Adobe Acrobat - Suggestions?

[CChong]

I am evaluating AdminStudio 2.0 and have tried a number of times to repackage the Adobe Acrobat 5 setup. Everything appears functional except the Acrobat Distiller printer is not showing up. I believe it is most likely the case that the hardware registry keys are not checked for all sorts of reasons, or a combination of that and the Distiller printer drivers.

Can someone who has successfully repackaged the product pass on a few hints? I'm afraid to just clear most of the exclusion lists and weed through everything that appears in the package that's captured.

Best regards, and thank you in advance,


Jw

[CChong]

There is a problem when you package any app with install shield 3.01 and with previous versions.

Install shield puts in rubbish when you install the msi package when it registers the _com files in components. This rubbish occurs in the following place, (an example of one key only in this package) you go to .pdf in HK_Classes_root/.pdf.

This key has a default key called acro.exchange, you then goto this key & proceed to acro.exchange/shell/open/command. In this spot, it will contain a long line with rubbish in it.

This is the problem that is constant in most if not all applications.

To fix this problem, you need to self register all files that have no file extensions attached to them( ie .pdf or .zip etc). You also need to delete all the CLSID in the registries if any exist per file component.

the components for the _com files with file extensions(generally .exe), need to be exported from the original installed PC & imported into the install package. In other words, install the acrobat reader or writer packager etc, export the .pdf, .application/pdf (under MIME/Database/Content type/application/pdf) & acro.exchange into the install shield MSI package. DO NOT HAVE THE FILE AS SELF REGISTER.

Please note that under each file extension, there will be numerous acroexchange. xxx or similiar, make a note before deleteing the CLSID _com registratons from the package. You will need to extract each of these from the original machine & import them into your package. By importing the registry settings, you are registering the file.

Once you have all these written down, delete the CLSID under the com registrations in component.

This should do the trick.

If you don't remove the rubbish from these entries, it produces all sorts of funny results.

good luck

PS More oftern than not some file just wont self register, this is a major flaw with install shield 3.01 & previous versions.

[TsungH]

I didn't repackage Distiller myself, I can't provide much info on the virtual printer issue.

Make sure HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum and HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services are not in Repackager exclusion list.

[CChong]

O.K This one is driving me mad.

Indeed I have spent the last few weeks in contact with Installshield support. The "Rubbish" placed in the keys is in fact encrypted information about the component - run a search on the rubbish and you can see where it comes from.

The self register as said is only good some of the time as install shield picks up the differences in the registry and associates some with the actual COM server, though is not actually self registering.
NB: Self register runs in user context ( and is not elivatable) and so self heal is not available to users unless they are at least "power users" due to permissions in the registry. (in XP in any case)

NOTE: VERBS - in the case of verbs the "rubbish" can quite often make a ghastly difference (as a value command follows the key "command") and the importing of 100's of keys is neccesary.


This brings me to the distiller.
I can package the distiller without a problem, using all the usual tricks. At first it is greyed out due to inconsistencies in the c:\documents and settings\......\*.pdf
It runs, opens .ps files and turns them into pdf's.
HOWEVER
Printing to the distiller printer hangs the service. It appears that it is having difficulty with the way that the post script file is handed to distiller - which does suggest the VERB problem.
However I cannot seem to get a consistent fix on this. (once out of four attempts, but this was in the form of 3 consecutive msi's which is no good for this project)

- Note that even off the original install restarting the spooler causes the distiller printer to hang in the same way as the MSI.

added 19/07
****** I have finally fixed this, the doco of how is around 4 pages long.**********

Most of the problems I had were due to using msi version 2 (XP)which Microsoft have finally admitted to being "very buggy" hence holding back on issueing SP3 for win2k.

[nicholas_ong]

I'm facing similar problems packaging with AdminStudio 3.5. I would appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks in advance.

[prostetnic]

jup me too but with adobe reader??? under 3.5.

i am trying to repackage 5.05 reader , i have installed version 5 writer and just want to upgrade the reader. but for some reason it deletes the distiller!!!???? maybe more to do with adobe than IS?

[praveenl]

This is for the AdminStudio 3.5 users:

If you repackaged Adobe Acrobat/Distiller using snapshot method then you should'nt have any problems except that you need a reboot after the install.

If you used InstallMonitor method to repackage then their are following known issues which will be fixed in future release.
For a workaround you need to import certain registry entries not captured by the repackager. Please unzip the attached zip file which contains the reg file with those entries.

1) Go to Start / Programs / InstallShield /AdminStudio Tools and launch the Developer.
2) Open the ISM you had built previously.
3) Go to the Registry under the Configure the Target system view.
4) In the Desitination computer's registry view, right click under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and import the registry file .
5) Rebuild your msi.
6) Install the msi and reboot.

This should fix your problems.