Having serious problems deploying Adobe Reader 11.0.10

Report · Feb 09, 2015

I had a heck of a time trying to extract the .msi but I was finally able to do it.

However when I add the .msi to the Group Policy object. Instead of installing Adobe Reader 11.0.10 it installs 11.0.0

What the!!!!

Instead of updating from 11.0.8 to 11.0.10

It rolls back

From 11.0.8 to 11.0.0. Then has the audacity to tell me "There's a new update available".

I'm using the .msi that was exctracted from AdbeRdr11010_en_US.exe . I've done this for the past 10+ versions and never had these stupid stupid stupid issues.

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

The download here http ://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?platform=windows&product=10 is absolutely worthless. It gives you a .msp which you can't use in Group Policy. Unless there is a way to extract a .msi out of that, which I am not aware of.

Anyway I've always been just able to extract the AcroRead.msi and update everyone's machines using that. Now it wants to roll back the version to 2012.

Please help.

edit:

I have now attempted to do this....

http://www.itninja.com/blog/view/how-to-deploy-adobe-reader-xi-11-0-02-through-gpo

It still installs 11.0.0 like a stubborn idiot. It refuses to install 11.0.10.

I tried

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11010.msp

I also tried:

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11001.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrSecUpd11002.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11003.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11004.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrSecUpd11005.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11006.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11007.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrSecUpd11008.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11009.msp

msiexec /a C:\b\AcroRead.msi /p C:\b\AdbeRdrUpd11010.msp

Not a whole lot of good that did.

I'm really struggling here.

The documentations on AIP are absolute monsters that assume you already know a lot of the information

Report · Feb 09, 2015

The documentation for AIP/GPO/installation resides here: http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/index.html

Verify you're following the best practices and steps.

Installers: 11.0.10 Planned update, Dec 9, 2014 — Acrobat and Adobe Reader Release Notes

hth,

Ben

Report · Feb 10, 2015

Administrative Installation Points — Enterprise Administration Guide

Ok so lets take this. Step #2

" Understand the and adhere to the AIP. Create the AIP accordingly:"

What on earth does that mean? I'm sorry but my specialization is not in this field. I just want to know why it deploys 11.0.0 instead of 11.0.10. Not really trying to reinvent space rocket technology.

Before I used to just be able to get the .msi out of the .exe and push that across.

Now honestly the language that these manuals use is to assuming that I already know a lot of information.

But that's not really the trouble. The trouble is, after reading that guide some more it looks like I've already taken a lot of those steps and have had 0% luck

I do appreciate your help though.

Report · Feb 10, 2015

You don't need to extract anything. You can navigate directly to the uncompressed installers from the ETK (www.adobe.com/go/acrobatetk) or the release notes. That said, if you already have the files, those should work.

You do need to follow the documentation (every step--not only "a lot of the steps"). There's a best practices section and a troubleshooting section. For example, the doc says "don't install in a root dir" which you are doing.

hth,

Ben

Report · Feb 11, 2015

The steps were wrong.

www.itninja.com/blog/view/how-to-deploy-adobe-reader-xi-11-0-02-through-gpo

The instructions here tell you to "Copy" the .msi package after you add the .msp to it.

15. File – Copy Package

16. In the pop up dialogue

> The existing source package is located at: ‘C:\AIP\AcroRead.msi’

> Specify a Name for your package I went with ‘AcroRead’

> Where it is to be copied to: C:\AdobeReaderTransform

The problem I ran into was that when it copied it copied the wrong .msi. Instead of taking the .msi that had the .msp attached to it. It proceeded to copy the .msi that only had 11.0.0 on it. Even though I pointed it to the correct .msi (the one with the .msp attached).

What ended up fixing it for me is basically saying "forget that". And picking the more up to date .msi for the GPO. And just attaching the .mst after the fact. Which is a bit of a risk since the .mst was technically created for a "different file".

But it worked.

So basically the instructions I used were trash.

BUT I will say this. This is way way way over complicated. All I'm trying to do is update Adobe Reader. Why do I need to learn all this extra nonesense. Who on earth wants to manage Winrar, Adobe Customization Wizard, 3 different .msi's, an .mst and an .msp. Just to update STUPID ADOBE READER!!!

What are they thinking?!?!?!?! This is a small throwaway piece of software we use to open PDFs. I'm starting to wonder if we need to use something else if they keep over complicating this mess.