Deploy Stop Motion Studio 2 on Windows 11 through Microsoft Intune
Silent Deployment via Microsoft Intune
This guide explains how IT administrators can deploy Stop Motion Studio 2 and activate it across school-managed Windows 11 devices using Microsoft Intune.
For shared classroom computers, both packages should be deployed to a device group. Stop Motion Studio should be installed as a Required application in Device context.
Overview
The deployment consists of two separate packages that are uploaded and managed independently in Intune:
| Package | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Stop Motion Studio .msix | Line-of-business app | Installs Stop Motion Studio |
Activation Utility .intunewin | Windows app (Win32) | Silently activates the license on each device |
The MSIX is uploaded directly to Intune as a Line-of-business app. It is not included in the .intunewin package.
The .intunewin package contains only the activation utility.
Keeping the application and activation separate means that future versions of Stop Motion Studio can be deployed without reactivating each device. The activation utility only needs to be deployed again if the license key changes or the activation token has been removed.
The activation utility encrypts the school license using the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) and stores the encrypted activation token in the machine registry. The license key is not stored in plain text.
Once activation has been deployed successfully, Stop Motion Studio is activated for users of that device without requiring students to enter a serial number.
Prerequisites
Before beginning, download:
- Stop Motion Studio for Windows.msix — the 64-bit Stop Motion Studio application.
- ActivationUtility.intunewin — the packaged activation utility.
You will also need:
- Microsoft Intune access with permission to add and assign applications.
- A Microsoft Entra device group containing the Windows devices on which Stop Motion Studio should be installed.
- Your Stop Motion Studio school license key.
1. Deploy Stop Motion Studio
The MSIX installs Stop Motion Studio itself. Upload the MSIX directly to Intune; no repackaging is required.
Add the MSIX
- Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
- Navigate to Apps > All apps > Add.
- Under App type, select Line-of-business app.
- Click Select.
- Click Select app package file.
- Upload
Stop Motion Studio for Windows.msix. - Intune reads the package metadata automatically.
Verify the information shown for the application, including:
- Name: Stop Motion Studio
- Publisher: Cateater
- Architecture: x64
- Version: Verify that the version matches the downloaded package.
App Information
Complete any additional information required by your organization, such as the description or logo.
For App install context, select:
Device
This is important for shared school computers. Device context allows Intune to deploy the application to the managed computer rather than relying on installation for a particular signed-in user.
Click Next and complete any Scope tags required by your organization.
Assign Stop Motion Studio
On the Assignments page:
- Locate Required.
- Click Add group.
- Select the device group containing the computers on which Stop Motion Studio should be installed.
- Do not place the device group under Available for enrolled devices.
- Click Next.
- Review the configuration and click Create.
The intended configuration is:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| App type | Line-of-business app |
| App install context | Device |
| Assignment | Required |
| Target | Device group |
Important: Required vs. Available
For shared school devices, Stop Motion Studio should be assigned as Required.
A Required assignment causes Intune to install the application silently on the targeted managed devices.
Available for enrolled devices is intended for optional installation through Company Portal and should not be used for this device-wide deployment.
If Stop Motion Studio has been assigned under Available for enrolled devices, you may find that User context is selected and Device context is unavailable. Remove that assignment and configure the application as described above.
2. Deploy the Activation Utility
The activation utility is deployed separately as a Windows Win32 application.
It runs silently under the Windows System account, encrypts the supplied license key, and stores the resulting activation token in the machine registry.
Add the Win32 App
- Navigate to Apps > All apps > Add.
- Under App type, select Windows app (Win32).
- Click Select.
- Click Select app package file.
- Upload
ActivationUtility.intunewin. - Click OK.
Important: Select Windows app (Win32) for the activation package, not Line-of-business app. The
.intunewinpackage cannot be uploaded as an MSIX Line-of-business application.
App Information
Enter:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Stop Motion Studio — Activation |
| Publisher | Cateater |
| Description | Silently activates Stop Motion Studio using the school site license. |
Click Next.
Program Settings
Configure:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Install command | install.cmd -Key "YOUR-SCHOOL-SERIAL-HERE" |
| Uninstall command | reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" /v "ActivationToken" /f |
| Install behavior | System |
| Device restart behavior | No specific action |
Replace:
YOUR-SCHOOL-SERIAL-HERE
with your actual Stop Motion Studio license key exactly as provided.
Keep the double quotes around the license key.
Click Next.
Detection Rules
The activation utility stores its activation token in the 64-bit machine registry.
Under Rules format, select:
Manually configure detection rules
Click Add and configure:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Rule type | Registry |
| Key path | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio |
| Value name | ActivationToken |
| Detection method | Value exists |
| Associated with a 32-bit app on 64-bit clients | No |
The last setting is important. Stop Motion Studio and its activation data use the 64-bit registry view.
Do not enable Associated with a 32-bit app on 64-bit clients. Enabling it causes Intune to check the 32-bit registry view instead of the registry location used by Stop Motion Studio.
