Adobe Reader Package - Fails on random clients with 1603 error/No logs showing issues

[K11PER]

Hello,

 

Background: Adobe Reader was never managed. We have versions ranging from 8 through 11, standard english, French, through MUI. We are now in the process of getting 3000 machines on one standard version of everything...Flash, Java, etc (and so far so good except for reader)

 

I have built an application using the admin install of Adobe Reader XI with applying the 11.0.10 patch and tested this without any issue. The problem with doing it this way is the package is 500mb, and even though the transform file was setup through the wizard to remove previous versions, it fails to properly remove a lot of versions and usually installs side by side.

 

I have found a script in the past that has been working wonderfully with removing all versions of Reader. So I created a package instead (allowing us to deploy MSIs ~120mb) using this order:

 

Program 1: Calls uninstall script

Program 2: Installs adobe Reader XI MUI using transform file (Updates off, protected view off, supress reboot, etc)

Program 3: Installs adobe Reader 11.0.10 patch.

 

I deploy Program 3, since I configured it to require Program 2 to run, and then Program 2 requires Program 1 to run, both having to complete before the next one runs.

 

So far, out of 30 test machines, in 2 groups of 5 and 1 group of 20 for a deployment, I have about a 50% success rate. the other machines fail with a 1603 error. I will find the package has fully downloaded in the ccmcache folder, and that the uninstall script runs and removes reader. But Reader fails to install or patch.

 

There is no logs showing the 1603 error that I can find. (Appenforce.log does not even show any part of this package running, and is not updated since the day prior to another piece of software being installed)

 

When I browse to the ccmcache folder, I can run the MSI file manually, and it installs without any issue, and same for the patch MSI.

 

Not sure where to look or troubleshoot from here, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Peter van der Woude]

1603 is a generic MSI error. You need to find the adobe installation log file as it will provide more information about the error.

[K11PER]

Using the /L*v command, no log is generated. I did however find the error in windows event viewer on some machines.

 

Product: Adobe Reader XI MUI -- Setup has detected that you already have a more functional product installed. Setup will now terminate.

 

 

It appears the script is removing Reader as intended, but on about half of the machines, it does not recognize that it has been removed before trying to continue on with program #2 - the base install. You know how sometimes it can take a few seconds for a program to actually disappear from the CP, I think thats what is happening. That or a reboot is required prior to running the rest of the package, but I dont think thats something that can be configured (or would want to happen during business hours) without using a Task Sequence. This seems to be an issue on machines that have Adobe 11.0.0 or higher, but the problem is they are not MUI versions, just the plain Adobe US-EN version. Otherwise, I would just apply the patch to these machines. Adobe is not smart enough to detect that it is a different version.

 

I'm not sure what I can do here. I may have to just run the script and then trigger an install of a patched setup 11.0.10 so that I can bypass that detection issue. I would prefer to deploy a 120mb package to 3000 machines vs a 500mb package, but since this should be the only time I have to do it, I may just bite the bullet.

[Peter van der Woude]

It will always generate a log, you just didn;t specify a location. The standard location is C:\Windows\Temp