Help a Newbie Please....
Hi All
I'm trying to adapt Acrobat 6 Standard to install via GPO. I found the follow instructions on this site but I'm having a problem with them. Can anyone answer a question that I have? Here are the instructions...
Deploying "Acrobat 6.0.2 Standard" using Active Directory
1. Copy "Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard" from the Acrobat 6.0 CD (E:) to the hard disk (D:)
2. Open AcroStan.msi with Orca and in the Custom Actions table, delete the row
UnSupportedInstallType
3. Create an administrative installation point to a network drive (X:)
msiexec.exe /a "D:\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi"
4. Download update 6.0.1 and extract Ac60BaP1.msp to the hard disk and run
msiexec.exe /p D:\Ac60BaP1.msp /a X:\AcroStan.msi /qb /lv* D:\Ac60BaP1.log
5. Copy X:\AcroStan.msi to X:\Custom.msi
6. Open X:\Custom.msi with Orca and in the Custom Actions table, delete the row
CA_QV : [ISX_SERIALNUMBER] error.
7. Open X:\Custom.msi with WinINSTALL LE 2003 and change the registry values
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0\Registration\SERIAL
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\6.0\Registration\SERIAL
from [ISX_SERIAL] to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (get this number from a manual install)
8. (Optional) In WinINSTALL LE 2003 remove initial registration request
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0\Registration
PRODREG=dword:1701340777 (Decimal)
and remove unwanted shortcuts
9. Create a transform of the changes you have made
msitran -g X:\AcroStan.msi X:\Custom.msi X:\AcroStan.mst
10. Test your installation of 6.0.1
msiexec /i X:\AcroStan.msi transforms=X:\AcroStan.mst /passive
11. Download update 6.0.2 and extract "Adobe Acrobat - Reader 6.0.2 Update.msi"
12. Add both AcroStan.msi with AcroStan.mst and the Update.msi to GPO
...OK, now for the question.
Point 3 says that I need to perform an administrative network install by using the /a switch with the msiexec command. I've tried running this but I don't get any window asking me where I wish to install the program to (I assume I should get this based on past experiences with Office network installs). I see a window saying that Acrobat 6 is being setup and then it disappears for ages until I get another window stating that the install has finished. How do I rectify this?
Also on a more personal note how did you guys get into this sort of thing? Do you have programming backgrounds?
Thanks
I'm trying to adapt Acrobat 6 Standard to install via GPO. I found the follow instructions on this site but I'm having a problem with them. Can anyone answer a question that I have? Here are the instructions...
Deploying "Acrobat 6.0.2 Standard" using Active Directory
1. Copy "Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard" from the Acrobat 6.0 CD (E:) to the hard disk (D:)
2. Open AcroStan.msi with Orca and in the Custom Actions table, delete the row
UnSupportedInstallType
3. Create an administrative installation point to a network drive (X:)
msiexec.exe /a "D:\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi"
4. Download update 6.0.1 and extract Ac60BaP1.msp to the hard disk and run
msiexec.exe /p D:\Ac60BaP1.msp /a X:\AcroStan.msi /qb /lv* D:\Ac60BaP1.log
5. Copy X:\AcroStan.msi to X:\Custom.msi
6. Open X:\Custom.msi with Orca and in the Custom Actions table, delete the row
CA_QV : [ISX_SERIALNUMBER] error.
7. Open X:\Custom.msi with WinINSTALL LE 2003 and change the registry values
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0\Registration\SERIAL
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\6.0\Registration\SERIAL
from [ISX_SERIAL] to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (get this number from a manual install)
8. (Optional) In WinINSTALL LE 2003 remove initial registration request
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\6.0\Registration
PRODREG=dword:1701340777 (Decimal)
and remove unwanted shortcuts
9. Create a transform of the changes you have made
msitran -g X:\AcroStan.msi X:\Custom.msi X:\AcroStan.mst
10. Test your installation of 6.0.1
msiexec /i X:\AcroStan.msi transforms=X:\AcroStan.mst /passive
11. Download update 6.0.2 and extract "Adobe Acrobat - Reader 6.0.2 Update.msi"
12. Add both AcroStan.msi with AcroStan.mst and the Update.msi to GPO
...OK, now for the question.
Point 3 says that I need to perform an administrative network install by using the /a switch with the msiexec command. I've tried running this but I don't get any window asking me where I wish to install the program to (I assume I should get this based on past experiences with Office network installs). I see a window saying that Acrobat 6 is being setup and then it disappears for ages until I get another window stating that the install has finished. How do I rectify this?