Click OK, then Next.
Assign the Activation Utility
Under Required:
- Click Add group.
- Select the same device group used for Stop Motion Studio.
- Click Next.
- Review the configuration.
- Click Create.
The intended activation configuration is:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| App type | Windows app (Win32) |
| Install behavior | System |
| Assignment | Required |
| Target | Device group |
| Registry detection | 64-bit |
3. Verify the Deployment
Check Status in Intune
For Stop Motion Studio:
- Navigate to Apps > All apps > Stop Motion Studio.
- Open Device install status.
- Verify that the targeted devices report Installed.
For activation:
- Navigate to Apps > All apps > Stop Motion Studio — Activation.
- Open Device install status.
- Verify that the targeted devices report Installed.
If a device reports Failed, open the device entry and note the Intune error code.
Verify Activation on a Test Device
On a test device, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" -Name "ActivationToken"An ActivationToken value should be returned.
You can also explicitly verify that the token exists in the 64-bit registry from Command Prompt:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" /v "ActivationToken" /reg:64The command should return the ActivationToken.
The corresponding 32-bit registry query is not expected to contain the token:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" /v "ActivationToken" /reg:32Verify Stop Motion Studio
Sign in to the Windows device using a normal student or non-administrator account.
Launch Stop Motion Studio.
The application should start without prompting the user to enter a license key.
On shared computers, we recommend testing with more than one user account to confirm that the application and machine activation are available to all intended users.
4. Updating Stop Motion Studio
When a new version of Stop Motion Studio is released:
- Download the latest
Stop Motion Studio for Windows.msix. - Verify that its version is newer than the currently deployed version.
- In Intune, update the existing Stop Motion Studio Line-of-business application with the newer MSIX package.
- Keep the existing device assignment.
Intune uses the MSIX package version to determine that a newer version is available and deploys the update to managed devices.
The activation utility does not need to be deployed again. The activation token is stored separately in the machine registry and remains available across Stop Motion Studio application updates.
5. Uninstalling
Remove Activation Only
To remove the Stop Motion Studio activation from a device:
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" /v "ActivationToken" /fThis is also the uninstall command configured for the Activation Utility Win32 application.
Removing the activation token does not uninstall Stop Motion Studio.
Full Removal
To remove both Stop Motion Studio and its activation:
- In Intune, assign the Stop Motion Studio application as Uninstall for the target devices.
- Assign Stop Motion Studio — Activation as Uninstall for the same target devices.
- Allow the devices to synchronize with Intune.
The MSIX and activation utility are independent deployments, so both must be removed separately.
Troubleshooting
Device context cannot be selected
First verify that Stop Motion Studio is configured as:
- Line-of-business app
- App install context: Device
- Assignment: Required
- Target: Device group
Do not use Available for enrolled devices for the shared-device deployment described in this guide.
Activation reports "Not detected" or a detection error
Verify the registry detection rule:
- Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio - Value:
ActivationToken - Detection method: Value exists
- Associated with a 32-bit app on 64-bit clients: No
On the affected device, run:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cateater\StopMotionStudio" /v "ActivationToken" /reg:64If the token exists but Intune still reports a detection failure, review the activation application's Intune detection-rule configuration and the device's Intune logs.
Stop Motion Studio installs but is not activated
First verify that ActivationToken exists using the command above.
If the token is missing, verify that:
- The Activation Utility is assigned as Required.
- It targets the correct device group.
- Install behavior is set to System.
- The correct school license key was supplied to
install.cmd.
Stop Motion Studio does not install
Verify that:
- The device is running a supported edition of 64-bit Windows 11.
- The MSIX is configured as a Line-of-business app.
- App install context is Device.
- The application is assigned as Required to the correct device group.
- The device has synchronized with Intune.
If installation still fails, check the error shown under Device install status.
FAQs
Does this work if a device is re-imaged or wiped?
Yes. If the device is re-enrolled in Intune and remains within the assigned device group, Intune can deploy Stop Motion Studio and the activation utility again.
Is the license key stored on the device in plain text?
No. The activation utility uses the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) to encrypt the license information before storing the activation token in the machine registry.
The activation token is tied to the local machine and cannot simply be copied to another computer to activate it.
Will students be prompted to enter a serial number?
No. Once the activation utility has successfully activated the device, students should not be prompted to enter a serial number.
Can I use user-based deployment instead?
The deployment described in this guide is designed for shared school computers.
The activation utility stores activation information at the machine level, so we recommend deploying both Stop Motion Studio and the activation package to device groups.
What happens when Stop Motion Studio updates?
Deploy the newer MSIX through the existing Intune Line-of-business application. The activation token is stored separately and is not removed by an application update.
The activation utility does not need to be deployed again.
My license covers how many devices?
Stop Motion Studio licenses are based on the terms and number of seats included with your purchase. Please refer to your purchase confirmation or license agreement for the licensed deployment scope.