Create a collection and upgrade the Configuration Manager Console

I was recently assisting a customer on the Configuration Manager upgrade and after the upgrade is done, we need to upgrade the console on endpoint devices to the latest version.

When you install/update your configuration manager site, there will be a change in the console version which needs to be updated on all your endpoints that have the console installed.

If your site is running a new version of Configuration Manager build but your users are at lower version, users will be prompted to install the new console version, next time when they launch the console but it has the following prerequisites to install the console:

§ You have local Administrator rights on the target computer for the console.

§ You have read permissions to the location of the Configuration Manager console installation files.

we follow the standard method by creating a collection that identifies the devices running a lower version of the console, create an application using the admin console files and deploy it silently to upgrade the console.

To create a collection (device), use the following WQL Query:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name,SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup,
SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS on SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where (SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName = "Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager Console" or SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName = "System Center Configuration Manager Console")
and SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.Version < "5.2006.1024.1000"

Replace the console version that matches your site.

Now, we will create an application using the latest admin console setup files and deploy it to the collection.

Grab the following files from <Configuration Manager installation media>\SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 and copy them to a source folder.

  • ConsoleSetup.exe
  • AdminConsole.msi

On the source folder where you placed the above files, create a batch script and use the following silent installation command line switch.

ConsoleSetup.exe /q TargetDir="%ProgramFiles%\ConfigMgr Console" DefaultSiteServerName=SG-CM01.intranet.eskonr

Replace the siteservername


Create an application with deployment type as script and use the following detection method.


Detection method:

Type: File system

Type: File

Path:%ProgramFiles(x86)%\ConfigMgr Console\AdminConsole\bin

File or folder: Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.exe


Replace the value that matches your site server console version.


Deploy the application to the collection that we created initially.

Monitor the deployment using built-in reports/in-console or your custom reports.

Following is the SQL query to find the count of devices with configuration manager console versions.

select arp.DisplayName0,arp.Version0,count(*) Total From v_Add_Remove_Programs arp
where arp.DisplayName0 like 'Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager Console'
or arp.DisplayName0 like 'System Center Configuration Manager Console'
group by arp.DisplayName0,arp.Version0


You can also monitor the console versions that are connected to Configuration manager console using the security view in the console.

\Administration\Overview\Security\Console Connections


Hope it helps!

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