Also on a more personal note how did you guys get into this sort of thing? Do you have programming backgrounds?
Thanks
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Answers (7)
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Posted by:
Bladerun
18 years ago
Those instructions are correct. Command should be:
msiexec /a "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
(Note: 1 space between msiexec and /a, and another between /a and "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi")
As to how people get into this...
I got my start at a job where they implemented a software deployment solution and needed some to attend training to learn packaging basics. Most other packagers that I've worked with have similar stories - they all kind of fell into an intial position that got the ball rolling.
msiexec /a "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
(Note: 1 space between msiexec and /a, and another between /a and "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi")
As to how people get into this...
I got my start at a job where they implemented a software deployment solution and needed some to attend training to learn packaging basics. Most other packagers that I've worked with have similar stories - they all kind of fell into an intial position that got the ball rolling.
Posted by:
needles
18 years ago
Thanks for your reply. I don't mean to look like I'm being thick but you say that the command should be thus...
Am I supposed to copy the Acrobat folder to the network drive first and then run that command from my workstation?
msiexec /a "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
Am I supposed to copy the Acrobat folder to the network drive first and then run that command from my workstation?
Posted by:
bkelly
18 years ago
The /a will perform an admin installation, copying all the needed files to the specified network location (you'd then perform your installation from there). In many cases, you can just run the msi with a "/a" and you'll be prompted for a location, or you can specify the path using the TARGETDIR property:
msiexec /a TARGETDIR="X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
msiexec /a TARGETDIR="X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
Posted by:
Bladerun
18 years ago
ORIGINAL: needles
Thanks for your reply. I don't mean to look like I'm being thick but you say that the command should be thus...
msiexec /a "X:\folder\Acrobat.msi"
Am I supposed to copy the Acrobat folder to the network drive first and then run that command from my workstation?
The source msi can reside anywhere, locally or on the network, as long as your command line points to it.
A trick in XP i'm fond of is going to start>run, and typing "msiexec /a", and then browsing to the msi and dragging it to the run prompt. It will insert the second space and correct path to the msi. This works from the command prompt as well.
Posted by:
needles
18 years ago
OK... this is what I am doing.
In the text box at START -> RUN I am typing msiexec.exe /a "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi"
I don't get anything asking me for a network location to install it to. When the process completes I don't see anything in the desired network location.
I have also tried copying the Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard folder to the network location and in the START -> RUN text box on my local machine typing msiexec.exe /a z:\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi". When the process completes I see nothing different in the network location.
I have also opened a command prompt on my workstation, navigated to the acrobat directory and typed the command lines above and variations on them. When the process completes I still have no joy.
Are any of the methods that I have tried correct? If not what am I doing wrong? If they are correct what am I supposed to see at the end of the process?
I feel such an idiot!
In the text box at START -> RUN I am typing msiexec.exe /a "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi"
I don't get anything asking me for a network location to install it to. When the process completes I don't see anything in the desired network location.
I have also tried copying the Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard folder to the network location and in the START -> RUN text box on my local machine typing msiexec.exe /a z:\Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard\acrostan.msi". When the process completes I see nothing different in the network location.
I have also opened a command prompt on my workstation, navigated to the acrobat directory and typed the command lines above and variations on them. When the process completes I still have no joy.
Are any of the methods that I have tried correct? If not what am I doing wrong? If they are correct what am I supposed to see at the end of the process?
I feel such an idiot!
Posted by:
bkelly
18 years ago
Don't sweat it! Some MSIs don't handle admin installs very gracefully (it "should" ask you where if you don't specify correctly). Try using the TARGETDIR (case-sensitive) property to identify where you want it to go
In this example, your MSI is in the temp folder (could be anywhere- just don't put it where you want it to go on the network (that could get confusing)). So where you have the MSI to begin with could even be a CD (it does not matter). When done, you should see the decompressed source files and MSI for the package in the path you specified using the TARGETDIR property.
Good luck!
msiexec /a "C:\temp\Acrobat.msi" TARGETDIR="X:\folder"
In this example, your MSI is in the temp folder (could be anywhere- just don't put it where you want it to go on the network (that could get confusing)). So where you have the MSI to begin with could even be a CD (it does not matter). When done, you should see the decompressed source files and MSI for the package in the path you specified using the TARGETDIR property.
Good luck!
Posted by:
needles
18 years ago
Thanks for your help. I've got the package made and when I run it through a line command all is ok. However, when I try to publish it (not assign it) in GP it doesn't show up in the add new program page in the add/remove applet.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
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