Adobe Creative Suite 3

[Norphy]

Has anybody had any luck in getting Adobe CS3 (Web Standard edition in this case) to install with Group Policy? Adobe provide a mechanism for deployment with SMS but not with Intellimirror. They use bodged MSIs which can only be called from their own setup routine so if you try to install them using the usual method it fails.

 

Why they can't just use standard bloody MSIs is a mystery to me. Macromedia Studio 8 did, that deployed beautifully using Group Policy. Now that Adobe have got their paws on the software, everything becomes a lot harder.

 

Am I just going to have to bite the bullet and create a new image for machines that need it on or is there another way?

 

Cheers,

 

Norphy

[ZeroHour]

Its not just the poor MSI support, it also bundles WADS of crud you dont want, such as version cue client on every install even though we have no version cue server and also dont get me started on the evil of bonjour.

Also note they have blocked Photshop/Illustrator being installed on 2003 servers for no apperent reason (although I think I have a fix for that).

[tarquel]

@norphy:

 

Have you tried adding the usual get around for MSIs like that to see if it works?

 

Not got the details to hand, but it involves either editing the msi or creating a transform that will add the PROPERTY of ISSETUPDRIVEN with the value of 1

 

[the exact property name may not be correct - been a while since i've done it at work... grab me on msn later if u like. Dont have CS3 alas, or I'd try it myself]

 

Nath.

[CyberNerd]

Also note they have blocked Photshop/Illustrator being installed on 2003 servers for no apperent reason (although I think I have a fix for that).

 

Is this to prevent use on terminal servers? whats the fix? does the EULA allow it? (autodesk specifically prohibit inventor from being used on TS - I wondered if adobe are the same?)

[ZeroHour]

Have you tried adding the usual get around for MSIs like that to see if it works?

They probably wont work as its not a actual installshield installer by the looks. I think the MSI's are hacked in such a way that they need more then just properties.

 

Is this to prevent use on terminal servers? whats the fix? does the EULA allow it? (autodesk specifically prohibit inventor from being used on TS - I wondered if adobe are the same?)

Not sure of the reason (not checked full EULA yet). I got the hack working and will post details as soon as I have finished killing all the other "malware" in the installer.

[ZeroHour]

Update:

I think I have got the installer cracked (not literally) now so I will be posting a guide soon once completely sure it works.

With the guide you will be able to remove all the crud you want.

[AlexB]

Any chance of this guide?

[noah]

Hi Zero Hour

Just wondered if you had a remote deployment souloution sorted yet? As we need to deploy to 60 machines ASAP!!

 

Plus any tips or advice would be appricated. Never used Adobe Creative Suite 3. before!

 

We currently depoly all our software via MSI's.

 

And use a mix of GPO's and Ranger policy's

 

Thanks.

[Lithium]

I never worked out how to do it via MSI's...

 

Adobe Tech Support was as useful as a wet paper bag... so we sucked it up and set them up to install as silent batch files.

 

Works when installing in small quantities - about 10 at a time... or at least that's what I found...

 

It's a solution

[Teth]

I'd also be really intrested to see this guide as I preferre to do installs by GPO.

 

I have CS3 Web Premium running here but I gave up on the GPO and added it to the RIS image for the machines and redeployed the 2 rooms that need it. Not a solution I like but there was a time factor.

 

I'd like to sort out a GPO installer still asa longterm solution.

[pixelpusher]

So I got the silent install to work fine over a network source but I would ultimately like to deploy from DVD. I can use variables to find the deployment file (install.xml) with the silent command line, but It does not seem to recognize variables in the xml file. I always get an exit code 7 and in the logfile it states that it can't find the INSTALLDIR location. When I use drive letters it works no problem. So even though I can run the DVD from any drive letter it will only install if the system disk is C: and the DVD drive is D: ... Does anyone know of a work around?

[OverWorked]

Adobe produce this guide, which is *some* help in producing a script. No support for AD deployment, though.

 

This is very poor. Adobe used to be one of the best for support in enterprise environments. Previous products (Reader 8 for example) even had a installation customisation wizard to produce .mst files.

 

Anyway, I only got the license to replace a license that was on loan from the local college while their staff were teaching here. I'll have to stick with the existing earlier versions as we don't have machines that have 1GB RAM.

[SuperHans]

I was tasked with this the other day, and it didn't take long using that guide from Adobe about deployment (which OverWorked has already posted). This basicly leaves you with a silent install script which can be run as a batch file using the correct switch to make it totally unattended. Only problem I encountered was to do with my user permission settings. If anybody needs the .bat or install.xml that i used to successfully install it let me know!

[GAS]

Hi SuperHans,

 

Please send me bat file and install file as well, also do you know how to disable memory check so it do not check that you have 1GB memory or not.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Ajay

[matt40k]

Never used AD to deploy, always used SMS, got a cheap deal on it, was about £15 in total lol!

 

Anyway, we did have problem with the fact we tried installing it on machines with 512mb of ram.

[tarquel]

Seems like Adobe expect any enterprise / corp / large network to have SMS. Quite odd really that a company like Adobe dont see that not everyone has systems like SMS to deploy their products, especially in the case of Education or small / medium companies that may have many machines but cant justify the cost of SMS.

 

Used the script in a computer startup script via GP at all Lithium?

 

Regardless, any chance of posting the code of the script here for the people?

 

Ta.

[TimJing]

In our lab testing we hav found that this suite will install sometimes on machines with 512 megs of ram when ran in silent mode. But from Media you would get a "Not enough Memory" error.

 

The method to deploy is:

 

Copy the Instlal XMl that you configured to a local folder first.

 

Then run the silent installer in a batch file.

