Adobe CS6 still requires registration after imaging with an AMEE PKG

[jweeman]

Hi all. I'm having an issue with Adobe CS6 that I haven't seen specifically mentioned in any of the numerous posts about CS6 distribution. After reading all of those threads, I was able to come up with a workflow that is successful in getting CS6 on the target machine and automatically serialized. However, every time a CS6 app is launched, an Adobe prompt comes up for Adobe product registration by way of an Adobe login. The product is serialized, but for some reason still wants registration. When I manually install on a machine (not using Casper) using the same AMEE package I uploaded into Casper Admin, the Adobe apps do not ask for Registration when launched. So somehow the Casper process is breaking that "already registered" flag that is a major benefit of using AMEE.

The way I've been able to successfully distribute CS6 is this… Create package in AMEE 3.1, using the "ignore conflicts" option, and not installing any AIR-related pieces. Upload AMEE created package to Casper Admin, and check the "install on boot drive after imaging" option. Create a "CS6 Install" configuration in Casper Admin, and add the CS6 package to the configuration. Boot target machine to external drive, launch Casper Imaging from external drive, choose the "CS6 Install" configuration, and image. Casper copies the CS6 package to a temp location on the internal drive, then on first reboot/login (using internal boot drive), it installs the CS6 package. That is the only method I've tried that works. But again, the problem is that every time any Adobe app is launched, it prompts the user to register. It's serialized, but it still wants an Adobe login to Register. In contrast, installing the raw AMEE package manually takes away this registration prompt completely, as it's supposed to…so there is definitely something in the Casper workflow that is causing this issue. I have performed this workflow using our network distribution point (AFP, not SMB), and with the repository replicated onto the external boot drive. The result is the same in either case.

I have even tried using the Adobe serialization executable and a serialization file after the install to see if that would reset Adobe's "already registered" flag and suppress the registration dialogue. No luck there, didn't help.

I have scoured the following threads, which are all helpful…but none of them address this issue specifically.

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=9142
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=9919
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=7056
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=5803
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=6180
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=6907
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=4482

Any help would be appreciated! I'll post this in the Adobe Enterprise forum too, just for kicks.

[bentoms]

@jweeman Is this an Adobe Creative Cloud install?

We're deploying via Casper & do not have the prompt FWIW.. on v7 - v9.3 (current).

[jweeman]

@bentoms No, CS6 predates Creative Cloud. We have an Adobe CS6 site license that we intend to ride out another year before moving to CC.

What version of Adobe are you deploying? If it's CC, it's a different animal than CS6.

[bentoms]

@jweeman, sure,. we're doing the same.. just am not seeing the prompt.. Hmm.. I think an Adobe Update for Photoshop might have caused this before.. do you have updates as part of the AAMEE pkg?

Else i'm sure @donmontalvo (he loves AAMEE) can advise :P

[jweeman]

Ah, so you are pushing out CS6 in the same manner? With no registration prompt after install? Are you using the same packaging I am, simply importing the AMEE package into Casper Admin? Or are you treating it differently as some of the articles suggest... Wrapping in an additional PKG or DMG using Composer?

Yes, letting AMEE download and include all available updates in the package. I don't know if a Photoshop update could cause this or not, but I do know that when I install the AMEE package manually this does not happen.

[bentoms]

I think we've just used the AMEE .pkg, uploaded to Casper Admin & set to install at boot when imaging.

We don't have "this is a creative suite installer ticked" (This used to be used for CS4-5, not sure if it's needed now with AMMEE & CCP). < so that may be the difference.

Deployed over AFP/HTTP not DMG wrapping.

[dexterrivera]

@jweeman

What version of AAMEE are you using, maybe that is the issue? I am using Version 6.2.112.0 (6.2.112.0) and have not seen what you are running into.
I have packaged all the CS6 products individually using our site license, a generic Adobe ID we created for the company, include the updates for that product, then uploaded the .pkg to Casper Admin.
I create a separate policy for each as ongoing in Self Service so the users with permissions to see can re-install when needed.

[jweeman]

@bentoms No, we're not checking the "this is a creative suite installer" option either. So it sounds like we are doing that part the same. How is your AAMEE pkg getting pushed out? At the time of computer imaging? Over the network, or via external drive? How are your machines booted, Netboot, or external drive?

[jweeman]

@dexterrivera Are you sure your version of AAMEE is 6.2? I was under the impression AAMEE 3.1 was the latest version out there. We're using 3.1.105.0, downloaded a week ago from Adobe… http://www.adobe.com/devnet/creativesuite/enterprisedeployment.html

[dexterrivera]

Ok, I see. on the home page of AAMEE Version there says 3.1.105.0 but if I go to About AAMEE it says 6.2.112.0 (6.2.112.0). There goes that theory out of the window.

What steps do you take to package and how do you deploy?

[jweeman]

@dexterrivera My whole process is detailed out in my first post. I think the only thing I left out was that I let AAMEE download and include all available software updates.

[dexterrivera · Accepted solution]

Sorry for not reading it thoroughly the first time.

Are you packaging the entire CS6 suite? I wonder if you are installing something you are not licensed for. I am licensed for the CS6 Master Collection but choose to break up the products and have a package for each i.e. Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver etc. so I only included the updates for that product in the package.

I don't install during imaging, I have them in policies so the technicians or users can install via Self Service.

I also noticed that I have been setting FUT and FEU to Yes for all my Adobe products in Casper Admin.

[jweeman]

@dexterrivera Thanks for that, turns out my problem was not setting the FUT and FEU. I didn't think about that because this is a raw installer package for a program not installed yet, rather than a snapshot package of an already installed program, so I didn't think there would be any existing user settings/prefs to import. But apparently the "already registered" flag doesn't get set for all users unless you use the FUT and FEU switches.

Thanks again!