Adobe Reader 6.0 (pulling my hair out!)
Hi there, I have read through all the previous posts on AR6.0.1 with interest and anticipation and sad to say, nobody appears to have my issue.
Goal: Deploy Adobe Reader 6.0.1 via GPO in AD. The installation must be deployed from the User Configuration part of the GPO and be auto-installed without the user having to use Add/Remove Programs and clicking on an advertised program. It must be assigned! So far, I've had varying degrees of failure. Here's what I have done.
1. Downloaded AdbeRdr60_enu_full.exe
2. Extracted msi plus all the other setup files located in %windir%\Cache\Adobe Reader 6.0.1\ENUBIG.
3. Created a GPO and added the package to the User configuration part and made it assigned.
4. Placed the user and the computer in the same OU where the GPO was linked.
When I logged on as a bog standard user, the system said "applying software settings". However, there were no icons on the desktop/start menu and there were no associations with .pdf files. However, when I looked in Add/Remove Programs, Reader 6.0 appeared in the Advertised list (as if I had published it). Only clicking on the advertised program ran the installation routine.
So not content I went down the Winstall LE route....
5. Built a clean workstation W2k+SP3
6. Ran Discoverer (before part)
7. Installed Reader 6.0 using the msi above. Configured it i.e. accepted EULA, got rid of PrintMe etc.
8. Ran Discoverer (after part)
9. Saved the resultant msi.
10. Created the GPO exactly as in 3.
when I logged on a user, this time there was an association with .pdf but still no shortcuts. Clicking on .pdf invoked the installer and Reader appeared to install and opened OK. However, clicking on a .pdf file the 2nd time round failed to open Reader. Also, the msiexec would butt in when opening My Computer or My Documents! Only opening Reader from shortcut continued to work.
I've tried variations on the above to get it to work with no success. I tried editing the msi with Winstall LE and then Wise Installer, changing the install mode from per computer to per user but that had no effect. I am losing the will to live, help!!
Goal: Deploy Adobe Reader 6.0.1 via GPO in AD. The installation must be deployed from the User Configuration part of the GPO and be auto-installed without the user having to use Add/Remove Programs and clicking on an advertised program. It must be assigned! So far, I've had varying degrees of failure. Here's what I have done.
1. Downloaded AdbeRdr60_enu_full.exe
2. Extracted msi plus all the other setup files located in %windir%\Cache\Adobe Reader 6.0.1\ENUBIG.
3. Created a GPO and added the package to the User configuration part and made it assigned.
4. Placed the user and the computer in the same OU where the GPO was linked.
When I logged on as a bog standard user, the system said "applying software settings". However, there were no icons on the desktop/start menu and there were no associations with .pdf files. However, when I looked in Add/Remove Programs, Reader 6.0 appeared in the Advertised list (as if I had published it). Only clicking on the advertised program ran the installation routine.
So not content I went down the Winstall LE route....
5. Built a clean workstation W2k+SP3
6. Ran Discoverer (before part)
7. Installed Reader 6.0 using the msi above. Configured it i.e. accepted EULA, got rid of PrintMe etc.
8. Ran Discoverer (after part)
9. Saved the resultant msi.
10. Created the GPO exactly as in 3.
when I logged on a user, this time there was an association with .pdf but still no shortcuts. Clicking on .pdf invoked the installer and Reader appeared to install and opened OK. However, clicking on a .pdf file the 2nd time round failed to open Reader. Also, the msiexec would butt in when opening My Computer or My Documents! Only opening Reader from shortcut continued to work.
I've tried variations on the above to get it to work with no success. I tried editing the msi with Winstall LE and then Wise Installer, changing the install mode from per computer to per user but that had no effect. I am losing the will to live, help!!
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Answers (14)
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Posted by:
fetgor
20 years ago
hi, have created a mst for thisone contact me is you want it
//G
goran.fetter@se.aga.com
//G
goran.fetter@se.aga.com
Posted by:
cdupuis
20 years ago
As fetgor is trying to push you towards, you should be using a transform file to do this and not a repackaged MSI. Also, for a program like Adobe Reader, it would be good practice to deploy this in Machine Settings instead of User Settings, there is no licensing to worry about so why limit the number of installs?
Posted by:
nr.westside
20 years ago
I tried using the .mst from Fetgor but I still get the same problem.
Upon logon as a normal user, a message appears saying "Applying software installation settings" and swiftly disappears. The event viewer says that Reader 6.0.1 applied successfully but at hasn't and .pdf's are not associated. In Add/Remove Programs, Reader appears installed however, a user would have to go Add New Programs and manually double-click the Advertised setup of Adobe Reader which the powers that be won't accept.
Is there no way it can be fully installed via GPO in AD assigned to the user without having to go to Add/Remove Programs? The reason it needs to be like this is because Adobe Reader 5.0 was deployed in the User Configuration part of the GPO and you cannot upgrade a package deployed in the User Configuration part of the GPO with one that is configured in the Computer part. Also, some of the departments have the writer version and the rest do not but user accuonts+computers are organisd together.
Upon logon as a normal user, a message appears saying "Applying software installation settings" and swiftly disappears. The event viewer says that Reader 6.0.1 applied successfully but at hasn't and .pdf's are not associated. In Add/Remove Programs, Reader appears installed however, a user would have to go Add New Programs and manually double-click the Advertised setup of Adobe Reader which the powers that be won't accept.
