AdobePDF.dll needed from Adobe Acrobat CD during install - what?!

Report · May 26, 2010

Greetings,

We bought a site license at considerable expense to update our users to the latest Acrobat (too many people not patching and getting viruses). I'm trying to push out via SCCM (uninstall previous version via Adobe Customization Wizard) and when I try to update users running anything other than 9.0.0 I get a message that it needs the dll file in my subject. It is not extracting the file from the data1.cab file and dropping it where the old version was previously. The only option so far is to have people browse to the file (out on a server somewhere) so the install can continue. This is unacceptable because 500 (out of 5000 we are trying to upgrade) people will get a pop up asking this when we are upgrading in the background (and they won't know why). Is there a way I can tell the installer to use the extracted cab file (which I could extract beforehand)? This is driving me insane and it isn’t making my boss very happy either. He feels he wasted $$ if we have to "sneakernet" to all these machines. Anyone have any ideas or who I can call at Adobe? My first attempt at tech support with them was laughable.

Report · May 27, 2010

Hi,

I'm not going to be much help, but I'll try.

First, Adobe's first effort at supporting SCCM by providing a SCUP catalog is only in prerelease. There's no public info available at the moment. It sounds like some of you issues are SCCM specific.

However, I did ping high level support and got this response:

If he has a volume license, he should be transferred to a different queue in Customer Support. You might see if that happened when he called customer support.

There's nothing specific to version 9 in the KBs, but it looks like it sometimes happens if someone has installed Acrobat previously with a suite.

There are third-party discussions on this if you google it with SCCM or SMS.

I wish I could be more helpful.

Ben

Report · May 28, 2010

Thanks for trying to help. I saw the discussion about the "Suite" install and that isn't it since it isn't a 64-bit system. I have determined it has something to do with updating Acrobat to 9.2 or above. When you update Acrobat to 9.2 or above, it drops a newer adobePDF.dll file in system32 (v. 9.2.0.112). My users are on Acrobat 9 Pro Standard and we just purchased a site license for Acrobat Pro 9 Extended so I want to install this on all the machines.

My install has been modified with Adobe Customization Wizard to uninstall previous versions of Acrobat when installing. So, it uninstalls the AdobePDF.dll file (currently v. 9.2.0.112 if they are fully patched) as part of the uninstall. When the install of Extended occurs, it does not extract the AdobePDF.dll file included with the install into C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\I386Vista. As a matter of fact that directory isn't extracted\created at all during the install of the Extended version. So, when it tries to drop AdobePDf.dll file into System32 it can't find it (hence the message) . So, you have to hit cancel and then it reinstalls itself when you try to open it from the start menu the first time (and it takes fooooooorever - 30 minutes). Then it works fine. However, I can't push this silently to users as 500+ people will get a pop-up asking for the .dll file without a clue as to what to so.

THIS ONLY HAPPENS WITH 9.20 or above so far. I have tried slipstreaming all the patches into an AIP, task sequence the patches via the setup.ini file, adding the current .dll versions via the .mst file before the install and nothing works. It simply won't extract those files/directories if it's 9.2 or above. Is there any way to modify the sequence of events via the "Direct Editor" option in the Customization Wizard? The uninstall/install is all one "process" so I can't inject anything before then via a script, batch file, etc. The only thin I can think of is modifying the msi but I'm no expert and the options are just too numerous. I can't believe no one has had this issue. Is no one going from one version of Acrobat 9 to a different version of 9 (Pro vs. Pro Extended)? I'm going to have a lot of unhappy people here pretty quick including my boss.

Any ideas on what number I should call? Is there an Adobe Live Chat feature or anything?

Report · May 28, 2010

Howdy,

I'll find out about the # to call.

In the meantime, I don't understand this:

"When the install of Extended occurs, it does not extract the AdobePDF.dll file included with the install into C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\I386Vista. As a matter of fact that directory isn't extracted\created at all during the install of the Extended version. So, when it tries to drop AdobePDf.dll file into System32 it can't find it (hence the message) . "

What does creating directory "A" have to do with dropping a .dll into directory "B"? System32 always exists. Are you saying that installation should create \\\I386Vista which should contain AdobePDf.dll, and that since it doesn't, the dll can't get copied to System32?

