take over. An uninstall-first workflow could interrupt users and risk removing local configuration, so an in-place update is generally preferable as long as the old package is cleaned up after the application exits and the new version becomes active.
For application deployments in Intune, I usually put the installation logic in a PowerShell script alongside the MSI or setup executable. Pre-install and post-install scripts make it easier to handle detection, cleanup, prerequisites, and any special configuration instead of relying entirely on the package defaults.
I’d first get the install and update behavior working reliably in a standalone PowerShell script, then move that logic into RoboPack. A script launched in the same system context as the Intune deployment should give you a good indication of how the final package will behave.
I’m wrapping the MSIX deployment in a script. I’m intentionally avoiding an uninstall-first update because it would be disruptive and could remove user data such as MCP connectors, extensions, and other Claude configuration.