 

"\\ServerName\Adobe Creative Suites 3\Setup.exe" --mode=silent --deploymentFile="C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\install.xml" --skimProcessCheck=1

[Crispin]

Sorry to bring this thread up again but I spent about three weeks trying to get a suitable system in place for deployment/uninstalling CS3 as we have quite a few media/photography rooms. Absolute nightmare. Unless you pay the thousands of pounds worth of support subscriptions you will get nowhere with adobe support.

For anyone who maybe interested I suggest you use the standard CS3 deployment strategy as documented here:

 

http://www.adobe.com/support/deployment/cs3_deployment.pdf

 

and combine in with a startup script in a GPO like this:

 

reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Dreamweaver\9.0\Installation
if %errorlevel%==1 (goto DeployDreamweaverCS3) else (goto End)

:DeployDreamweaverCS3
start /wait \\[sERVER]\[sHARE]\AdobeCS3_WIN\Setup.exe --mode=Silent --deploymentFile="\\[sERVER]\[sHARE]\AdobeCS3_WIN\deployment\dreamweaverInstall.xml"

:End

 

This basically queries the registry for an existing CS3 installation, if it doesn't find the entry it will then execute the script and install CS3.

You can of course change the query and which software it deploys to suit your needs and install the entire CS3 suite etc...

 

 

(Full thread on this: Adobe CS3 applications

 

 

With a bit of tweaking you could also do this for uninstalling CS3 as the deployment directory contains the Uninstall.xml.

 

It took me a long time to get this working as im a newb to this sort of thing so hope that helps someone.

 

Unfortunately Ive not found a way to deploy Ultra CS3 and OnLocation CS3 as adobe quite stupidly didn't create any deployment resources for them. Anyone had any luck with those two apps deploying over gpo?

[jonnellan]

I've gone through the documentation and tried to deploy CS3 via a script but without a hint of success. I get exit code 7.

 

Ive created the application.xml.override file with the relevant info. The install.xml and uninstall.xml files are in place. Whats going wrong?

[dhicks]

I get exit code 7. I've created the application.xml.override file with the relevant info. The install.xml and uninstall.xml files are in place. What's going wrong?

 

There's a log file written somewhere that'll tell you - sorry, can't remember the filename, but I'm sure you can Google it or simply run the install on a PC then search for recently updated files.

 

Just to note: our CS3 silent install seems to work just fine with 512MB of RAM. Once it's set up we've actually had remarkably few problems. Adobe Acrobat 9 still messes up Acrobat Reader, though - the two don't seem to like to co-exist, so now people can't view PDF documents from their web browser, which causes issues. All our software installs happen from freshly re-imaged PCs, mind, so there's less to go wrong.

 

--

David Hicks

[Crispin]

I get exit code 7.

 

I had to make sure that all internet explorer windows were closed before deploying. If any ie processes were running it would fail.

Make sure you have put quotation marks around all the path names and perhaps try using this switch:

 

--skipProcessCheck=1

 

which may help.

 

cb

[Ben-at-work]

I was tasked with this the other day, and it didn't take long using that guide from Adobe about deployment (which OverWorked has already posted). This basicly leaves you with a silent install script which can be run as a batch file using the correct switch to make it totally unattended. Only problem I encountered was to do with my user permission settings. If anybody needs the .bat or install.xml that i used to successfully install it let me know!

 

Hi SuperHans,

 

Would you be able to send those to me too?

 

...tell you what, that crack is really more-ish.

[SuperHans]

Had a few people ask me this so thought I might just post this short guide...

 

This is all assuming you copy all the files from the CD to a network share ("Adobe CS3" in this case) from which you will deploy, obvious permissions apply.

 

Firstly to create your xml go to start> run>

 

"\\path to your adobe cs3 share\setup.exe" --record=1

 

Follow the install procedure as you want on all clients e.g. accept EULA, install path, products to install and product key. This will not install it but produce a .xml file in c:\program files\common files\adobe\installers\adobe creative suite 3 design premium.install.xml

 

I copied this to a safe place, renamed it to just install.xml and placed a copy in the root of the adobe share first created. Then make a .bat file along the lines of

 

"\\servername\share\Adobe CS3\setup.exe" --mode=silent --deploymentFile="\\servername\share\Adobe CS3\install.xml" --skipProcessCheck=1

 

Notice it produces a similar uninstall.xml which can be run in the same manner. Assuming all permissions are fine and you run this as an administrator to test if it installs, you should see some action on the hard drive/cpu for a while (~45mins in my case) while it installs. You can then run that as a logon script if all went well and you require that.

 

Hope this helps everyone.

[DrPerceptron]

Seems like Adobe expect any enterprise / corp / large network to have SMS. Quite odd really that a company like Adobe dont see that not everyone has systems like SMS to deploy their products, especially in the case of Education or small / medium companies that may have many machines but cant justify the cost of SMS.

 

Used the script in a computer startup script via GP at all Lithium?

 

Regardless, any chance of posting the code of the script here for the people?

 

Ta.

 

Since it's been dug up...

 

I just used the regular switches (which are posted here already), the only thing to take note of is you have rack the GPO timeout up to a substantial level, it took 4 hours to deploy per machine here, one at a time... Not sure on how long for more than that, I ramped the timeout to max and left it going over night, a few failed but the bulk was done...

 

For people who hadn't found out yet, if you install CS3 interactively, you can install the complete suite (I thinky...) on PC's with at least 512mb of RAM...

 

To run it silently, it'll fail if you don't meet the minimum specification for the most intensive application (Premiere Pro?)

[pesposit]

This fixed the problem for me on a Win 7 silent install.