Deploying Adobe Reader 8.0

For an Adobe Reader 9 version of this post, go here. For an Adobe Reader 8.x version of this post, go here

Now that Adobe Reader 8 has been released and the setup routine has changed slightly, we’ll have to jump through hoops again to get this new version deployed. Here are a few things that I’ve found in regards to deployment in a corporate environment:

• Here’s a direct link to the download for Adobe Reader 8.0;
• The installer weighs in at 20.8Mb;
• It requires Windows Installer 3.0 and appears to require a minimum of Internet Explorer 6.0;
• Adobe Reader 8 uses a newer version of the Netopsystems FEAD setup routine;
• Adobe Customization Wizard 8 is “coming soon“;
• On Windows Vista, setup files are unpacked to %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Netopsystems\temp\Adobe Reader 8.0
• On Windows XP/2003, setup files are unpacked to %USERPROFILE%\\Local Settings\Temp\1\Adobe Reader 8.0 (The folder 1 may change);
• After Reader is installed, setup files are located at %ProgramFiles\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Setup Files\{AC76BA86-7AD7-1033-7B44-A80000000002}
• Setup switches have changed, here’s the full list:

• If you want to perform a silent install directly from the download, use the following command:

AdbeRdr80_en_US.EXE /sPB /rs /rps /msi"ALLUSERS=TRUE EULA_ACCEPT=YES SUPPRESS_APP_LAUNCH=YES"

• To perform an silent install from the unpacked setup files use the following command:

SETUP.EXE /sPB /rs /rps /msi"ALLUSERS=TRUE EULA_ACCEPT=YES SUPPRESS_APP_LAUNCH=YES"

or

MSIEXEC /I AcroRead.msi ALLUSERS=TRUE EULA_ACCEPT=YES SUPPRESS_APP_LAUNCH=YES REBOOT=REALLYSUPRESS /QB-

• A second shortcut is now added to the Startup group – Adobe Reader Synchronizer as well as the Adobe Reader Speed Launch shortcut;
• At launch, Adobe Reader reads the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server registry key. Will it perform differently on a Terminal Server?
• It appears to launch quite quickly;
• It also reads this registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\FeatureLockdown which could mean that an ADM/ADMX file exists or is coming to manage Adobe Reader via Group Policy;
• You can set this DWORD value in the registry: HKCU\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\AVGeneral\bDocumentsInTaskbar, to force Reader to display a separate window for each document, just like Microsoft Office;
• There are no ads in the toolbar as in previous versions;
• It includes nice new fancy 256 x 256 pixel icons (click each one for a larger view):

There are a lot of things left to find and I’ll update this post as I find them.

UPDATES:

• AppDeploy.com has been updated with an Adobe Reader 8 specific entry: http://www.appdeploy.com/packages/detail.asp?id=915
• Set this DWORD value to 1 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\Downtown\bDontShowAtLaunch and this DWORD value to 0 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\Downtown\bGoOnline, to supress the Beyond Adobe Reader window and feature;
• The Adobe Updater is installed along with Reader to here: %CommonProgramFiles%\Adobe\Updater5
• Adobe Updater has created a folder in my Documents folder: \Documents\Updater5\AdobeUpdater\reader8rdr-en_US
• So Joe… has an excellent post on installing Adobe Reader 8: A Step-by-Step Guide to Silently Installing and Configuring Adobe Reader 8
• Disable the Adobe Updater with the following DWORD (set it to 0×00000001) HKLM\Software\Adobe\Updater\Enterprise. I’m still confirming this one, but I found the registry key on the Adobe knowledgebase site: Perform a silent installation of Photoshop

NOTE: See Unattended Install: Adobe Reader 8.0 and Disable Adobe Updater with Adobe Customization Wizard 8 for information on silent or unattended installations of Adobe Reader 8.

Tagged as: Adobe