Disabling Updates Acrobat Pro X that came with CS6

[tkimpton]

Hi guys

How are you managing Acrobat Pro X that came with CS6?

I can't use the Acrobat customisation wizard to disable updates because I use AAMEE enabling updates.

I've tried the fix with the bUpdater false plist but that didn't work.

I've resorted to renaming the Updater plugin within the app bundle.

[Mauricio · Accepted solution]

We are deploying CS6 Suites created with AAMEE.
Adobe has changed how to suppress the Acrobat installer with version 10.1.1 and later.
Please refer to this link for further detail:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/mac.html#disabling-updates

I created a package to run the "suppress acrobat updates" so I can include it in a self-service workflow.
The package is a payload free with a script to write the plist files.

The script is designed to suppress Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro version 10 and 11 in one go.

The script is:

#!/usr/bin/perl
## postflight
##
## Not supported for flat packages.

$pathToScript=$0;
$pathToPackage=$ARGV[0];
$targetLocation=$ARGV[1];
$targetVolume=$ARGV[2];


####################################################################################################
#   (c) Mauricio Pellizzon 2012
#   Adobe Acrobat Reader and Pro Suppress Updates
#   version: 1.0
#   date:    08/11/2012
####################################################################################################
#With version 10.1.1 and later, it is possible to disable and lock the Updater so that
# 1) updates won't happen and
# 2) users can't change the setting.

&asu;


####################################################################################################
sub asu {
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro 10 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro 11 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Reader 10 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Reader 11 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
}

exit 0;

Hope this helps.
Regards
Mauricio

[#3]

My CS6 package excludes Acrobat; I set it to not check for updates then push those point updates (10.1.5 most recently iirc) as cache then install. Remember to contact your Adobe rep, if you have one, and continue to ask for proper packages and unified installers...

[tkimpton]

Using the customisation wizard and the cs6 as the installer disk?

[Mauricio · Accepted solution]

We are deploying CS6 Suites created with AAMEE.
Adobe has changed how to suppress the Acrobat installer with version 10.1.1 and later.
Please refer to this link for further detail:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/mac.html#disabling-updates

I created a package to run the "suppress acrobat updates" so I can include it in a self-service workflow.
The package is a payload free with a script to write the plist files.

The script is designed to suppress Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro version 10 and 11 in one go.

The script is:

#!/usr/bin/perl
## postflight
##
## Not supported for flat packages.

$pathToScript=$0;
$pathToPackage=$ARGV[0];
$targetLocation=$ARGV[1];
$targetVolume=$ARGV[2];


####################################################################################################
#   (c) Mauricio Pellizzon 2012
#   Adobe Acrobat Reader and Pro Suppress Updates
#   version: 1.0
#   date:    08/11/2012
####################################################################################################
#With version 10.1.1 and later, it is possible to disable and lock the Updater so that
# 1) updates won't happen and
# 2) users can't change the setting.

&asu;


####################################################################################################
sub asu {
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro 10 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro 11 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Reader 10 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
`/usr/bin/defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Reader 11 '<dict><key>FeatureLockdown</key><dict><key>bUpdater</key><false/></dict></dict>'`;
}

exit 0;

Hope this helps.
Regards
Mauricio

[rob_potvin · Accepted solution]

@Mauricio

Awesome thanks for sharing

[Mauricio]

Hi Rob

My pleasure.

P.S: As the file is created "outside" of the Adobe installer and has no impact on the deployment one can have it as a script instead of a package.

Regards
Mauricio

[tkimpton]

@Mauricio Thanks for this it has really helped ease the Adobe loathing :)

[makander]

@Mauricio, Thank you for the script! Have you tried it on Mavericks? I didn't get it to work properly there.

[timsutton]

In doing this, aren't you overwriting all the existing user prefs for com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro and com.adobe.Reader? Adobe manages all its preferences within the '10' and '11' top-level keys.

[Mauricio]

@makander][/url][/url
I created this solution as a package (payload-free one) and not a script in Casper. Just tested in Mavericks and all good, no issues here.

@timsutton][/url][/url
You are correct, but the majority of our clients do not have admin rights, we control all the updates on the Macs. Company policies!

[timsutton]

@Mauricio My mistake - you're writing to the prefs located in /Library, not the user's library.

[itupshot]

@Mauricio Will this still allow us to push updates? I'm also looking for a way to make the Acrobat Pro updates truly silent, and not require the end user quit the app first. This way I can push the Acrobat Pro updates through a policy.

[Mauricio]

@itupshot Yes, the script just sets the preferences to not "bother" the end users with updates popups and turns off the updates option in the applications, so you can control the updates via policies at start up for example.