Is there no way it can be fully installed via GPO in AD assigned to the user without having to go to Add/Remove Programs? The reason it needs to be like this is because Adobe Reader 5.0 was deployed in the User Configuration part of the GPO and you cannot upgrade a package deployed in the User Configuration part of the GPO with one that is configured in the Computer part. Also, some of the departments have the writer version and the rest do not but user accuonts+computers are organisd together.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
20 years ago
Ok well the reason is that the Adobe custom actions are set to run in User Context and even with elevated rights some keys are not inserted to HKLM. I dont know why but its the case. Somehow the InstallShield msi's are lowering Elevated rights on these msi's and I still dont know how its happening but it only happens when deployed via GPO on AD.
The best thing to do is to change the context to System Context and they should install ok.
try it and see how you go......I have already deployed in Enterprise wide as a workstation based install and its working fine.
One tip tho is to remove some of the api index plugins or you will find it loads up very slowly.
Oh one other thing.....to ensure that your workstations are deploying with Elevated Rights you must add the ER Settings in BOTH the Computer OU and the User OU or it wont work. I expect you know that but just checking.
The best thing to do is to change the context to System Context and they should install ok.
try it and see how you go......I have already deployed in Enterprise wide as a workstation based install and its working fine.
One tip tho is to remove some of the api index plugins or you will find it loads up very slowly.
Oh one other thing.....to ensure that your workstations are deploying with Elevated Rights you must add the ER Settings in BOTH the Computer OU and the User OU or it wont work. I expect you know that but just checking.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
20 years ago
dont repackage it....use the vendor msi or be prepared for problems.
Damn I'm away from work now for 4 days.......I could send you my clean.mst with the changes for you to look at but it wont be until Tuesday.
Email me if you want it.
Damn I'm away from work now for 4 days.......I could send you my clean.mst with the changes for you to look at but it wont be until Tuesday.
Email me if you want it.
Posted by:
cdupuis
20 years ago
OK well, now you have a mst file, why not try to take the existing GPO deploying Adobe Reader 5 and have the GPO remove the app upon next login, then within the same GPO have it install the new Adobe Reader. This will cause the old reader to be removed first then have the new one installed.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
20 years ago
I just thought of this.
So if you have 2 OU's of course 1 computer based and 1 user based. You have set the GPO's in each to ignore their counterparts.
ie....The computer OU ignores and has no User based settings in it and vice versa.
This is the normal way of things so that you either can Assign or Publish to the User OU and you can workstation deploy to the Computer OU.
But if you have the Computer and the User is the same OU with both Computer and User settings enabled as part of that policy then you must add the app to the Computer Settings part of AD and not the User part so that it installs to the workstation without user intervention.
If you add it to the User settings in the GPO then it will advertise the app.
So remove it from the policy.....then open GPMC or MMC console and select Computer Settings > Software and add it there. Now all the workstations wil get it.
So if you have 2 OU's of course 1 computer based and 1 user based. You have set the GPO's in each to ignore their counterparts.
ie....The computer OU ignores and has no User based settings in it and vice versa.
This is the normal way of things so that you either can Assign or Publish to the User OU and you can workstation deploy to the Computer OU.
But if you have the Computer and the User is the same OU with both Computer and User settings enabled as part of that policy then you must add the app to the Computer Settings part of AD and not the User part so that it installs to the workstation without user intervention.
If you add it to the User settings in the GPO then it will advertise the app.
So remove it from the policy.....then open GPMC or MMC console and select Computer Settings > Software and add it there. Now all the workstations wil get it.
Posted by:
cdupuis
20 years ago
Come to think of it, when I was testing the AR 6.0.1 GPO, it was installing alongside AR 5.5 with no problems except that AR 5.5 was registered in IE to open pdf from the web. Since it does not support barcoding, we had to move to Only 6.0.1 as it did and our app created online library barcodes in pdf format.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
20 years ago
Yeah I have run them side by side as well.....they just share the reg keys.
There is an issue though with having Distiller 5 installed and Reader 6. I couldnt get that to work.
There is an issue though with having Distiller 5 installed and Reader 6. I couldnt get that to work.
Posted by:
nr.westside
20 years ago
I thought I would update you on what's happened. Although not a perfect solution, it looks like I may get the go-ahead to do just what you describe although I was testing this senario before I saw the post. I created a GPO for Reader 6.0.1 for a workstation already deployed with 5.0. I added the new package and assigned Reader 6.0.1 to the computer [:D], together with the customised .mst. It deployed fine. The only issue is that .pdf's continue to associate with 5.0 but the very next stage is to remove the GPO for Reader 5.0, which uninstalls it, thus restoring order. I know it means a second logoff or reboot inbetween but it works. Users do have to OK the dialog about registering IE with Reader 6.0 but other than that, I think this is a goer. Thanks for all your help guys.
Posted by:
craig16229
20 years ago
nr.westside,
If you have not already, be sure to test 6 carefully after your uninstall of 5. In the past, uninstalling a earlier version after installing the new version has broken things.
Craig --<>.
If you have not already, be sure to test 6 carefully after your uninstall of 5. In the past, uninstalling a earlier version after installing the new version has broken things.
Craig --<>.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
20 years ago
You might like to add your own custom keys to the registry so that you will ensure that you always have a valid component key that neither install can share by accident.
Look here for more details.
http://itninja.com/blog/view/at-command-line-problems-after-ie-4+7
Look here for more details.
http://itninja.com/blog/view/at-command-line-problems-after-ie-4+7
Posted by:
cdupuis
20 years ago
Not to brag, but I had no issues deploying AR 6 via Grou Policy in Active Directory. i even managed a uninstall of version 5 in the same GPO. I am baffled by the problems experienced here. The only advice I can give is to use the Installshield Tuner for Adobe Reader 6.0.1. That was able to configure the MST to almost every single option I wanted.
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