Ok,

I'm absolutely agree with your arguments but all modifications have been done in a mst file that I've created.

Hi Jean,
everything that works is ok... well, most of the time. :-)
However, as far as i see, all the things you are trying to achieve with your own functions (uninstall / browser-integration) are already part of the package.
You should instruct your client, that altering a vendor package with Wise or Installshield isn't the best solution in most cases. Especially, when the vendor has its own tool (Acrobat tuner in this case) to configure the package.
This thing is huge and has many custom actions and special tables. Altering that stuff here and there is a rather high risk path to get to the goal...
So, to answer your question: Do things like that inhouse could maybe work here and then, but for a external customer, i would never do it like this.

Regards, Nick

Thanks but I find another way. Tell me what do you think of this :

In order to understand the problem, here is a short description of the context : Client likes when packages are done with Wise Installer. So I try to find where was modified the registry key. This is done with custom action. We have changed install dir (program Files\Adobe\Reader instead of programFiles\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\...). Moreover, we wants to uninstall all previous version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

1. During uninstall with upgrades functions, (I don't know why) INSTALLDIR is modified to map previously install directory.
   
2. After uninstall, INSTALLDIR isn't updated automatically and mapalways the previous path
   
3. I've added installation step in order to correct the path.
   
4. Unfortunately, registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe is set before this step. That's why I add another step to correctly set the path in the registry key. The property which needs to be modified is "AS_HKCR_EXE".
   
5. After compiling, all works fine, user can open online pdf inside IE.

Hi Jean,
you do this within the package.
Set the following properties:
DISABLE_BROWSER_INTEGRATION = 0
DEFAULT_VERB = (Read/Open)  --> Use READER or WRITER to open a PDF.
That should do the trick.
Regards, Nick

Thanks for the KB.
My client wants to change installdir and that's why there is the problem.
Seems to work when i change the path manually. Now I've to find how to change the path with the package.

I will told when all work fine.

Many thanks,

Hi Jean,
please read the Acrobat Std 7.x package KB. I have put the link to it on the top of the page.
Regards, Nick

Hi Jean,
your problem lies in the following registry key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe
The default value must contain the full path to the Acrobat.exe or the AcroRd32.exe
This can be configured in the Installshield Tuner.
Regards, Nick

I've built MST file, but I have always a problem with this package.
Clients (computer) have previous version of adobe acrobat reader (7.07). During install, I remove all previous version using upgrades function with Wise Installer 6. Uninstall and reinstall of version 7.10 works perfectly but  when I try to open PDF in Internet Explorer I've got the previous error message : "There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader. Please exit Adobe Acrobat/Reader and try again"

I've built MST with Installshield Tuner for acrobat 7.0 but result is the same.

Final user wants really open their PDF inside IE 6.0.

If you have an idea

Regards,

For v7, it was called 'InstallShield Tuner for Acrobat' - it's a customised version of, er, InstallShield's Tuner tool.

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=2709

Hi, Thanks for your answer,

You're good in French ;-)

Are you sure that Adobe Customization Tool works with this version of Adobe Reader ? I thought that this tool works with version 8 and later.

Anyway, I will try to product a correct MST file. Did you know where I can find the tool ?

Jean, Your English looks just fine to me...certainly better than my French. Anyway...

  I would abandon trying to create a transform using conventional package tools and use Adobe's own customisation tool. The pain of not doing so is well documented here.

  Lastly, every client I have worked for has turned off Acrobat's browser integration (where web-based PDFs open in an IE window). The pain of doing that is well documented pretty much everywhere!
  =====================
  Jean, votre anglais ressemble bien à moi ... certainement mieux que mon français. D'accord...

  Je voudrais essayer de renoncer à créer une transformation utilisant les outils de colis et d'utiliser le propre outil de personnalisation de Adobe. La douleur de ne pas le faire est bien documenté ici.

  Enfin, chaque client pour qui j'ai travaillé a désactivé l'intégration du navigateur d'Acrobat (qui sur le Web ouvert de fichiers PDF en IE). La douleur de faire qui est bien documentée un peu partout!

Hi everybody,

• I've got a problem when I try to repackage Adobe Reader 7.1 EN. I've created mst file. When I try to install the package there is no problem. But when I try to open pdf file inside InternetExplorer 6.0.28, I've got an error message : "There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader. Please exit Adobe Acrobat/Reader and try again"
  
• I've found some information on Internet like http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb401258 but this is about version 8.0.
  