----

If I can figure out if there's a bug somewhere, I can file it or ping an engineer. However, finding a fix for the problem is likely to take some time. Can you use gpo or some scripting method to deploy what isn't deploying? Try asking this question on appdeploy.com or myitforums.com. The admins there know more than I.

Ben

Report · May 29, 2010

You have it exactly right. When Acrobat 9.0 Pro Standard is installed on a machine, it creates a directory "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\I386Vista" which has a couple of .dll files in them (including adobePDF.dll). My install for Acrobat 9 Pro Extended via the Adobe Customization Wizard first uninstalls the current version of Acrobat (including the directory above and the same adobePDF.dll file in System32).

When it then installs Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended it doesn't create the "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\I386Vista" like it should. I assume that is why it is telling me it needs the adobePDF.dll file that came on the CD. It then asks me to browse to it with the default location being "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\I386Vista". It's trying to look for it there, can't find it because the directory doesn't exist, and that's where the issue is.

Why it only does it after Acrobat is at 9.20 or above is beyond me. I can't really use any scipts to deploy the missing file because the uninstall/install is one process. If I could get the uninstall to pause so I could copy the file there via another method and then continue the install it would work perfect. However, you can't schedule any of that via Adobe Customization Wizard. So, I would have to uninstall first via msiexec /X and then run the Acrobat install (and just not modify it to uninstall current versions of Acrobat because that would already be done). I might end up doing this which seems pretty ridiculous.

Report · Jun 01, 2010

Hi,

Are you following the rules here? : http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/498/cpsid_49880.html

To identify update types, go here: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/837/cpsid_83708.html

I'm fairly certaian your problem is esoteric enough that support won't help you unless you have purchased high level support.

ben

Report · Jun 03, 2010

Yep, I originally did not want to use an AIP. However, I started down that route and bundled only quarterly updates in the AIP. Same issue. I also tried REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus and when I tried to update it says I already have a more functional version of the program! It's running Acrobat 9.2.0 so how can that be more functional than 9.3.2. This has been one big headache. I'm with others. If we have purchased a site license, why can Adobe make an updated version of the installer available via FTP download or something to prevent all this patching, AIP updating, etc.?! I'm not sure what to do at this point.

Report · Jun 03, 2010

Hi,

Your issue is beyond my skill level to resolve. You should go to another forum and get help there. I would also try purchasing support and getting a high level support person experienced with enterprise installations.

There are tens of thousands of admins out there who haven't had a problem, so it's possible there's is something wrong with your workflow or environment.

Ben

Report · Jun 04, 2010

As you have written - My install has been modified with Adobe Customization Wizard to uninstall previous versions of Acrobat when installing.

I see only one checkbox in 'Installations Options' section in Adobe Customization Wizard - 'Remove previous version of Acrobat' BUT this is checked by default.

Can you tell me how and where you are making changes using the Adobe Customization Wizard to uninstall the previous versions of Acrobat.

Report · Jun 09, 2010

Deepak, the answer to your question is in the thread itself.

checking remove all previous versions of acrobat will not install Acrobat 9 if you are trying to install higher version of acrobat 9

e.g. You have Acrobat 9.1.0 installed on the machine. You create MST file with remove previous versions checked and you create an AIP for Acrobat 9.3.2 and instal it. It will not remove 9.1.0. This is only applicable if there were versions like Acro 7 or Acro 8

and the answer I am talking about is REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=VOMUS append this to your installation command line

Report · Jun 13, 2010

I tried installing 3D over existing installation of Acro Std and I also faced the same issue.

I didn't use any customizations because by default 3D would uninstall the STD installation and thereafter go ahead with 3D installation. (Of course on UI user has to click 'Continue' rather than 'Cancel' where uninstallation dialog is thrown)

This is a real problem!!

Using GPO to deploy Acrobat 3D to the users will also result in the same problem 😞