This blogpost is about deploying Teams with custom settings, like automatic startup, automatic login, open in background and so on. To make auto-logon work, AzureAD join is a prerequisite.

TL;DR
– Make sure AzureAD seamless SSO is set up (link)
– Download Teams installers from here (link)
– Create a folder in NETLOGON (or other share that can be accessed by users) and place the installers there
– Deploy the script below as user logon script, correct paths in the first two lines
+1: Use Microsoft’s script (link) as startup script to create firewall exceptions

$Teams_x64_installer = "\\domain.com\Netlogon\Teams\x64\Teams_windows_x64.exe"
$Teams_x86_installer = "\\domain.com\Netlogon\Teams\x86\Teams_windows.exe"
#OSCheck
if ((gwmi -query "select Caption from Win32_OperatingSystem").Caption -notmatch "Windows 10"){exit}

#Check office version
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness
        if($bitness -eq $null) {
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
        if($bitness -eq $null) {
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
        if($bitness -eq $null) {
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
        if($bitness -eq $null) {
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
        if($bitness -eq $null) {
        $bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
#if no Office found, set bitness to match OS architecture
if ($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = "x"+(gwmi -query "select osarchitecture from win32_operatingsystem").osarchitecture.substring(0,2)
}

#select installer
switch ($bitness){
    "x64"{$EXE_teamsInstall = $Teams_x64_installer}
    "x86"{$EXE_teamsInstall = $Teams_x86_installer}
}

#Check if Teams is already present, install if needed 
    If (Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe"){}else{
        #Install Teams
        $Command_teamsInstall = "$EXE_teamsInstall -s"
        Invoke-Expression $Command_teamsInstall
        
	#Wait for install process to finish
        while (Get-Process | ? {$_.Path -eq "$EXE_teamsInstall"}){
        Start-Sleep 1}
    }

$desktopConfig = "$env:appdata\Microsoft\Teams\desktop-config.json"

##If it was not previously backed up, then back it up and modify configuration
if (Test-Path "$desktopConfig.original"){}else{
 #Create backup
 Copy-Item $desktopConfig -Destination "$desktopConfig.original"
 
 #Import JSON config
 $JSON_desktopConfig = Get-Content $desktopConfig -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
 
 #Set JSON config 
  $JSON_desktopConfig.isAppFirstRun = $false
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isForeground" -Value $false -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isMaximized" -Value $false -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "teamsUrlProtocolsRegistered" -Value $true -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "lyncUrlProtocolsRegistered" -Value $true -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "appPreferenceSettings" -Value "" -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig.appPreferenceSettings = [pscustomobject]@{
        openAsHidden = $true
        openAtLogin = $true
        runningOnClose = $true
        }
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isLoggedOut" -Value $false -Force
  $JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "pastModernAuthSucceeded" -Value $true -Force

  #Export JSON config
  $JSON_desktopConfig | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 20 | Set-Content $desktopConfig

}

#If it is not set to run automatically, then change this behavior
    if (Get-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ -Name com.squirrel.Teams.Teams -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue){}else{
    #Create startup registry setting
    New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\" -name "com.squirrel.Teams.Teams" -PropertyType String  -Value ("$env:USERPROFILE" + '\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart "Teams.exe" --process-start-args "--system-initiated"')
}

Explained

To enable automatic login, AzureAD seamless SSO is needed. It’s very easy to set up, just follow Microsoft’s guide (link)

Downloading Teams EXE installers is also very straightforward:

Next step is to place these installers to a shared folder where users have at least READ permission. I prefer to use the domains NETLOGON folder for this:

Next, prepare the deployment script. This one consists of the following:

First, the paths of the exe files are defined in separate variables:
$Teams_x64_installer = "\domain.com\Netlogon\Teams\x64\Teams_windows_x64.exe"
$Teams_x86_installer = "\domain.com\Netlogon\Teams\x86\Teams_windows.exe"

Then, there is an OS check (it will install only on Windows 10):
if ((gwmi -query "select Caption from Win32_OperatingSystem").Caption -notmatch "Windows 10"){exit}

The following lines are looking for Office (Outlook exactly) to determine the bitness – so that the script will install the same version of Teams:
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness
if($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
if($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
if($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
if($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}
if($bitness -eq $null) {
$bitness = (get-itemproperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook -name Bitness -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Bitness}

If Office is not found, the matching OS architecture will be used:
if ($bitness -eq $null) {$bitness = "x"+(gwmi -query "select osarchitecture from win32_operatingsystem").osarchitecture.substring(0,2)}

Based on the determined architecture, $EXE_teamsInstall variable is defined:
switch ($bitness){
"x64"{$EXE_teamsInstall = $Teams_x64_installer}
"x86"{$EXE_teamsInstall = $Teams_x86_installer}
}

Then the script is checking if Teams is already installed. If not, the installer invokes the installation command and waits for the process to finish:
If (Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe"){}else{
#Install Teams
$Command_teamsInstall = "$EXE_teamsInstall -s"
Invoke-Expression $Command_teamsInstall
#Wait for install process to finish
while (Get-Process | ? {$_.Path -eq "$EXE_teamsInstall"}){
Start-Sleep 1}
}

The following step is to configure the Teams client. Teams stores its configuration data in a JSON file, this is what we have to manipulate. You can find an awesome walkthrough by Dr Scripto (link). My version works as follows:

First, the configuration JSON file is defined in $desktopConfig variable:
$desktopConfig = "$env:appdata\Microsoft\Teams\desktop-config.json"

Then the script checks if there is a backup file (desktop-config.json.original).
if (Test-Path "$desktopConfig.original"){}else{

If it finds one, it assumes that the script already ran. If there is no backup file, it creates a backup:
Copy-Item $desktopConfig -Destination "$desktopConfig.original"

Then comes the JSON manipulation:
– import the config to a variable:
$JSON_desktopConfig = Get-Content $desktopConfig -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
– make the following changes: disable first run wizard, open in backup, keep the app running on close, omit first time login screen:
$JSON_desktopConfig.isAppFirstRun = $false
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isForeground" -Value $false -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isMaximized" -Value $false -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "teamsUrlProtocolsRegistered" -Value $true -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "lyncUrlProtocolsRegistered" -Value $true -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "appPreferenceSettings" -Value "" -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig.appPreferenceSettings = [pscustomobject]@{
openAsHidden = $true
openAtLogin = $true
runningOnClose = $true
}
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "isLoggedOut" -Value $false -Force
$JSON_desktopConfig | Add-Member -MemberType NoteProperty -Name "pastModernAuthSucceeded" -Value $true -Force
-the changes then get exported to the configuration file:
$JSON_desktopConfig | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 20 | Set-Content $desktopConfig

The last step is to make the app run automatically by creating a registry key (if it does not exist):
if (Get-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ -Name com.squirrel.Teams.Teams -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue){}else{
#Create startup registry setting
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\" -name "com.squirrel.Teams.Teams" -PropertyType String -Value ("$env:USERPROFILE" + '\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart "Teams.exe" --process-start-args "--system-initiated"')
}

Now that the script is ready, it is time to deploy the script as a user logon script:

Make sure the user has Teams licence too 🙂