Disabled Update Notification Re-enabled Itself?

[web1c]

Acrobat 10 was deployed using a version that was customized with the customization wizard that had automatic update disabled  several months ago.  It was working and users were not notified of the last update to 10.1.3.

After updating to Flash 11.4, users starting getting Adobe Reader update notifications to update to 10.1.4.

Is there something in Flash 11.4 that would have re-enabled update notifications on Adobe Reader?

How can this be fixed?

[EnterpriseHelp]

No, that's not possible. Separate installers.

If you want to prove it to yourself:

1. Check updater settings in Acrobat UI.
2. Install Flash 11.4.
3. Recheck Acrobat UI.

You can always set bUpdater in HKLM if you're having a problem (which isn't caused by Flash).

Ben

[web1c]

This is still odd that Reader updates that had been disabled in the customization wizard somehow became re-enabled.

[EnterpriseHelp]

Running a full installer could turn it back on. That is, if a full msi or exe is run over a configured Reader install, the existing configs will get overwritten. Perhaps someone did that by mistake.

It is not possible that Flash installs are changing this Reader setting.

Ben

[SubratoNamata]

Acrobat and Reader 10's disable updater settings are goverened by two different keys.

Acrobat

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\10.0\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

Reader

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\10.0\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

You can also check the above settings on the user machines.

Hence, if you have applied customized installer to turn off updater for Acrobat, you must do the same for Reader too.

Flash does not in any way change these registry settings.

[web1c]

What's bizarre about this is that it was deployed with updates disabled and the check for update menus item in preferences is still not displayed so the user cannot check for updates manually, yet the user still gets update prompts in the task tray.

[EnterpriseHelp]

Nobody else is reporting this, but it's possible you've found an esoteric bug unique to your systems.

• Send the OS and other details.
• Look in Task Manager and see is the ARM service is running.
• Check Edit > Preferences > Updater and report what you see.

Ben

[web1c]

Windows 7 Professional 32-bit.

There is no "Updater" under edit> preferences because our custom deployment removed that option as part of disabling updates. 

The user cannot manually go into Adobe Reader and check for updates on demand because that option is removed, but updating is running the background and pops up a balloon prompt in the task tray telling them that Adobe Reader updates are ready to be installed.

[jdixon333]

I too am receiving the updating running in the background and the balloon prompt popping up in the task tray.  I have bUpdater in the registry and everything was working with version 10.0.x of Adobe Reader, but when updating from version 10.0.x to 10.1.4 of Adobe Reader the update balloon has returned. I don't see that the version 10.1.4 of Adobe Reader has created a separate version folder in the registry like it did when I installed 10.0.  Should there be?  If not what am I missing to turn that balloon prompt back off.  Sorry to thread jack if I need to I can create my own thread, but where this thread left off is exactly where my problem lies.

Also running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit

Message was edited by: jdixon333

[EnterpriseHelp]

Updates do not create a new version hive in the registry. Everything resides under 10.0.

Export and send your HKLM bUpdater setting.

Ben

[jdixon333]

Not sure exactly what you meant by export and send my HKLM bUpdater setting and send to where, but on all the PCs in my building the registry keys below are present:

For 32-bit

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\10.0\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

For 64-bit

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\10.0\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

All PCs have those registry keys regardless of whether they're getting the 64-bit client or 32-bit, but we mostly deploy the 64-bit client.

When I deploy adobe reader 10.1.4, customizing it like I have done with versions 8,9, and 10.0, as soon as my users login after the program finishes installing through group policy they're getting the update balloon.

I did see somewhere searching that you need to patch the .msi with the .msp file that is extracted from the .exe during setup and I can say I didn't do that before my roll out.

And I aplogive if my questions seem novice, but I've followed the same practive when deploying Adobe reader updates in the past and this is the first time I have come across any problems.

[EnterpriseHelp]

Can you send a screen shot of the notification you are seeing? I know it's a pain, but this issue deserves some investigation.

Ben

[SubratoNamata]

It's strange to know that bUpdater key is not working for you. In my GPO deployement, with Reader 10.1.3 and Reader 10.1.4, I have not seen any such issues.

Can you answer the following,

1. You say that, after updating from Reader 10.0.x to Reader 10.1.4, you see the update balloon. But how can that be possible ? because the latest Reader is 10.1.4. What updates are you seeing ?

2. Secondly, how are you customizing the Reader 10.1.4 installer ? Are you using the customization wizard UI to disable all updates check box ? or some other methods ?

3. On machine where you have the bUpdater key set to 0, can you provide the AdobeARM.log file present at Temp. [To go to Temp folder, Do (Windows Key +R) and type %temp% and enter key.]

[jdixon333]

Sorry for not getting back to you two sooner.  I went ahead and started over on the policy following most of the info supplied in this thread and everything is working as it should.  Not sure what was wrong, but I'm happy to mark this project off my list.  Thanks!