Posted by Shawn Anderson on Wed, Aug 11, 2010
This is the last in a series of posts dedicated to Adobe Reader. The first post discussed how to customize Adobe Reader for your company, the second discussed how to deploy Adobe Reader to your entire company, and today we'll tackle the last portion - patching Adobe basebuild from 9.3.0 to 9.3.3.
If you don't already have the Adobe Reader 9.3.3, the patch must be obtained directly from Adobe.
Step 1: Open PDQ Deploy and select the Adobe Reader patch.
NOTE: If you are at the base build version of 9.3.0, you will need to install the 9.3.2 patch before applying 9.3.3.
Step 2: Select the target computers for the software deployment
There are three methods to select targerts:
- Import (from a text file)
- Active Directory
- Admin Arsenal
Step 3: Select the account to initiate the installation
This can be an Active Directory or a local account.
Step 4: Verify your settings and deploy
Much like the instructions on a shampoo bottle, if you are deploying 9.3.2 first, then wash, rinse, repeat. This will get you to the latest secure version of 9.3.3.
If you haven't taken the time to join Adobe's mailing list for security patch notification, I suggest you do so. This is a different list than their marketing distros.
You can sign up for their patch notification when you enter into your EULA to distribute Adobe Reader. The same notifications are also available for Adobe Flash and other Adobe products.
Since Adobe Reader is such a widely used application we get many requests from users on how to remotely install the program. Here is a video that demonstrates deploying the Adobe Reader 9.3.3 patch.
Note: For optimal viewing select HD playback.
If you have a software application that you would like us to demonstrate deployments in a step-by-step blog and video, shoot us the request.
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Posted by Shawn Anderson on Mon, Aug 09, 2010
There are three methods that Adobe provides for deploying Adobe Reader to all of your computers:
- EXE - (AdbeRdr933_en_US.exe)
- MSI - (AcroRead.msi)
- MST - (AcroRead.mst)
The self contained version of Adobe Reader simply deploys the application as packaged by Adobe with no ability to customize. If you want to simply push Adobe Reader with all defaults, use this method. The /sAll and /rs switches make the install silent for all products and suppress required reboots, respectively.
The .MSI version of Adobe Reader is obtained by extracting it from the EXE. With the MSI you have a little more flexibility in certain aspects, like suppressing EULA acceptance.
The .MST (transform file) requires the AcroRead.msi and is created using the Adobe Customization Wizard. This method and its associated benefits were demonstrated in last weeks blog "Adobe Reader 9.3 - The Adobe Customization Wizard".
Here are the three examples of deploying Adobe Reader 9.3.
Example 1: The self contained Adobe Reader file.
Example 2: The .MSI installation.
Example 3: The .MST (transform) installation.
Simply open PDQ Deploy and select your .MSI in the "Installer File to Deploy" field. You call your .mst file in the Parameters field (TRANSFORMS="AcroRead.mst").
Complete the next three steps within PDQ Deploy (select targets, verify administrative account, and deploy). It's that simple.
Here's a video of deploying Adobe Reader 9.3 using PDQ Deploy.
Last of all - patching. We've noticed something decidedly odd about Adobe 9.3.3. If you install using the EXE you will install the latest security patches, up to 9.3.3. However, by extracting and using the MSI you will only be installing the base version of 9.3.0.
Be sure to patch your systems, and note that if you are at 9.3.0, you must first install 9.3.2 and then 9.3.3. The instructions for this will be posted on our next blog.
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Posted by Shawn Anderson on Fri, Aug 06, 2010
Many organizations prefer to customize their installations of Adobe Reader. This is made possible by the Adobe Customization Wizard. While it is a somewhat involved process, it's actually pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it. (Watch video).
Here are some benefits of deploying a customized Adobe Reader vs. the out-of-the-box version.
- No Google toolbar
- Disable auto updates (and other phone-home options)
- Disable Acrobat purchase links
- Force installation in silent mode
- So much more I don't feel like listing them all
Let's begin.
Step 1: Download and install the customization wizard
The file is named CustWiz90_en_US.exe and is available from the Adobe website. Install the application accepting all defaults.
Step 2: Extract files for customization
Open a command window and cd to the location of AdbeRdr933_en_US.exe. Enter the following in the cmd window:
AdbeRdr933_en_US.exe -nos_ne
The necessary files are now extracted. It's here that you could start scratching your head. Adobe isn't very clear about where they stored your new extracted files. The location is:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Adobe\Reader 9.3\Setup Files\Reader9
Step 3: Use Adobe Customization Wizard
From Start > Programs open the newly installed Adobe Customization Wizard. Select open and navigate to the AcroRead.msi (path above).