• Package is done with Wise Installer 6.0 for Windows, and deploy with Criston Precision.
  
• Clients computers have already previous version of Acrobat Reader (7.07) installed but option "view pdf in browser has been disabled.

Hi AH,
turn of the preloading of the Reader at login time.
Have a look at the startup folder and the "..\CurrentVersion\Run".
Regards, Nick

Just had a problem ticket after the upgarde to 7.1.0.  Only one ticket so far..

We have workstations which have Reader and Acrobat writter installed.  After the upgrade, Reader to 7.1.0 and then Professional to 7.1.0.  When user click on the Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.1.0, it lauches the Adobe Reader instead... have you come across this problem.

I am not sure if this is just a simple shortcut screw up...  or I need to fix it under certain registry key.

Hi Daniel,
like i wrote above, remove the reader doesn't make sense at all!
It even produces additional problems.
For the 7.10 update,
see: ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobat/win/7x/7.1.0/misc/AcroProUpd710_all_cum.exe
Use 7zip or something similar to extract the content.

As for the 1406 error:
Make sure, you are installing with enough rights (obviously).
Make sure, you don't have any leftovers in this registry key from previous installations.
Install to computer, not user context and see if any difference occurs.

Regards, Nick

thanks for the replies guys.

nheim: you make reference to a 7.1.0 msp in existence. i can't find any mention of it on the adobe website. where did you get it from?

microsoftbob: i don't know about the adobe customisation wizard (because it's only applicable for version 8 of acrobat), but the installshield tuner for acrobat 7 only has the ability to remove a previous version of acrobat pro, standard or elements, not reader. so unfortunately i need to remove it myself.

i think i will stick with my current format of uninstalling reader when acropro is installed, considering acropro performs the functionality of both.

in regards to the error i'm receiving, it is during the final stages of installation of either reader or acropro:

error 1406. could not write value to key
\software\classes\interface\{EE5A151A-AD2A-4CEE-AD65-228B59F5B4AD}.
verify that you have sufficient access to that key, or contact your support personnel.

i've done research on this problem previously and it seems to be well known. the general attitude of adobe to this problem however appears to be, "oh well, tough luck". problem is it's not just this one key, it's multiple keys and the keys always seem to be different on each computer, so it's impossible to script. the issue seems to be that the installation is not setting the permissions correctly on the keys.

Hi Daniel,

You asked three questions -- in my past experience it's better to post them separately, but anyway....

  i suppose my first question is, is an admin install the best way to manage updates of software?

The best way is different for different people and different environments.  There are a lot of factors involved, including personal preference.  I don't have a lot of experience with using administration points, but I believe they can be used efficiently provided the location doesn't change path so the workstations can execute a repair if needed.  Then I beleive you can apply a patch to the administatration point and kick off a repair on the workstations to update them.  Some prefer to not use administrative points and just apply the patches directly to the workstations.  This is a good way if you need to have different versions for some reason.

secondly, i'm curious to know how people deal with upgrading from reader to acrobat pro. reader is currently part of our soe, but if a user requests an acrobat licence, i have a script setup to remove reader and install acrobat, is this the correct behaviour? 

If you use the Adobe Customization Wizard, you can specify that the Adobe Reader be uninstalled during the install of Acrobat Professional.  You can get ACW from http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3564

  third and finally, anyone else experiencing this problem where you install reader/acrobat and receive errors writing to certain registry keys? it's making my updates difficult to near impossible.


More detail please....a log file or error message would be great.  Are you running the update as a local Administrator?

Hi Daniel,
we install Acrobat Reader on every system, no matter if Acropro is also installed or not!
IMHO, even users, which are producing PDF's should view them in the reader, before spreading them around!
Second: Most of the time, PDF are viewed and not produced or altered, so the default viewer in explorer and browser should be the reader.

There is no right or false, when it comes to updates, because every company handles them in their own way (unfortunately).
For AcroPro, the admin install seem the right solution to me.
Version 7.10 comes as MSP, so you can apply it on your AIP.
Just tested it my self: Put the v7.10 MSP on a AIP with v7.05, works perfectly!
Be aware, that you need to reinstall the hole package, if you patch the AIP.
Regards, Nick