Install Chrome Extension

Posted onAuthorMrNetTek

There are 2 methods you can use when installing a Chrome Extension

Using the Windows registry

  1. Make the .crx extension file available to the machine you want to install the extension on. (Copy it to a local directory or to a network share — for example, \\server\share\extension.crx.)
  2. Find or create the following key in the registry:
    • 32-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Google\Chrome\Extensions
    • 64-bit Windows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Google\Chrome\Extensions
  3. Create a new key (folder) under the Extensions key with the same name as the ID of your extension (for example, aaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbcccccccccc).
  4. Create two string values (REG_SZ) named “path” and “version”, and set them to the extension’s location and version. For example:
    • path: \\server\share\extension.crx
    • version: 1.0
  5. Launch the browser and go to chrome://extensions; you should see the extension listed.

 

Using a preferences file

Windows note: Until bug 41902 is fixed, you might want to use the Windows registry instead of the preferences file.

Note: Previous versions of Google Chrome used an external_extensions.json file to specify which extensions to install. This file has been deprecated in favor of individual .json files, one per extension.

    1. If you are installing from a file, make the .crx extension file available to the machine you want to install the extension on. (Copy it to a local directory or to a network share for example, \\server\share\extension.crx or /home/share/extension.crx.)
    2. Create a file with the following name in one of the folders listed below: aaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbcccccccccc.json where the file name (without the extension) corresponds to your extension’s ID. The location depends on the operating system.
Windows:
chrome_root\Application\chrome_version\Extensions\  Example: c:\Users\Me\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\6.0.422.0\Extensions\

You can also use a reference machine

If all fails, you can just use a reference machine to collect your settings, and then replicate those settings and files through all profiles using this

@rem —– ExeScript Options End —–
@echo on
set CurDir=%CD%
set _curruser=%%~nu

c:\windows\system32\taskkill.exe /f /im chrome.exe

:::::::::::EXTRACT FILES ::::::::::::
“%CurDir%\source_files.exe”
::::::::::::END EXTRACT::::::::::::::

:::::::::::BEGIN OS CHECK::::::::::::
ver | find “XP” > nul
if %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 goto :winxp

ver | find “7600” > nul
if %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 goto :win7

ver | find “7601” > nul
if %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 goto :win7

goto :end
::::::::::::END OS CHECK:::::::::::::

:winxp
REM RETURN WINXP USER PROFILES – run routine minus exceptions

rem get user profiles
for /D %%u in (C:\docume~1\*) do (

rem add exceptions here
if “%_curruser%” NEQ “administrator” (
if “%_curruser%” NEQ “All Users” (
if “%_curruser%” NEQ “Default” (
if “%_curruser%” NEQ “LocalService” (
if “%_curruser%” NEQ “NetworkService” (

rem copies all required files
xcopy “%CurDir%\source_files\*.*” “C:\Documents and Settings\%_curruser%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\” /s /e /h /c /y

)
)
)
)
)

)

exit /b 0

:win7
REM RETURN WIN7 USER PROFILES – run routine minus exceptions

rem get user profiles
for /D %%u in (C:\Users\*) do (

rem add exceptions here
if %_curruser% NEQ Public (
if %_curruser% NEQ Default (

rem copies all required files
xcopy “%CurDir%\source_files\*.*” “C:\Users\%_curruser%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\” /s /e /h /c /y

)
)

)

exit /b 0

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