Enable auto updates for Adobe Acrobat Reader once deployed via SCCM

[russh61325275]

Hi all,

We are looking to enable automatic updates to Adobe Acrobat Reader once the application has been installed either via our Win10 image or SCCM. At present, updates are not automatically enabled as in our organisation normal users cannot install software without administrive permissions.

It would make managing Adobe super easy for us if we were somehow able to enable automatic updates - however we cannot do that en-masse at the moment (due to lack of understanding no doubt). Is this actually possible? I've had a look through the community posts and afaik there aren't any which directly answer this question.

For info if required, we use Win10 Enterprise x64 build 1809 and software is managed via SCCM build 1906.

As an alternative, if this isn't possible via SCCM another way we are looking to see if it is possible, is via Group Policy. As our users don't have elevated permissions, and we need to enforce this to approx 3,500 individuals.

We have Windows Defender ATP running on some laptops, and one thing it flags is Adobe Reader DC, although we updated this just a few month ago it has 144 vulnerabilities logged.

It would be great if we can enable Auto Updates for Adobe Acrobat reader, but in the past we have had an issue where the auto update has an admin prompt.

We need to make sure:

• Check for updates is hidden in GUI in help menu (as this always requires admin credentials)
• It doesn't force close Adobe or unexpectedly reboot the machine

TIA

Russ

[LeoUpdaterX]

Updater is set for automatic updates by default and should be able to update Standard users without a request for credentials.

If it does not happen, please provide verbose log file (AdobeARM.log) from Updater session (search forums for iLogLevel registry value for instruction)

Please do not post log file here; send me private message.

Updater will not force close Adobe or reboot the machine. If reboot is required in rare cases, Updater will present a UI and user will need to click "reboot" button.

[russh61325275]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

For some reason Adobe isn't automatically updating. We packaged and deployed DC May 2019 v19.012.20034 (Continuous) most recently, and it hasn't auto updated since then.

When looking in Reader DC under Edit>Preferences there is no 'Updater' tab on the left which seems to be where Adobe point most people to in order to update. I need to somehow enable auto updating on a corporate domain of 3500+ users. Is there a way of scripting this to force an automatic update?

Cheers

[LeoUpdaterX]

I would need verbose log file to determine why it is not updated.

The most common reasons are-

1.

bUpdater policy is set to disable updates. If that is the case, "Check for updates" menu item under Help menu is disabled.

2.

You deployed from Admin Install Point where you created new product (v19.012.20034) by applying 034 patch to the base product.

Check this to better understand your case-

https://community.adobe.com/t5/Acrobat/Acrobat-DC-Pro-will-not-update-beyond-15-9-20069-15942/td-p/9...

[russh61325275]

Can you confirm the version number for the base product as I am assuming this would be AcroRdrDC1500720033_MUI located at https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/continuous/dccontinuous.html#dccon...

Would I be right in thinking that if I were to deploy that version to all users is would automatically update? In which case I would never need to update the installation package again?

I've PM'd you with the attached log file.

[LeoUpdaterX]

The log you provided is not verbose. It shows that you have bUpdater policy set to disable updates -

[2019-11-07 13:57:27:0220] FeatureLockDown set to disable Updater.

If you want to let Updater manage updates, you can install base version (yes,  AcroRdrDC1500720033_MUI is base version)

Do not customise installer with bUpdater policy and make sure that bUpdater policy is not set in Registry before you install Reader.

If you have questions, please enable vebose logging before providing log file next time.

[russh61325275]

Please could you advise you to collect a verbose log file for this application? Other than by reinstalling, but we are just executing the installer with no command switches so there shouldn't be anything untoward?

[LeoUpdaterX]

Enable Updater verbose logging-

Set iLogLevel REG_DWORD value to 1 in the registry below

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Adobe\Adobe ARM\1.0\ARM on 64 bit OS

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe ARM\1.0\ARM on 32 bit OS

Collect AdobeARM.log file from User Temp folder.

[russh61325275]

Verbose log details now sent via PM. Please advise what I need to do in order to enable auto updates.

[LeoUpdaterX]

The log you sent me is not verbose. Please follow provided instruction to enable verbose logging.

It looks like Reader was updated on 11/18/2019.

From the log-

[2019-11-18 12:34:57:0038] ProductVersion: 19.021.20056

Seems like there was no error in download and update process.

Other than that the log shows that some updates are disable by bUpdater registry-

[2019-11-21 13:33:26:0475] FeatureLockDown set to disable Updater.

Because the log is not verbose, it is not clear which product is disabled.

Also, at the beginning of the log there are download update errors, for example-

[2019-11-14 10:33:17:0088] Error Code: -2145844845

I would advise to search online for this error and check that this machine can access download server http://ardownload.adobe.com