Create a Custom Detection Script for Pharos Controls Designer (PowerShell)

Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (MEMCM / SCCM) and Microsoft Intune use Detection Rules to determine the presence of Applications & Win32 Apps. The detection rules ensure that application installations only begin to run if the application is not already installed on the device. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to create an updated custom detection script for each new version of Pharos Controls Designer using PowerShell.

How to Create a Custom Detection Script for Pharos Controls Designer

Pharos Controls Designer (File Detection Method)

Install the version of Pharos Controls Designer you want to deploy on a test box or VM
- Check out the following posts for further details
  - Pharos Controls Designer 2 Silent Install (How-To Guide)
  - Pharos Controls Designer 2 Install and Uninstall (PowerShell)
Open Windows PowerShell ISE by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell ISE and selecting Run as Administrator
Copy the following code into the Windows PowerShell ISE

## Check for Pharos Controls Designer (File Detection Method)
$PharosDesignerExe = (Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Program Files\Pharos Controls\Designer*\pharos_designer.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
$PharosDesignerExe.FullName
$PharosDesignerPath = $($PharosDesignerExe.FullName).Replace("C:\Program Files\","")
$FileVersion = (Get-Item -Path "$($PharosDesignerExe.FullName)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion

## Create Text File with Pharos Controls Designer File Detection Method
$FilePath = "C:\Windows\Temp\Pharos_Controls_Designer_Detection_Method.txt"
New-Item -Path "$FilePath" -Force
Set-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "If([String](Get-Item -Path `"`$Env:ProgramFiles\$PharosDesignerPath`" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion -ge `"$FileVersion`"){"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Write-Host `"Installed`""
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 0"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "else {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 1"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Invoke-Item $FilePath

Click Run Script (F5)
A text file will open with the Pharos Controls Designer Detection Method script required to detect the current version of Pharos Controls Designer that is installed on the device you are running the script from.

Example:

If([String](Get-Item -Path "$Env:ProgramFiles\Pharos Controls\Designer 2\pharos_designer.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).VersionInfo.FileVersion -ge "2.8.6.0"){
Write-Host "Installed"
Exit 0
}
else {
Exit 1
}

Copy the Pharos Controls Designer Detection Method script content into the Custom Detection Rules (Script)
Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (MEMCM / SCCM)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/apps/deploy-use/create-applications#bkmk_detect-script
Microsoft Intune
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-win32-add

Pharos Controls Designer (Registry Detection Method)

Install the version of Pharos Controls Designer you want to deploy on a test box or VM
- Check out the following posts for further details
  - Pharos Controls Designer 2 Silent Install (How-To Guide)
  - Pharos Controls Designer 2 Install and Uninstall (PowerShell)
Open Windows PowerShell ISE by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell ISE and selecting Run as Administrator
Copy the following code into the Windows PowerShell ISE

## Check for Pharos Controls Designer (Registry Detection Method)
$PharosDesigner = Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall" | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -match 'Pharos Controls Designer' } | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, DisplayVersion, PSChildName
$PharosDesigner.DisplayVersion
$PharosDesigner.PSChildName

## Create Text File with Pharos Controls Designer Registry Detection Method
$FilePath = "C:\Windows\Temp\Pharos_Controls_Designer_Detection_Method.txt"
New-Item -Path "$FilePath" -Force
Set-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "If([Version](Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\$($PharosDesigner.PSChildName)' -Name DisplayVersion -ea SilentlyContinue) -ge '$($PharosDesigner.DisplayVersion)') {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Write-Host `"Installed`""
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 0"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "else {"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "Exit 1"
Add-Content -Path "$FilePath" -Value "}"
Invoke-Item $FilePath

Click Run Script (F5)
A text file will open with the Pharos Controls Designer Detection Method script required to detect the current version of Pharos Controls Designer that is installed on the device you are running the script from.

Example:

If([Version](Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Pharos Controls Designer' -Name DisplayVersion -ea SilentlyContinue) -ge '2.8.6') {
Write-Host "Installed"
Exit 0
}
else {
Exit 1
}

Copy the Pharos Controls Designer Detection Method script content into the Custom Detection Rules (Script)
Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (MEMCM / SCCM)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/apps/deploy-use/create-applications#bkmk_detect-script
Microsoft Intune
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-win32-add

Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.