You will see the following window.
It's time to make your modifications. There are too many to list here, but tip-toe around and see what jumps out at you.
Four sections to pay close attention to are:
- Personalization Options
- Shortcuts
- EULA
- Online and Acrobat.com
The EULA is nice to customize as it prevents a user from needing to accept it when Adobe Reader is first started. I like the shortcuts because it allows me to remove the desktop and start menu icons. (Those icons have always been clutter to me).
The most important of these four options (to your humble blogger, that is) would be the Online and Acrobat.com. This page allows you to remove Acrobat.com solicitations and also allows an IT adminsitrator to prevent each Reader installation from attempting to update itself. In larger organizations this is important. While security updates are critical, it's a mess to have hundreds of computers phoning home to Adobe every week to see if updates are available.
I also like to disable all of Acrobat.com access.
There's a bunch to see in this wizard so don't get lost in the weeds. We have a walk through video which shows the Adobe Customization Wizard in action.
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Posted by Shawn Anderson on Wed, Apr 14, 2010
While Adobe Reader is free, it can be a bit of a pain to get onto all of your computers. This is because Adobe requires each organization to enter into a separate license agreement. So it's not possible for you to just download the .msi and deploy (at least not without violating the Adobe EULA).
The process is actually fairly simple once you've gotten the hang of it. Simply go to www.adobe.com. Look for the familiar buttons and select Adobe Reader.
The next step will allow you to obtain a file for deploying rather than having Adobe attempt an installation to the specific machine that you are using. Your screen will look similar to this:
The key here is to select the "Distribute Adobe Reader" link.
The next pages and steps will require that you accept the Adobe EULA (End User License Agreement). You will need to provide your company information, including a guestimate of the number of systems that you will install the software on.
Be sure to sign up for Adobe security announcements (a separate choice from signing up for Adobe marketing announcements). For obvious reasons you should be informed when Adobe releases a new patch. (If you wait to learn about a patch release from Slashdot then it's probably too late.)
Once you receive the email from Adobe containing the download link you're about halfway home. Now it's time to do some customization.
Note: You don't need to customize, just remember that by default Adobe Reader will perform auto updates for patches from each system, as well as menu items for purchasing Adobe Acrobat, and other annoyances.
You'll need to download the Adobe Customization Wizard. You can obtain this file by doing a search within Adobe. The filename changes with each release, but as of this writing the most current is CustWiz90_en_US.msi. Install this file accepting all defaults. When completed you will need to run the Adobe Reader 9.3 (obtained from your EULA acceptance email from Adobe). The file is named AdbeRdr_930_en_US.exe.
To install this file you need to run it from a command prompt and provide the following argument:
c:\AdbeRdr_930_en_US.exe -nos_ne
This will extract the files required by the customization wizard.
Here is a video which demonstrates a quick customization. Note, when you customize Adobe Reader you are not customizing the .msi file that you downloaded, but you are creating an .mst (Transform) file that you will reference when you install the .msi.
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Posted by Shawn Anderson on Fri, Jan 01, 2010
We get a number of requests for assistance with deploying Adobe Reader. Here's a quick way to install the software remotely using Admin Arsenal.
Step 1: Download the latest version of Adobe Reader
Step 2: Place the installation file(s) on your computer or on a networked share
Step 3: Select which computer, collection, or OU that you will be installing to and double click to open
Step 4: The Deploy Software window opens. Select the Deployment File button and navigate to the downloaded Adobe Reader installation file. (If additional files were downloaded, be sure to select the Include Entire Directory check box.)
Step 5: Check the Send Password option and enter the following into the Command Line field:
/sAll /rs /rps /msi"ALLUSERS=TRUE EULA_ACCEPT=YES SUPPRESS_APP_LAUNCH=YES"
NOTE: Always test before doing a large push. We've found the above command line to work but Adobe Reader versions change regularly.
The deployment should be very quick and should not be noticed by any users currently logged onto any of the computers receiving the software push.
We have a handful of step-by-step instructions for deploying common applications. If you have an app that is not listed please let us know and we'll get it tested in our lab and post the steps.
The biggest challenge for many is determining the correct command line usage, as was discussed last year.