AAAAHH JAAAAAAVVAAAAAA!!!! deploy help please anyone?

[Sir]

Hi geekers,

 

Please, as a last resort, I am appealing to you for help. having spectacularly failed to deploy Java 5.0.52 2 weeks ago for a controlled assessment for AQA, I had to do the suite manually with less than an hour to sort it! i have read and read over the last 6 months and have yet to have a definitive way to sort Java, (flash+reader too), but mainly java gives me the stress. Last time I tried this, The offline installer msi that i grabbed from the %appdata%locallow folder appeared to deploy on computerstartup as I have verbose mode enable and could see it installing. However, when going into control panel to check the version, Java is completely destroyed saying that there is no version at all; Java icon is replaced with the unknown file icon...

the really annoying thing is that this damned online test (the same one that worked with .52 three weeks ago was now demanding v.55!!!!

Please could someone give me a good guide? Everyone goes on about simply deploying Java as the msi but why EVERYTIME I try this, it NEVER works? DO I need to uninstall every java on every machine to deploy this way and if so, how can i easily do it?

I have spent enough hours on this and am sure there must be many ways you guys never have to worry about it like this. Please help me over this once and for all........ If it the last thing I do, I want it done and done right :-/

[jamesfed]

I hope the guides in this post helps you - http://www.edugeek.net/forums/enterprise-software/111305-deploying-adobe-reader-adobe-flash-java-msi-gpo-guides.html

 

I've found in the past that its best to make sure that any botched installs of Java/Flash are completely obliterated before doing a 'pure and perfect' install so you may need a reimage.

 

Personally I include all the plugins in my SCCM Task Sequence - that way they can be easily updated at time of OS Deployment without having to keep the OS updated all the time

[Sir]

Thanks for these links; fantastic. I'll get on it next week. Not touched sccm yet. Was going to check it all out in the summer. Will thank when not on phone app! Have a great weekend. ...

[jamesfed]

Sounds like a plan there is also the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit which is free to use but doesn't include the application deployment tools.

[alfatec]

If you want to deploy Java updates to your whole network along with Adobe reader, Flash, Shockwave etc and get rid of those annoying pop ups that keep stating

that there are updates to be installed use PDQ Deploy and PDQ inventory. Go to Link: http://www.adminarsenal.com/home

You can deploy Java to your whole network in minutes. The software has pre-built packages that will disable auto updating and install the software for you.

You can also build your own packages using MSI's and it will put pre-built install switch's on for you. Had a couple of same issues with ECDL software where

Java had to be updated first to 7.5 then 8. PDQ already had both packages in the software. As easy as right click on your active directory container and deploy

Java 8 to that selection of computers.

[MordyT]

Ninite will sort out installing all common software. Java, flash, air, etc, you need it.

It can handle updates as well

[Sir]

Thanks all. I have looked at ninite and pdq and the trial I had worth one of the made the same mess as I had experienced myself so I assumed that song or myself was the only site way to sort it. Which has the better support if I went with one of themdo you think? Going to try to get it sussed with gp first.

[Sir]

Flipping phone! Making one myself was the only way to sort it even grrrr

[Duke5A]

I have never gotten Java to deploy cleanly using the MSI through GPO. I always get the exact same problem that you're describing where the previous install is left in a smoldering ruin and the new one refuses to go. I think it has something to do with whether or not Java was already installed by hand on the system before trying to push it out with GPO. The Java installer itself will attempt to remove previous versions before installing the new one and this is where is breaks.

 

The method I have working now is one I got from here. The policy is setup as a startup script which launches a separate removal script that wipes all traces of Java off of the machine before it starts the MSI for the new version - taking away the job of removing the previous version of Java from the actual Java installer.

 

If you can't get the GPO method linked to above to work I'll dig through my notes and try and find the original post for this method.