MD-102 Manage applications Practice Question
You manage Windows devices with Microsoft Intune. A required Win32 app (an .intunewin package) was assigned to a device group, but the app never installs and the device shows no error. The app's install command is `setup.exe /silent`, and the detection rule is a registry key that the installer writes only under HKLM\SOFTWARE. You confirm the app installs successfully when run manually as a standard user. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a silent non-installation always means a packaging or assignment problem, when the actual cause is the install context being unable to write to a machine-wide registry location.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The install command runs in the user context, so the HKLM registry key cannot be written.
The key detail is that the detection rule checks an HKLM registry key, which can only be written with administrative privileges. If the Win32 app was configured to install in user context, the installer cannot create that key, so detection never succeeds and Intune reports the app as not installed without an obvious error. Switching the install behavior to system context allows the installer to write to HKLM and satisfy detection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The app must be assigned to a user group because Win32 apps cannot be assigned to device groups.
Why it's wrong here
Win32 apps can be assigned to both user and device groups in Intune. Assigning to a device group is valid and common for required installations. The scenario's silent failure with an HKLM detection rule points to the installer context, not the assignment target, so this option does not resolve the issue.
- ✓
The install command runs in the user context, so the HKLM registry key cannot be written.
Why this is correct
By default, Win32 app install commands run in the system context (SYSTEM) on the device. If the package was configured to install in user context, the installer cannot write to HKLM, which requires administrative rights. Because the detection rule looks for that HKLM key, detection fails and Intune reports the app as not installed with no visible error, matching the scenario.
- ✗
The .intunewin package must be signed with a code-signing certificate before it can install.
Why it's wrong here
Intune does not require .intunewin packages to be code-signed for installation. While signing installers is a good practice for trust and SmartScreen, the absence of a signature would typically produce a visible warning or failure, not a silent non-installation. This does not match the described behavior.
- ✗
The detection rule must use a file path instead of a registry key for required apps.
Why it's wrong here
Registry-based detection rules are fully supported for Win32 apps in Intune and are commonly used. Requiring a file path would not explain the failure, because the registry key is written correctly when the installer runs with the necessary privileges. The problem is the execution context of the installer, not the detection rule type.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Monitoring Devices with Reports and Alerts
Key term
Device group
A device group is a logical collection of devices managed together for applying policies, configurations, and updates in an enterprise IT environment.
Key term
Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that helps organizations manage employee devices, apps, and security policies without needing to own or control the physical hardware.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This MD-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MD-102 exam.