Issue with Office for Mac 2011 14.3.9 Update

[aamjohns]

So far I've just been downloading the .dmg, getting the .pkg, dropping it into Casper Admin and it works. For this update my testing shows the error Error: The package could not be found on the server.

Based of reading on here I tried creating the pkg using Composer. In testing, the log says it succeeded but Office is not updated.

Is anyone else having issues with this update?

-other packages are still working.

[ImAMacGuy]

i've been doing something similar but taking out the all quit script then re-packaging it. I uploaded to our JDS and the JDS reports it as not found, however the 14.3.8 package, done the same exact way, is recognized..

[aamjohns]

Yeah my 14.3.8 package is still working. Thanks for the info.

[llt003]

I'm having the same issue as you, aamjohns. Dropped the pkg straight from the DMG into Casper Admin and server can't find package when running a policy. Verified that the https link to the package works perfectly in a browser so the path is definitely correct. Forcing AFP/SMB download instead of HTTPS is a workaround but I'd rather not go down that route yet.

[cbrewer]

Same problem here. I disabled HTTP on my distribution points as a work around.

[haircut]

No issues on my end; only saw a single installation failure, and that was when a user closed their laptop during the middle.

I did re-package things to avoid the "all quit" functionality (http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/removing-the-office-2011-installers-application-quit-fun...) but nothing else.

Are you seeing any relevant errors on the clients when you check the system log?

[mm2270]

So we use, or are about to use, a completely different custom process to get Office updates installed, not through the usual policy method. Essentially we cache the Office update pkg installer as is, with no modifications to it, to a specific location (not the JAMF Waiting Room directory) and a script later tries to install that using command line installer. Its wrapped up in a GUI the user sees, prompting them to quit offending open apps and then shows install progress with cocoaDialog.

I just tested 14.3.9 on my Mac with the above process and had no issues. We also use http on our Casper DPs.

So my guess is somehow the regular download mechanism is getting hung up on something about that package when it tries to curl it down. I wonder if its something about the permissions? Can you guys try copying it first to your Mac, then dragging into Casper Admin?

[haircut]

@mm2270 Out of curiosity, why are you creating a whole custom GUI for this?

[mm2270]

Because we needed a way to prompt users to install updates to Office outside of apps like Self Service or just relying on users to open the MS AutoUpdate application. Some clients are good and keep their Office up to date, others are horribly behind, some running a version of 14.1.x.

We also don't want to try pushing out the updates silently, even though that would be ideal. Its a user experience issue (long story). We can't really force these updates, but if we prompt them with a company branded process, it will (eventually) get them to install the updates. So we had to take a different approach.

[aamjohns]

mm2270,
I would be interested in your user experience issue. We just had a discussion in a meeting yesterday about how I am pushing certain updates. I use smart groups and for some I use every 15 and for others I use login, but some of our users pretty much never log out - so it could be a long time before they get an update that may be needed for security purposes. So I was told to script it so the user's get prompted and can defer 3 times and then it is forced. So then I said, why don't we just test each update being installed with the app open and make decisions based on that. I don't really know what to do so I'd be interested in hearing what you went through that caused you to take a gui route.

I don't want to go back to smb for this update. I'd rather figure out why it doesn't work and fix it. I just don't know how to do that. And as was mentioned above about Can you guys try copying it first to your Mac, then dragging into Casper Admin
I've done that. It does not make a difference. As far as I can tell, I have no problem reaching the file. I've tried all kinds of things and nothing helps. I have to think it has to do with something in the file. The permissions are identical other packages. If I download the package and run it, it works. I'm wondering what logs would be most beneficial in troubleshooting this, or what different things can trigger the message 'cannot be found on server'.

@ bmwarren - is this using http download? What type of server do you have? We have MS 2008R2 and we use http. Also, those of you that remove the close apps portion, I would think that is there for a reason. Is MS just being overly cautious or do apps really need to be closed?

[mojo21221]

I was having the same issue and my fix was to take out all the spaces in the .pkg so it now looks like Office20111439Update.pkg, I did this pre upload to Casper admin and all is working internally and externally via afp(internally), HTTP, and HTTPS.

