Error Deploying Acrobat via AD in Server 2008 R2

[ShaunK-Oz]

Hi Folks,

We've recently migrated all our Active Directory domain controllers from Windows Server 2003 to Server 2008 R2. We previously deployed all major apps (including a number of Adobe products) using group policy deployment via msi's which worked great.

Now, in attempting to add ANY Adobe msi installer package in Server 2008 R2 to a group policy we get an error stating:

"Add operation failed. Unable to extract deployment information from the package. Run validation on the package to ensure that the package is correct."

This happens with msi's for Acrobat Standard 9.0.0, Acrobat Pro 9.0, Acrobat Reader 9.1 & 9.3 & Flash Player 9.

ALL other deployed applications work fine on Server 2008 R2 - the problem affects all of our Adobe products and none of our non-Adobe products.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Shaun K.

PS - This is my first post, please be nice to the newbie.

[RainShadow1975]

I am having a similiar issue.  We have a valid Adobe Reader 9.3.0 installation and are trying to upgrade to 9.3.4.  When we try to make the 9.3.4 we get this error message.  Oddly enough, while testing we tried to recreate the 9.3.0 package using the same files and received this error.  We are also 2008 R2. Other Adobe products have this error.  This is for products we currently use via GPO.  Does not seem to have problems with other companies software products.

AcroRead.msi

Add operation failed.  unable to extract deployment information from the package.  run validation on the package to ensure that the package is correct.

[EnterpriseHelp]

Hi,

Please post a list of all the files you are trying to install and in what order. You need to adhere to the criteria described here: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/498/cpsid_49880.html.

thanks,

ben

[RainShadow1975]

Adobe Reader 9.3.0 >> MSI from Adobe for distribution.

The update for 9.3.4 followed the quarterly convention as listed in the link you posted.

Neither are working although the 9.3.0 worked a few months ago and no system changes.

[EnterpriseHelp]

I still don't know what your update chain is. To get from 9.3 to 9.3.4 you have to do this:

9.3 > 9.3.2 > 9.3.3 > 9.3.4

See the quick key at: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/837/cpsid_83709/attachments/Acrobat_Reader_Update_QuickKey.pdf

Ben

[ShaunK-Oz]

Hi Rainshadow1975,

I got to the bottom of our problem, which turned out to be the fact that the Administrator account did not have a roaming profile with access to a home drive.

The Adobe installer seems to need a home drive for the logged on account and after we changed to Server 2008 the fact that the Domain Administrator account didn't have one stopped the creation of a GPO deployment package. We found this through various messages in the AD server's event log.

Since we addressed the Administrator home drive issue it works fine. Hope this helps you.

[RainShadow1975]

Thanks for the insight.  Once we used a different account it worked.

rs