Install Google Chrome

What the Chrome installer Worklet does

This Automox Worklet™ installs the latest version of Google Chrome on Windows endpoints when the browser is missing. The Worklet detects the endpoint architecture, requests the matching x64, x86, or arm64 MSI from the Automox installer cache, and runs a silent machine-wide install under the Automox agent context.

Evaluation checks the uninstall registry under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for any DisplayName matching Google Chrome. If a matching entry exists, the Worklet exits compliant without touching the endpoint, so the policy is safe to schedule on a recurring cadence.

When Chrome is absent, the remediation phase downloads GoogleChrome.msi to %ProgramData%\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-860 and runs msiexec.exe with /i, /l*v for verbose logging, /qn, and /norestart. The install log is written next to the MSI as GoogleChrome_install.log for post-run troubleshooting.

Why deploy Google Chrome at fleet scale

Chrome is one of the highest-volume browsers on most Windows fleets, which makes it a frequent target for endpoint standardization. A missing Chrome on even a small slice of endpoints produces help-desk tickets, blocked SaaS access, and a backlog of unpatched browser CVEs that bypass other security controls. Manually installing Chrome by remote session does not scale past a few dozen laptops, and image-based deployment leaves anything provisioned outside the gold image untouched.

Run this Worklet across the fleet to apply the architecture-matched MSI to every Windows endpoint Automox manages and produce a single auditable record of which endpoints received the install. Pair it with Automox third-party patching to keep Chrome current after the initial deployment.

How the Chrome installer works

1. Evaluation phase: The script queries HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* and returns the first entry whose DisplayName matches Google Chrome. A match returns exit code 0 and marks the endpoint compliant. An empty result returns exit code 2 and flags the endpoint for remediation.

2. Remediation phase: The script reads [System.Runtime.InteropServices.RuntimeInformation]::OSArchitecture to pick the x64, x86, or arm64 build, downloads the MSI from the Automox installer cache (api.automox.com/api/cache) using System.Net.WebClient.DownloadFile, and runs msiexec.exe with /i GoogleChrome.msi /l*v GoogleChrome_install.log /qn /norestart. Exit codes 0, 3010, and 1641 are treated as success; a 300-second timeout terminates the process and fails the run if msiexec hangs.

Chrome install requirements

• Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016 and newer on x64, x86, or arm64 hardware

• Automox agent installed and reporting, providing the SYSTEM context needed for a machine-wide msiexec install

• Outbound HTTPS access from the endpoint to api.automox.com to pull the architecture-matched MSI from the Automox installer cache

• TLS 1.2 enabled on the endpoint for the WebClient download (default on supported Windows versions)

• Roughly 250 MB of free disk space for the installer plus the Chrome footprint, with write access to %ProgramData%\amagent\WorkletCache

• No competing Chrome MSI from another deployment tool (SCCM, Intune) running in the same window, which can cause msiexec to return 1618

Expected state after Chrome install

After a successful run, Google Chrome appears under Settings → Apps → Installed apps and in Control Panel → Programs and Features. The chrome.exe binary lands under C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe on x64 and arm64 endpoints, or C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe on 32-bit endpoints, and the Start menu picks up the Google Chrome shortcut for all user profiles. Subsequent Worklet evaluations short-circuit on the registry check and report the endpoint compliant without re-running the MSI.

To validate manually, open PowerShell as an administrator and run Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' | Where-Object DisplayName -Like 'Google Chrome*' | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion. The output should show the installed Chrome build. Open chrome://settings/help in the browser to confirm the same version and verify that Google's own updater is registered for future updates. The verbose MSI log at %ProgramData%\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-860\GoogleChrome_install.log captures any installer-side errors if the run fails.