Software Deployment

ORIGINAL: sigtau66

Hello all. First time poster, but I have searched through the archives on Adobe Reader 7 and not gotten a clue on what I'm doing wrong.

I'm trying to use the included MSI installer and just adding a transform file to do the things I want changed about it. I've gotten rid of the Yahoo button on the toolbar, disabled the EULA, disabled CreatePDF Online, and a few other things. Also, one of the things I need to happen is Adobe Reader 5.0 be uninstalled. I'm doing that through the transform, also, but I'm doing that via a batch file with the command line msiexec uninstall that has been discussed before in these forums.

Now, for the problems. First I tried just modifying the supplied MSI with WPS and adding the reg keys of things I wanted disabled. That seems to be working fine by itself. Now, when I add the transform file to that MSI, everything goes wrong. None of the options I disabled exist anymore AND the uninstallation for Adobe 5.0 kills the file association.

I am creating the MST through the Adobe Tuner. I've also tried JUST using the tuner to disable all the things I want, but once again, if I add the batch file execution to uninstall 5.0, it kills all the changes I've made along with the file association.

The real goal for me is to have Adobe Reader 5.0 removed and 7.0 installed. Everything else is just gravy.

So, what am I doing wrong? Any tips or tricks you can give me other than the things that have already been posted to this website? I'm really at wits end trying to figure this out.

Thanks.




Hi. I guess you have seen the Reader 7 entries in the package setion of this site. HERE.

My first tip is carefull how you disbale the EULA - some people advise that you need to add registry keys. the fact is there is a Feature in the MSI which already has those keys - you just need to ensure you set the value of the "EULA_ACCEPT" property to "YES" so the condition is met for that feature to install. Adding the registry keys to another feature won't break anything, but it's not so clean.

It's a shame you are coming from Reader 5, as Reader 7 automatically uninstalls 6, but then that was MSI based.

ORIGINAL: sigtau66
Also, one of the things I need to happen is Adobe Reader 5.0 be uninstalled. I'm doing that through the transform, also, but I'm doing that via a batch file with the command line msiexec uninstall that has been discussed before in these forums.


Was Reader 5 MSI based? I can'r remember. If it was, try putting down 7, it might handle the uninstall like it does with 6. If it is NOT msi based, an msiexec unsinstall command line wil not help you. You will need to look for the command line in the Uninstall section (\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\uninstall\) of the registry or make some other plan.

ORIGINAL: sigtau66
Now, for the problems. First I tried just modifying the supplied MSI with WPS and adding the reg keys of things I wanted disabled. That seems to be working fine by itself. Now, when I add the transform file to that MSI, everything goes wrong. None of the options I disabled exist anymore AND the uninstallation for Adobe 5.0 kills the file association.

I am creating the MST through the Adobe Tuner. I've also tried JUST using the tuner to disable all the things I want, but once again, if I add the batch file execution to uninstall 5.0, it kills all the changes I've made along with the file association.


To be honest, going by your description, this sounds like where your problems are coming from.

If you have modified the MSI directly then stick with that, don't then introduce a transform. This is not the idea, the MSI should be left alone and the transform created and edited.

Personally, I would go back to the vendors MSI supplied. Create a new transform for it using the emoy transform template in WPS. Set the value for the "EULA_ACCEPT" property to "YES". Add any other registry changes to disable the other options - all documented in the Adobe Reader 7 Package Section on this site.

I don't know you package deployment method, but if Reader 7 doesn't nativly support an upgrade or uninstall from 5, then I would have a pre-process that removes 5 or if you must have a custom action to do it.

Was Reader 5 MSI based? I can'r remember. If it was, try putting down 7, it might handle the uninstall like it does with 6. If it is NOT msi based, an msiexec unsinstall command line wil not help you. You will need to look for the command line in the Uninstall section (\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\uninstall\) of the registry or make some other plan.

Sorry, I mis-represented what I meant to say. I'm not using an msiexec uninstall command. I'm using the following command:

ISUNINST.EXE -y -a -f"C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\NT\Uninst.isu"

That is inputted into a batch file and the batch file is then incorporated into the MST file that is created from the Adobe Tuner program.

That is what is breaking my install. It uninstalls Adobe 5 Reader just fine and Adobe 7 Reader is installed before that, but the uninstallation of Adobe 5 kills my file associations. THAT is what I'm stuck at right now.

As I said before, my only goal is to have Adobe 5 Reader uninstalled and Adobe 7 Reader installed. Everything past that (the reg changes) are gravy.

As an FYI, we use Unicenter Software Delivery to deliver our MSI packages.

Gday

Maybe I'm totally wrong on this, but it seems you have a situation where you have a workstation with Adobe Reader 5 on it. From your last post, it sounds as if you then install Adobe Reader 7, and then after that uninstall adobe Reader 5, is that correct?

I would rather uninstall Adobe Reader 5, then once that is complete, install Adobe Reader 7.

Hope I haven't misread your description of the order of events.

Cheers

Paul

From your last post, it sounds as if you then install Adobe Reader 7, and then after that uninstall adobe Reader 5, is that correct?

I would rather uninstall Adobe Reader 5, then once that is complete, install Adobe Reader 7.

Yes, that is correct. The problem is, I'm using the MST file to uninstall Adobe 5 Reader and that is processed last.

I'm not aware of a way to make the MST file process first. If there is, could someone please tell me how?

Thanks.

All depends on where you have placed your custom action in the sequence, where you are calling your batch file from and with which privileges etc.

how about placing an if condition during install initialization and run a script to detect and remove reader 5?
not sure if this would work but i'm trying to biuld it right now =)

regards
rick

how about placing an if condition during install initialization and run a script to detect and remove reader 5?
not sure if this would work but i'm trying to biuld it right now =)

That's kinda what I thought needed to be done, but being new to WPS and scripting in general, it's slow going for me. :)

let me know if you need any help/suggestion.. willing to help =)

good luck
rick

Well, I just wanted to say that I finally got it. I just used WPS to create the MST file instead of using the Adobe Tuner program. In the WPS transform I created, I just inserted some VBS to uninstall Adobe 5 first and then install 7. The VBS portion is documented in the Scripting section of these forums if anybody wants to take a look. So far it's worked perfectly in my testing environment.

And now I'm testing it through our Software Delivery solution to see if it works.

Thanks for all the help you guys gave.