Java and Flash updates

[tdh1987]

Hi guys

 

How are you managing to keep on top of your flash player and Java updates on your student workstations?

 

At the moment I'm using a GPO to push out the MSI for both flash and Java (but only as ofter as every 6 weeks). Do you guys uninstall the previous version before hand, or do you just install over the top? And is there a way you can install it once and have the application manage the updates itself?

 

Thanks for reading

 

Tom

[Michael]

I only deploy Java where needed and I deploy Flash MSIs periodically. I don't deploy every revision (as you can imagine), but as long as it's fairly new you should be OK.

[tdh1987]

Sounds very similar to what I'm doing here at my end. Do you bother to uninstall the previous version first?

[Michael]

No as the installer should recognise it's newer and install directly on top.

[mavhc]

You can tell it to uninstall the old one, but it's not normally needed. I deploy every flash version via GPO, also shockwave and java. The trick seems to be, never do a manual install/automatic update, don't have it on your image, always update via GPO. I leave the old MSIs on the software install share in case they're needed to upgrade/uninstall

[sonofsanta]

I use MSIs pushed out with SCCM, so I can monitor how the deployment has gone.

 

I update Java as soon as it's released thanks to the incredibly stupid warning it now pops up as soon as the installed version is out of date. Said warning causes issues for us with ECDL tests so it's worth pushing it out ASAP. Java I deliberately install over the top - it caused problems for me when uninstalling the old version. Others have found the opposite though.

 

Flash I tend to do with the monthly MS updates now that Adobe time their releases alongside. It only takes a few minutes to download, set up and push out with SCCM (I tried SCUP but didn't like it, I'm fine doing it manually). I do set Flash to uninstall previous.

 

Reader I only do when there's a vulnerability as I seem to have a lot more problems with it when installing over old versions. AIR and Shockwave are rarely used so I tend only to update them when I remember - probably as I'm doing Reader.

[Gatt]

I use SCUP to deploy Adobe updates via SCCM.

 

For Java, I grab the MSI and send it out via SCCM as well -one thing to note here though is that I have to make sure the previous version of Java is uninstalled first - otherwise the new version fails to install - it only seems to do this during silent deployment via SCCM.

Had to do this with most of the Java 7 updates after a nightmare day of manually running a Microsoft FIX-IT on a load of PCs to remove the borked installs (old and new)

[jamesfed]

I use SCCM to push out the updates - no need to remove the older versions as they just overwrite the previous one.

 

A little while back I put together these guides (although for GPO) that you might find useful - http://www.edugeek.net/forums/enterprise-software/111305-deploying-adobe-reader-adobe-flash-java-msi-gpo-guides.html

 

I do the Adobe and Java updates every time these days (although I sometimes let Adobe reader slip) and since I've already got the transforms/config files in place its become second nature.

 

Edit: I also have a test group which I deploy the updates to first (about 20 PCs in locations where people would pickup on and report any issues) before rolling out to the site.

Edited June 7, 2013 by jamesfed