[denmoff]

I've had about 10 updates run without issue. I'm on JSSv9.2. I have the pkg cached first and then run the install on logout or SS. No changes to the pkg from the dmg.

[mm2270]

@denmoff][/url][/url wrote:

I have the pkg cached first and then run the install...

This may be the trick to getting it to work. Although it shouldn't be necessary, our process essentially does a cache, then install. While we aren't using some of the built in cache and install processes, its more or less the same idea, and I've had no issues. You folks having problems with it may want to give that a try.

@aamjohns][/url][/url - regarding our setup, where I am there is a strong notion of allowing the users to be in semi control of the update process. Outside of more or less invisible items like FlashPlayer and Java, and other updates that also touch on security, we tend to allow users to update their systems either through Self Service, or through some prompt. Although you could very easily argue that Office updates fall squarely in the realm of security updates, since many of them are, since these also touch the users open apps or, in the case of someone updating from an old Office (pre 14.2.3) when they do update they need to then rebuild their Office database, we had to take a different route. We're an Exchange shop so Outlook is pretty heavily used all day.
It was back when those updates appeared that were causing the database rebuild that we began to look at an alternate solution. We can't push those and then have users experience a db rebuild on next launch without at least notifying them, or we'd get a lot of unnecessary support calls to our help desk.

What I ended up building was really based on the excellent work of others here and just expanded on to give it more of a user facing GUI. You might want to take a look at the following thread if you haven't already.
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=5404
Its a long one, but lots of good stuff in it, so worth the read. What I put together has elements of code from the scripts in that thread.

Hope that helps.

[Kevin]

I have run the update successfully on 264 computers. I have had about 100 failures. The ones that succeeded had the package delivered over afp. The ones that failed were over http (outside our network). Other packages are successfully being delivered over http (including before yesterday, Office 14.3.8…)

I have tried changing the name to remove spaces, modifying the permissions to 755 on the package, caching the file then installing it, etc… It is still failing if I deliver it over http without exception.

[aamjohns]

@ mm2270 - thank you. I appreciate it and those are issues I am dealing with so I am going to check out the post.

I appreciate all of the help and comments from everyone. Thanks.

[haircut]

I've had 131 successes and only a single "Could not connect to the HTTP server" failure. My package is being delivered over HTTP in all cases. My package name does not have spaces and has been re-packaged to remove the all-quit functionality (Office-2011-Update_v14.3.9_NoQuit.pkg).

If you try a policy that simply caches the package without trying to install, do you still get download errors?

[aamjohns]

I've already tried short name without dots or spaces. I'll try repackaging it using the script edit. I wouldn't think the script itself would have anything to do with it, but maybe the repackaging does? I'll try now and post back.

[haircut]

@aamjohns I wouldn't imagine that overwriting that particular script has much to do with it, but I would try repackaging it with a different name instead of simply renaming.

In a shell:

pgkutil --expand /path/to/official_package.pkg /path/to/temp_folder
pkgutil --flatten /path/to/temp_folder /path/to/New_package_with_santized_name.pkg

[aamjohns]

Ok. Thanks. Yeah just to be safe I was going to use a simple name for the new pkg.

[aamjohns]

I did this and have done one test run, but for the first time ever it worked.

All I did was what you posted, I expanded it, and then flattened it with a different name. Dropped the resultant pkg into Casper Admin and deployed.

I'll try another machine. Maybe something gets 'corrected' during the re-flatten?

Matthew the first command in your post has a typo - just an fyi.

[mm2270]

I just realized that one factor that hasn't been mentioned anywhere in this thread is the version of the JSS everyone is using. In particular the folks having an issue. I know some of you are on version 9.x based on other posts. I happen to be on 8.71, so I wonder if somehow something with the vendor supplied package isn't jiving with Casper Suite 9? It may not be that at all, but worth checking on.

[aamjohns]

I'm on 8.73. When I went to 9.21 I could not get policies to save packages I added. So I had to go back to 8.73.

