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Can't install newest patches for Acrobat 9 Pro

Forum Index > Deployment & Installation > Can't install newest patches for Acrobat 9 Pro
2009-10-14 21:29:24
Ryan_R
Registered: Oct 14 2009
Posts: 4
Answered

Hi all

We're currently running XP Pro systems with Acrobat Professional v 8.1.x
I've recently found that I can't update the installer and client PC's beyond version 8.1.5, getting an error that's mentioned below.

I've been given the installation media for Acrobat 9 Pro, and I'm working on creating an unattended (quiet) installation to place on the fileserver. I'm running into the same issues though.

What I've done so far:
Copy the CD media to my pc at C:\ac9
Use the Acrobat Customization Wizard v9 to create the mst (transforms) file.
Ran an 'admin' install by using the command: msiexec /a "c:\ac9\acropro.msi" transforms="C:\ac9\acropro.mst"
The files were installed to C:\Acrobat9Pro\

After that, I followed the link in the latest 'Security Bulletins' email that I received from Adobe to download all of the updates for Acrobat 9 Pro. I have 9.1.0, 9.1.1, 9.1.2, 9.1.3, and 9.2.0.

Next, I went to apply (slipstream) the patches to the installation files using a command such as:
msiexec /a "c:\ Acrobat9Pro\acropro.msi" /p "c:\ Acrobat9Pro\update-920.msp"

It didn't let me install the latest patch straight away, so I installed 9.1.0 first, which worked ok, followed by 9.2.0 again, which failed. I then installed the 9.1.1 patch, which also worked.

Now I am unable to install any of the remaining patches. Versions 9.1.2, 9.1.3, and 9.2.0 all return the following error message:

"This patch package could not be opened. Verify that the patch package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer patch package."

Knowing how vulnerable Acrobat can be, I'm hoping to get all of the patches slipstreamed before deployment testing occurs. Are you able to explain why this error occurs and how I can fix it?

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.1.1, Windows
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2009-10-14 23:12:55
#1
UVSAR
Expert
Registered: Oct 29 2008
Posts: 1357
The error is tripped by the Windows Installer subsystem, rather than Acrobat - we see it occasionally when old registry entries from previous versions can't be deleted by the new patch, and the normal solution is to uninstall the application completely, run Microsoft's installer clean-up, then reinstall. The same happens to some users when they try and install a full version of Acrobat or CS over the top of a trial copy.

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295823 for the utility and how to use it - ignore the mentions of Office, it works for any Windows program.
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2009-10-15 15:16:28
#2
Ryan_R
Registered: Oct 14 2009
Posts: 4
Thanks for the information

I've installed the Clean Up utility, and it lists all the programs on my system. As far as Adobe products are concerned, it only shows Acrobat 8 Pro, AIR, and the Customization Wizard.

Before clicking Remove and making permanent changes, what exactly am I supposed to remove. I was half expecting the various patch versions to show up, but they haven't. I'm only slipstreaming patches into the installation, not installing them on my system, so I'm not too sure if the data would be in my local registry.
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2009-10-16 01:23:12
#3
UVSAR
Expert
Registered: Oct 29 2008
Posts: 1357
Ahh - I thought the error was at the install stage, not on the transforming machine.

Patching an original installer that's more than one dot out of currency has to follow a specific sequence, as you cannot drop the quarterly patches over incremental security patches - it ends up trying to alter something that's already been replaced. See http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/498/cpsid_49880.php for the sequence logic and how the vomus tag can be used to roll a quarterly to a deployed set of field-security-patched workstations.

As yet I haven't heard of any specific problems with the 9.2 payload under ACW but it's not been out long enough to try all possibilities. Chaining patches is fraught with fun, and sometimes it's easier to deploy the last working configuration via ACW then apply the rest using group policy as if you were installing a new bit of software.
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2009-10-18 15:42:29
#4
Ryan_R
Registered: Oct 14 2009
Posts: 4
Thanks for that link - that explains why some patches install and others don't. I had no idea about the two types of installers. Shame there's no difference in the filename when you download for an easy check.

I guess the best method now is to get the disc back out and start again? Or will that command also work for the AIP itself?

(msiexec /i REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus)
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