How to configure Intune’s MDM to use Proton VPN on Windows
Businesses can use mobile device management (MDM) platforms to install and manage Proton VPN on their team members’ Windows PCs. This guide explains how to configure the MDM functionality of Microsoft Intune to set up Proton VPN on your team’s Windows devices. This will allow you to:
- Automatically install Proton VPN on your organization users’ Windows PCs
- Monitor deployment
To get started, you’ll need:
- A Microsoft Intune admin account for your organization
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- How to add a new user
- How to configure Intune to use the Proton VPN app
- How to set up a MDM on a Windows PC
- How to monitor deployment of the Proton VPN app
Learn how to configure Microsoft’s Intune’s MDM to use Proton VPN on Android(new window)
Step one: Add new users
1. Sign in to intune.microsoft.com(new window) and go to Users → + New user → Create new user.
2. Fill in the new user’s details and and click Review + create when you’re ready. Be sure to make a note of the password, as you’ll need it to set up a business profile on the user’s PC (see step three).
3. Review the user profile you’ve just created and click Create when you’re ready.
Step two: Configure Intune to use the Proton VPN app
To use the Proton VPN app with Intune, we must first convert it into a .intunewin file. To do this:
1. Download(new window) the latest version of Proton VPN for Windows.
2. Download the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool(new window) from Github as a ZIP file and unzip it.
3. Double-click the unzipped IntuneWinAppUtil.exe file to run it, and enter:
- Source folder: Path to the folder where the Proton VPN EXE setup file is saved
- Setup file: The exact name of the downloaded Proton VPN EXE setup file (ProtonVPN_xxxx.exe)
- Output folder: Path to the folder where the .intunewinSource file will be saved
- Do you want to specify cataog order (Y/N)? n
The program will create a file called ProtonVPN_xxxx.intunewinSource in the output folder.
4. Sign in to intune.microsoft.com(new window) and go to Apps → By platform → Windows → +Add → Select app type → App type. Select Windows app (Win32) from the dropdown menu → Select.
5. Click Select app package file → App package file and locate the ProtonVPN_xxxx.intunewin file you just created. Click OK when you’re ready.
6. Fill in as many details as you like (the Category field is a mandatory field). For the Logo, you can use this image(new window). Click Next when you’re done.
7. Enter the following information:
- Install command: ProtonVPN_V3.3.2.exe /verysilent
- Uninstall command: “%programfiles%\Proton\VPN\unins000.exe” /verysilent
- Install behavior: Select System or User based on your preference (hover your mouse over the ℹ icon for an explanation)
The other settings can be left at their default values. Click Next when you’re ready.
8. Specify the minimum device requirements for running Proton VPN. Unless your organization has any specific requirements, we recommend the following:
- stem architecture: Select both 32-bit and 64-bit from the dropdown menu
- Minimum operating system: Windows 10 1607
- Disk space required (MB): 200
- else: Leave blank
Click Next when you’re ready.
9. Add a rule to detect if the Proton VPN app is already installed on users’ PCs. We recommend the following settings:
- Rules format: Manually configure detection rules
- Rules type: File
- Path: %programfiles%\Proton\VPN
- File or folder: ProtonVPN.Launcher.exe
- Detection method: File or folder exists
- Associated with a 32-bit app on 64-bit clients: No
Click OK when you’re done, followed by Next. You can also click Next to skip through the Superintendence and Supersedence tabs.
10. On the Assignments tab, select Available for enrolled devices → +Add all users, followed by Next.
10. Review your settings and click Create.
Step three: Set up MDM on a Windows PC
This step can be performed by your organization’s administrator on company devices or by your team members on their own PCs.
1. On the Windows device, install the Company Portal app from the Microsoft Store.
2. Open the Company Portal app and sign in using the username and password created in step one.
3. You can find the Proton VPN app under the category specified in step 3.6 above, or you can search for it. Click on it to install.
A managed version of Proton VPN is now installed on your Windows PC, and can be run from the Start menu.
How to monitor deployment of the Proton VPN app
1. Apps → Monitor → VPN Proton. You can also mange the app’s properties from here.
