Improve Install options - Install for all users and install location
Raising this again as Microsoft closed the previous request, saying it was complete even though it was not. (link below)
Teams should install to the program files directory, not the users AppData.
And NO, the answer is not to put a copy of the MSI in Pogram Files and deploy to the users AppData when they login.

The team is looking into this feature and considering solutions. We will update when there is more information to share.
195 comments
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IT Engineer commented
We have notice in our office envornment, when we installed the ms teams it is installed only in that profile of windows PC but it is not reflected in other profile of that system. and hence we installing ms teams in other profiles manully. So, It should be install in all other profiles of that system at same time.
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Liz commented
Users log on to public access machines in a university setting with a mandatory profile and log into their teams account the update applies but is wiped when the user logs off as it removes all user details! need a per machine install
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Chris commented
Up vote
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Rob Hardman commented
Just another vote for the correct enterprise installation logic... ya know, the one that will allow us to write proper machine firewall rules too... not have 1GB of program trash in each user's appdata folder... 👀
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Cristopher commented
I was really hoping we would get an announcement concerning this last year during the Microsoft Ignite Conference. Unfortunately, the conference came and went and not a peep.
So many organizations are struggling with the oddball and backwards way this application is installed, updated, and configured. Please Microsoft, give us a proper installer already.
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DonutCat commented
6 Months and no response.
We are all counting. -
Antonio Figueiredo commented
Why is there no update on this, This is a serious issue for any company that actually cares about security. This is just pure laziness Onedrive by default is an AppData application but their team made a /allusers installation that installs the program correctly in the Program files folder, Why do you not go speak with that team and ask for help.
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Roel commented
It has been more than 5 months since the team has started looking into this feature.
Is there any update available?
This had been a serious roadblock for quite some time now. -
D commented
We currently use RDS terminal server 2016 and not all use it there but it kills our RDSfarm. We have tried to apply the reg fix, GPO entry so it looks like we will have to visit each users profile to remove the option. More options in the ADMX would be good to control this.
We cannot use the Web app as it asks to update to Edge. So I believe this isnt support yet even though I have a beta test version which I had to look for and test on a spare TS server. Any news on the Edge roll out for TS server 2016.
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Nate commented
Can we get a status update on this? This issue combined with no way to bypass the prompt to download the app instead of using the web version (https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/37665004-disable-the-prompt-to-download-the-teams-app-when) when using the web app represents significant usability issues for our users (most of which are using RDSH). Like others have already mentioned installing an app like this and running from the AppData folder also represents significant threats to security. Using the "All User Installer solution" is not great for an RDSH environment as every time a user logs in, the app has to be installed again. If we choose to persist the AppData folder that Teams installs into we end up using over 200GB of space (400 users * 500MB Teams Install) just for Teams. Again the idea that any of this is acceptable is ridiculous. The "VDI solution" also is untenable, as you have to use special registry settings to get it to let you install in a non-VDI environment and then there is no update mechanism other than uninstalling and reinstalling every time there is an update. So that isn't an option. The only option we see as viable at this time is training our users to click through the prompt to keep using the web version every time they login. These issues hindered our adoption prior to the pandemic and thus forced us to an alternative product for a portion of the Teams capabilities that were needed. We are looking to encourage user adoption in 2021 and these issues are significant barriers for us.
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T commented
I really don't understand why a true machine-based installer can't be released?
You do it for Edge! You did it for Skype!
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Aaron commented
Please make machine-based installer!
Teams becomes broken if we "upgrade in place" machines through SCCM. This is because it breaks the AppData packages teams needs in the user profile.
In some environments that have specialist software, configurations and certificates we NEED the option to "upgrade in place" to reduce workload. Microsoft offers two or more upgrades a year yet teams does not support the upgrade. With the way Teams currently works we need to faff around either uninstalling and reinstalling the application and also delprofing user profiles to fix the broken application.
This needs to be a computer based install for education and enterprises. We also need more otpions to stop it from starting at login. After all this is most utilizable as an enterprise product!
Microsoft's choice in the configuration of the Teams packages is ridiculous!
Thanks,
Aaron -
Cristopher commented
I had very high hopes there would be an announcement of a proper machine-based Teams installer at MS Ignite this year. We have been dealing with hundreds of MB of teams 'program files' bloating user profile directories on our PCs. Shared-use teacher PCs and computer labs have become very difficult to manage over the last year because of this.
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GreatToHearFromYou commented
Last week our SentinelOne antivirus flagged C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current\Squirrel.exe as malicious on one of our user's computer. After investigation we discovered that Squirrel.exe had been replaced through a user/browser action with a malicious version. This is exactly why Teams should NOT reside in the %appdata% folder, it is a major security issue that is actively abused.
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Annoyed system architect commented
Still nothing? What is team considering? For months? Good and proven solutions exist since 20 years. Why do you try to reinvent wheel once more? Can you replace philosophers back with engineers? Did you maybe follow the rule "Clouds are trendy and philosophers do like swaying in clouds so let's hire philosophers to design our cloudy systems. Moreover, philosophers are cheaper than engineers"?
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Anonymous commented
teams is the biggest pile of installer **** in a really long time. Your ******* the people that can force a change to think of changing. Make MS Teams follow the rules - have a fix for all of the older versions.
Microsoft - fix this pile of **** installer for Teams. Have it follow YOUR rules.
for now, **** this, over to Zoom for my office.
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Michael commented
And you do realise that, increasingly, software restrictions policies are a thing, right? A really important corporate security thing...
Executing programs out of Appdata is a REALLY big no no in any corporation with any sort of security policy. -
Jim Dunn commented
And this is ESPECIALLY important for those using a Citrix-based system... Teams is ALL OVER THE PLACE.
And yes, PLEASE... give us more Group Policy control.
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Cosmo Kramer commented
I'm probably not adding anything that hasn't already been said, but the amount of storage that gets taken up on local SSD's and on the file server (where we redirect %appdata%) is problematic. It's going to be a major issue when we migrate from Skype to Teams for voice calling. On top of that, installing .exe's and .dll's in %appdata% goes against everything Microsoft preaches with AppLocker. We really need to be able to install this in Program Files and let us manage updates using WSUS, SCCM, or any other enterprise patch management tool.
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MakeTeamsLikeSkype_ASAP commented
to add to this, if you're even at all aiming at enterprise customers of Teams, a must have is the ability to control the app using group policy, please create and add ADMX templates for this.
similar to one drive.
otherwise this app is useless in replacing skypefb.