MSI + MSP + Acrobat DC Customization Wizard = No bueno

[jasonm37694817]

I've been banging my head on this problem for a few days now, and can't seem to find a resolution.  I'm moderately familiar with packaging and scripting installs, so there is a possibility my issue lies with my understanding of patching MSI files with MSP's.

I'm trying to create a custom installation of Acrobat Reader DC 2017 using the Acrobat Customization Wizard DC.  The downloads I'm starting off with are:

AcroRdrDC1701220093_en_US.exe
Which contains:

     abcpy.ini

     AcroRdrDCUpd1701220093.msp

     AcroRead.msi

     Data1.cab

     list.txt

     setup.exe

     setup.ini

CustWiz1502020039_en_US_DC.exe

Step 1:  Extract files from AcroRdrDC1701220093_en_US.exe using 7zip to a folder called Reader

Step 2:  Install Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

Step 3:  Launch ACW, load AcroRead.msi from Reader folder

Step 4:  Modify the settings, including a few custom HKLM and HKCU registry keys I got from here:

                    Services integration

Step 5:  Save transform file as "AcroRead.mst" to the Reader folder

Step 6:  From a virtual machine, run the installation files like this:

                    msiexec -i AcroRead.msi TRANSFORMS=AcroRead.mst /quiet

Step 7:  Launch Acrobat Reader DC

What I found was some of the settings in the ACW did not propagate to the installation .  Mostly, none of the custom HKCU settings replicated to the user's registry.  I found a bug report with Acrobat Reader DC 2015 where the registry keys weren't migrating over properly at launch of Reader

                    [Acrobat Reader DC] HKCU registry keys are not replicated for each user as for Adobe Reader

Supposedly a fix was released in the 2017 branch of Reader.

What I discovered above is that in step 2, I was creating a transform file using the 2015 version of Acrobat Reader DC, but using the 2017 version of the ACW.  This might have been where some of my problems were coming from, so my next goal was to patch the MSI using the AcroRdrDCUpd1701220093.msp, and then re-create the transform file from scratch.  This is where I'm getting a little lost.

I read that an 'Administrative Installation' needs to be created, and then patched.  So I ran the command msiexec /a acroread.msi /p AcroRdrDCUpd1701220093.msp and then installed to a different folder called "Administrative Installations\Adobe Reader DC".  I then ran msiexec -i acroread.msi TRANSFORMS=acroread.mst /quiet from the original READER folder (because the MSI seems to have been updated) and I get all sorts of missing files errors.

All I'm trying to do is configure a transform file from the latest version of Acrobat Reader DC (2017) and then install the package, including the transform, to a virtual workstation for testing.  Can someone point out what I'm doing wrong?  Tnx.

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Hi Jason,

I'm surprised that you didn't receive an answer but here it is mine.

You don't have to launch the MSI file nor to add arguments to it.

Just launch the SETUP.EXE and it will parse the setup.ini file and apply your customization.

jasonm37694817  a écrit

Step 1:  Extract files from AcroRdrDC1701220093_en_US.exe using 7zip to a folder called Reader

Step 2:  Install Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

Step 3:  Launch ACW, load AcroRead.msi from Reader folder

Step 4:  Modify the settings, including a few custom HKLM and HKCU registry keys I got from here:

                    Services integration

Step 5:  Save transform file as "AcroRead.mst" to the Reader folder

Step 6:  From a virtual machine, run the installation files like this:

                    SETUP.EXE

Step 7:  Launch Acrobat Reader DC

[jasonm37694817]

Thanks Antoinetahiti.  This did work as you mentioned.  I also discovered later on that there was a redistributable 2017 version (I had to apply for a license) of the MSI available that DID work as I had intended.  It turns out the consumer version I was using used the 2015 MSI version internally, which had some of those bugs I mentioned in my original post.  The 2017 version of the MSI I downloaded applied all preferences flawlessly.  Lesson learned: Don't use the consumer version, use the MSI redistributable version meant for enterprise deployment.

[nr78104795]

We are facing the same issue. After applying patch, the installation is not happening as it says missing files error and rolls back. Could you please tell me what needs to be done after. We are patching the 2018 patch. Is license mandatory for this to work. We dont have licenses provided.

[amb12601]

I'm following the directions you placed here and I'm confused when I get to Step 6 as I don't see a SETUP.EXE that was created. Does it appear in a folder other than the Reader folder that was created?

[jasonm37694817]

The setup.exe is one of the 7 files that I extracted from the AcroRdrDC1701220093_en_US.exe file, using 7-zip.