Home Tips & Resources Deploy Adobe Reader 9.3
 
Deploy Adobe Reader 9.3 PDF Print E-mail
Written by Travis Nuske   
Last Updated on Friday, 10 December 2010
If you feel this tip has saved you time or effort, please consider buying us a cuppa coffee to keep things going!

Update: Adobe Reader 9.3 is no longer the latest version - I have updated notes on Adobe Reader 9.4

Installing Adobe Reader 9.3 on all the computers in your network

Prepare Adobe Reader 9.3 Files

Download Adobe Reader 9.3 full installation AdbeRdr930_en_US.exe from Adobe Reader 9.3

Download the Adobe Reader Customisation Wizard CustWiz90_en_US.exe from Adobe Reader Customisation Wizard

Download the Adobe Reader 9.3.4 patch AdbeRdrUpd934_all_incr.msp from Adobe Reader 9.3.4 Patch

Run AdbeRdr930_en_US.exe. When the installer stops at the first prompt asking you where the destination directory is, open  the folder %homepath%\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Reader 9.3\Setup Files

Note: If you are on a Windows Vista or Window 7 machine, the path with be a bit different - %homedrive%\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Reader 9.3\Setup Files

Copy all the files in this folder to a new folder eg C:\AdobeReader9.3

Cancel the Adobe Reader 9.3 setup program.

Apply Adobe Reader 9.3.4 Update

Copy the Adobe Reader 9.3 patch 4 into the folder c:\Adobe Reader 9.3

Open a command prompt and cd into c:\AdobeReader9.3

Run the command msiexec /a AcroRead.msi /p AdbeRdrUpd934_all_incr.msp

When the Adobe Reader 9.3.4 -Setup window appears, click Next and Click Install. The installer will now run, updating the Adobe Reader 9.3 files to 9.3.4. When it is done, click Finish.

Customise Adobe Reader

Install the Adobe Customisation Wizard 9

Run the Customisation wizard and open the AcroRead.msi from c:\AdobeReader9.3

Customise the installer to suit your preferences. For example, I set the following options:

  • Installation options: Make Adobe Reader default viewer, Install silently, Suppress Reboot
  • EULA: Suppress display
  • Online & Acrobat.com Features: Disable all updates, Disable Purchase Acrobat, Disable Product Improvement Program, Disable all Acrobat.com access

Once customised to your liking, Click Transform -> Generate Transform. Save the .mst file in the same folder as the Adobe Reader files (eg c:\AdobeReader9.3)

Optional: At this point I would open the .msi file with Orca, apply the .mst and add the property "DISABLE_AIR_SHARE = 1" This will disable the installation of adobe air (which I prefer to deploy separately)

Deploy Adobe Reader

Copy the folder c:\AdobeReader9.3 to your msi deployment share, and add the msi (don't forget to add the mst too!) to the software deployment GPO

 

Comments  

 
# Guest 2010-03-24 08:17
Hi Travis,
why are using "AdbeRdr930_en_US.exe"?
For this purpose, Adobe delivers the MSI itself (AdbeRdr930_en_US.msi) at the same place! And there is no additional stuff like AIR inside, which you have to disable afterward.
Regards, Nick
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-03-24 13:09
It's a much smaller download, so it may save time in the long run. You can use the .msi from Adobe if you prefer!
Travis
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-04-10 07:07
you could just run the application like this to extract the files

AdbeRdr930_en_US.exe -nos_o"c:\Reader9" -nos_ne
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-04-21 00:59
All worked fine except the updates are not sequential e.g. if you want to update to 9.3.2, just run that and not 9.3.1.

In answer to Nick, if you don't use the AdbeRdr930_en_US_Std.exe then you won't extract AcroRead.msi and the command line changes for the updates do not work.

All in all a big help so thank you!
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-04-21 10:45
Thanks for the fedback Vialli,

I wasn't sure that the 9.3.2 patch included the 9.3.1 updates too, so I just applied it over my 9.3.1 install - it worked OK, thanks for letting me know that you can jump straight from 9.3.0 to 9.3.2
Travis
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-04-28 08:45
You can't update your admin install point from 9.3.1 to 9.3.2 because 9.3.1 was a security update and 9.3.2 is a quarterly update.

See here for further information:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/498/cpsid_49880.html#ionComHeading
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-04-28 09:35
Thanks for the feedback Luke - I applied the 9.3.2 msp to my 9.3.1 admin install, and it deployed fine. Either way, I've removed the 9.3.1 settings as they not relevant any more.
Travis
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-05-04 06:05
Can you install Adobe Reader 9.3.0 with 9.3.2 slipstreamed into the installation? I keep trying using the /update switch but it will only install 9.3.0.
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-05-04 09:03
Hi Brady,

I'm not sure where you are trying to use the /update switch - the procedure I used for updating the admin install from 9.3.0 to 9.3.2 uses the msiexec program with the /p switch.
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-05-04 23:41
Sorry but I'm a little confused here. You mention "Run AdbeRdr930_en_US_Std.exe", but there is no such file that I am aware. Do you mean run AdbeRdr930_en_US.exe"?
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-05-05 10:56
Thanks Bryan, well spotted! - I've removed the incorrect file reference.
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-07-30 18:40
The Adobe Reader 9.3.3 Patch point to the 9.3.2 patch
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 
 
# Guest 2010-08-05 08:17
Thanks - fixed
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
 

Add comment


Security code
Refresh