Windows - Software Lifecycle - Install Google Earth Pro

What the Google Earth Pro deployment Worklet does

This Automox Worklet™ deploys Google Earth Pro to Windows endpoints by running the official installer with the OMAHA=1 argument under the Automox agent context. The Worklet first checks whether Google Earth Pro is already registered on the endpoint. If the application is present, the evaluation phase exits with code 0 and no installer is downloaded. If the application is missing, the remediation phase fetches the architecture-matched installer and runs it without user interaction.

The evaluation phase queries two registry locations to make the presence check resilient. On 64-bit Windows endpoints, the Worklet reads HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall to catch both 64-bit and 32-bit application records. A DisplayName match on Google Earth Pro flags the endpoint as compliant. On 32-bit endpoints, the Worklet checks only the native uninstall path.

The remediation phase creates a per-Worklet staging directory at C:\ProgramData\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-696, downloads the Google Earth Pro installer from the Automox content cache at api.automox.com/api/cache, and runs it with the OMAHA=1 argument. The OMAHA=1 property registers the application with Google's update channel under managed control. After the install completes, the Worklet deletes the staged installer from the cache directory to reclaim disk space.

Why deploy Google Earth Pro from a managed runtime

Google Earth Pro is the geospatial reference application for analysts, surveyors, insurance adjusters, environmental teams, and field operations groups. When the install is left to the end user, version drift sets in quickly. One analyst pulls the latest 7.3.x build off the public download page, another inherits an older image with 7.1.x baked in, and a third never installs it at all.

The browser version of Google Earth at earth.google.com supports KML import and basic measurement, but lacks the advanced layer management, GIS data import (Shapefile, GeoTIFF), high-resolution print layouts, movie maker, and offline cache controls available in the desktop Pro client. Mixed tooling produces inconsistent geospatial output across the fleet.

Bind this Worklet to your GIS and analyst workstation group; the same installer runs under the Automox agent context on every endpoint in scope. The next evaluation reads the Google Earth Pro DisplayName from the uninstall registry hives and exits compliant, so the policy can stay on a recurring schedule without re-downloading the installer.

How Google Earth Pro deployment works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet enumerates uninstall registry entries under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and the Wow6432Node mirror, then matches DisplayName against Google Earth Pro. If a match is found, the endpoint is flagged compliant with exit code 0 and the script writes a short status line to the Automox activity log. If no match is found, the endpoint exits with code 2 and remediation is scheduled.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet calls a New-WorkletCache helper to create C:\ProgramData\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-696 when it does not already exist. It then downloads the architecture-matched Google Earth Pro installer from api.automox.com/api/cache and runs it via Start-Process with OMAHA=1 as the argument. After the installer returns exit code 0, the Worklet removes the staged file from the cache directory. A non-zero exit code surfaces through Write-Error and bubbles up to the Automox activity log, so failed installs do not hide in a green policy run.

Google Earth Pro deployment requirements

• Windows 10, Windows 11, or supported Windows Server release with the Automox agent installed

• Administrative privileges in the Automox agent service context (the default install meets this)

• Outbound HTTPS reachability to api.automox.com for the installer download

• Write access to C:\ProgramData\amagent\WorkletCache and to C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth Pro (the installer target)

• Free disk space for the staged installer plus the installed application

• No policy variables to configure; the Worklet auto-detects 32-bit versus 64-bit at runtime and ships predefined installer arguments

Expected state after Google Earth Pro deployment

After a successful policy run, Google Earth Pro is present on the endpoint under C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth Pro\client\googleearth.exe. The Start menu shortcut is registered, and the uninstall record appears under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall with a DisplayName of Google Earth Pro and a current DisplayVersion. The staged installer is removed from C:\ProgramData\amagent\WorkletCache\WSE-696, so the cache directory does not accumulate artifacts between policy runs.

Validate the deployment in one of three ways. Open Add or Remove Programs and confirm Google Earth Pro is listed. Launch the application and load a KML overlay to confirm full functionality. Or run Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Where-Object DisplayName -eq 'Google Earth Pro' in an elevated PowerShell session and inspect the returned DisplayVersion. Subsequent runs of the Worklet detect the existing install through the same registry query and exit compliant without re-downloading the installer. Leave the policy on a recurring cadence so new endpoints that join the workstation group pick the install up on their next agent check-in.