Acrobat 6 Prof Install - puzzled?

[Darrat]

Spent a few hours looking at how this is packaged and how it can be deployed using AD.

It is shipped in MSI format (created with Installshield Dev) and is supplied with a setup.exe.

I tried creating a transform - no luck. It swiftly failed with invalid serial number on 1st test. I then had a look to see if it was using ISScript.msi (or ISScript8.msi) and it appears not.

I did find that it is generating code and transforms in the Doc and Settings folder of the account that installed the software. I have done very little test on these created transforms but it appears that they are formed unique to the PC. Added the serial number to the property table in the transform - it will work on the original pc but will fail on another PC.

These are just initial findings. Anyone else taken a look at this yet?

Ps. I did try looking for a deployment kit or tool from Adobe - didn't find anything.

[AlaksSevugan]

Have you tried creating an Administrative Install using

Setup.exe /a

[Darrat]

Yes, I tried an admin install and it returned: This install type is not supported.

Anyway, I think I have sorted it. Had to "adjust" some of their custom action scripts via a transform. Not particulary a clean way of doing it but all testing OK so far.

[CChong]

Hi, i'm running into exactly the same problems. Want to deploy Acrobat Pro 6 to users over Active Directory thought all my problems were solved when i saw Adobe were distributing msi files, but no matter what i try, what MST's i configure, i can't get the thing to install. Is there any chance that you could post the changes you had to make so i can give it a whirl please???

Thanks!

Adrian

[Darrat]

Adrian
I spent hours "cleaning up " their install. Manual tests using their msi and my new transform all worked fine.

Next test was a test deployment over AD. Unfortunately Microsoft AD manager refused to accept the MSI (totally untouched by me) and gave some message like - unable to extract deployment information from MSI.

I gave up. Hopefully Adobe will release a deployment tool soon.

Let me know if you get anywhere with it.

[mikewickens]

Very Simple ...


Just run this command line,

msiexec /i AcroStan.msi ISX_SERIALNUMBER=1234-1234-1234-1234-1234-1234.

Replace 1234 with your serial number.

Use the supplied msi on the CD. No need for admin install etc, if you look at the custom actions you will find CA_QV with the command line [ISX_SERIALNUMBER] error. This will read the property from your command line, i.e your serial number.


Hope this helps..

..... Mike.

[CChong]

You said to run it at the command line, however how do you do that, if you are trying to use Tuner? When I try to enter that statement (with the location of the msi) in the tuner path box, it won't give me the option to create.

Thanks.

William

[mikewickens]

For deployment I use the following command line.

msiexec /i "AcroStan.msi" ISX_SERIALNUMBER=1234-1234-1234-1234-1234-1234 TRANSFORMS="AcroStan.mst" /qb!

I have created a transform that adds some additional custom actions to call some VBscripts based on the environment we have here.

If you wont to create a transform you will need to copy the contents of the cd to your development area and open the base msi file AcroStan.msi and create your mst file AcroStan.mst from that. I then open Developer and do a direct edit of the .MST file for customisation.

[CChong]

Here is something that I found.

If you create an .mst for the adobe 6, I found this very handy! Create the .mst and create the package.
Inside the Setup.ini file where the package is created, edit the command line as follows:
CmdLine=ISX_SERIALNUMBER=1234-1234-1234-1234-1234 Transforms="Acrostan.mst" /qb

This allowed me to deploy to multiple machines using the setup.exe file from our app server and i don't get the error that we get when we try to install it to mutiple machines!

Thanks for all your help!

William

[Harley0226]

This is the easiest way in order to avoid command line options or running setup.exe:

1) Use Dev 8 to apply Adobe's transform file to package MSI.
2) Change UIMODE property to NO
3) Add ISX_SERIALNUMBER=1111-1111-1111-1111-1111-1111 (your serial key here)
4) Turn off CA_QV custom action so it doesn't execute.

[CChong]

Gday all

See http://www.adobe.com/login/login.jsp?currentSection=FTP&next=http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2190

Adobe finally released a deployment tool along with Installshield, you need to register but it saves a lot of headaches, especially if upgrading from 5 to 6.

Good luck 🙂

Paul

[DaveThornton]

I need to look at deploying this shortly aswell. A few weeks ago i attended an installshield course. I was told whilst there that acrobat 6 comes with its own tuner. Trying to tune using installshield creates these type of problems.

[Harley0226]

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2190

[rcrusco]

does anyone know how to get rid of the
"Register now or Later" window
Ive tried to do a snapshot and regmon
but a lot happens when you click on "later"

Thanks
Rich

[Harley0226]

Use the Adobe Tuner. There was something like a check box to turn off registering of the software.

[CChong]

I found a File called Abcpy.ini in the same directory as the MSI
You should be able to put all your configurations in here, such as Serial Number. Install directory.
You can then run the msi with the /qb switch,

to remove the Register now or later option add the following Reg key

HKLM\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0\FeatureLockdown
REG_DWORD=bRegisterProduct
Value=0

and also
REG_DWORD=bUpdater
Value=0

hope this is of Some Help