[mm2270]

OK, well that pretty much shoots down that theory then :) Maybe its just something with the supplied package. Not sure what it could be though. Especially since it seems to work fine if just double clicking to install it.

[aamjohns]

It would interesting if someone else having this issue try what I did and see if that resolves it for them to. As bmwarren posted, something like this:

pkgutil --expand /path/to/official_package.pkg /path/to/temp_folder pkgutil --flatten /path/to/temp_folder /path/to/New_package_with_santized_name.pkg

[denmoff]

@mm2270 I said i was on v9.2. :-)

I'm using a JDS, which only uses webdav, and it's been working flawlessly. Like i said, I am caching with one policy and then installing with another.

[mm2270]

@denmoff - Eh, I must have missed that. Fair enough. Well anyway, it looks more related to the package supplied by Microsoft and not anything to do with the JSS, so just ignore me. :)

[Kevin]

I flattened my file using the above documented procedure. Still getting failures, BUT some successes. The further it goes, the higher the rate of successes. I wonder if this is because the http delivery had partially downloaded files that resumed and failed? The latest ones are getting my flattened file and succeeding.
Just a thought…

[denmoff]

I just wanted to add something that i forgot to mention that may explain why i've had success on every update. I'm on JSS v9, i install from cache at Logout and SS. But with SS, i run an AppleScript that requires the user to quit all MS apps before running. Just wanted to add that last bit since i left it out on my previous comment. Seems like that might be important to it's success.

[Nix4Life]

Hi Guys;

used def flounder method mentioned by bmwarren above. 100% success using:

1. Casper remote: 9 machines, 3 users logged in, 3 no one logged in, 3 being installed with another package
2. ARD we are using Casper Suite ver 8.62,

[bentoms]

This bit us today.

Flatterning the pkg didn't seem to help.

Is that definitely the fix?

8.73 btw..

[mm2270]

@bentoms][/url - Something tells me "flatterny" will get you nowhere with this :-D

Kidding aside, I haven't tested expanding then re-flattening the package, so I can't say if that's the definitive fix myself. But I suspect wrapping the original installer up in a new package as its payload, say to "Waiting Room" should work to bypass the issue if re-flattening is bringing you no joy.

[rtrouton]

@bentoms][/url][/url,

I've been expanding, editing the Office2011_all_quit_14.3.x.combo.pkg/Scripts/preinstall script, then flattening again. That has prevented issues for me.

The process I'm using is described here:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/removing-the-office-2011-installers-application-quit-fun...

[bentoms]

@mm2270 ha ha. But that waiting room idea might work.

@rtrouton, the issue is with deploying over HTTPS to cached.. So not getting as far as the quit apps bit yet (but not needed as we install @ logout).

Will try again tomorrow. Other PKG's are fine.

[aamjohns]

So far, once I expanded and flattened the package it has deployed ok. I cannot say this is a sure fix. It just happens that here it seems to have worked. But I don't have that many systems. Although, before, it would not work at all.

[vanilla2]

The 14.3.9 update may itself have issues. On a 10.6.8 box with all apple-updates, but without jamf, I did fresh install of office2011 (never had any office on it at all before this). Let Microsoft-Update do all updates up to 14.3.8 but not 14.3.9. For 14.3.9 downloaded the dmg and ran update. After that, Word hung on launch, and on launch excel through a fatal error message about a missing file. Ran 14.3.9 from the dmg a 2nd time, and now word and excel run ok again. Go figure.

[shakim]

No Issues here with deploying from an AFP distribution point. I Uploaded the "Office 2011 14.3.9.pkg" into Casper Admin and deployed..
JSS 8.73

[aamjohns]

I'm pretty sure this is an http deployment issue.

[bentoms]

@aamjohns, agreed & with this pkg for some reason. (Others are fine).

[ronb]

We had the same problem on Casper 8.7.1, with a caching policy using https. Repackaging the MS Office package as described with bmwarrens two commands described above resolve the issue for us (using https).

[tkimpton]

Very interesting and I need to try this out. I've been uninstalling office and re deploying it for workstations out of hours and self service for laptops.