Install Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on Virtual Desktop using PowerShell

How to Install Acrobat Pro DC on Virtual Desktop: Download Acrobat Pro DC and extract the MSI file using PowerShell. Configure Acrobat using the Acrobat Customization Wizard. Silent install Acrobat Pro DC from the command line.

Overview

In this example, we are installing Adobe Acrobat on Citrix Virtual Desktop, Windows 10 22H2 multi-session. The steps will be similar for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) or Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

In this guide, we will download Acrobat Pro and extract the MSI file using PowerShell. Create a transforms file to customize the Acrobat Pro installation and silent install Acrobat Pro using PowerShell.

Adobe Acrobat 64-bit unified installer

Adobe now provides a 64-bit unified installer that includes both Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro

The unified installer will prompt users to sign in and tries to install Acrobat Pro features which doesn't work in a shared non-persistent virtual desktop environment

• When you install Acrobat Pro using the unified installer, it will automatically remove Acrobat Reader
• You can't have both Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro installed in a Virtual Desktop environment.
• To workaround this issue, you will need to set MS Edge as the default PDF reader and use Acrobat Pro as the PDF editor

1. Download and install Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

What is the Acrobat Customization Wizard?

You can use the Acrobat Customization Wizard to change installation options and modify registry settings for Adobe Acrobat.
For example, you can configure silent install, suppress reboot and remove the default Acrobat desktop shortcut

The customization wizard generates a transform MST file that is used to apply installation settings when running the Adobe Acrobat MSI installer.

Download Acrobat Customization Wizard

Connect to the Adobe FTP site using FileZilla and download the latest version of Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

ftp.adobe.com
/pub/adobe/acrobat/win/AcrobatDC/misc
CustWiz2000920067_en_US_DC.exe

Install Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

Run the setup file CustWiz2000920067_en_US_DC.exe to install Acrobat Customization Wizard DC

2. Download Acrobat Pro and extract MSI file

The Evergreen PowerShell module can be used to get the download URL for some common Windows applications.

Evergreen PowerShell module

The Evergreen PowerShell module can be used to get the download URL for some common Windows applications.

Install Evergeen PowerShell module

# install prerequisite NuGet
Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -Force

# install Evergreen powershell module
Install-Module -Name Evergreen -Force 

List Evergreen applications

# Get list of EvergreenApps
Find-EvergreenApp > C:\temp\evergreen-app-list.txt 

Download Acrobat Pro and extract MSI file using PowerShell

This PowerShell script uses the Evergreen PowerShell module to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader and extract it using 7-Zip

# create install folders
mkdir C:\Install\7-Zip
mkdir C:\Install\AcrobatPro

# get acrobat pro
$AcrobatPro = Get-EvergreenApp -Name AdobeAcrobatProStdDC | Where-Object { $_.Architecture -eq "x64" -and $_.Sku -eq "Pro"}

# download acrobat pro
Invoke-WebRequest $AcrobatPro.uri -OutFile C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI.zip

# download 7-Zip
Invoke-WebRequest https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z2201-x64.exe -OutFile C:\Install\7-Zip\7z2201-x64.exe

# install 7-Zip
Start-Process C:\Install\7-Zip\7z2201-x64.exe -ArgumentList '/S' -Wait

# extract acrobat pro using 7-Zip
cd "C:\Program Files\7-Zip"
.\7z.exe x "C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI.zip" -o"C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI" 

The extracted .exe contains the Acrobat Pro installer .msi file and the latest .msp patch file

3. Customize the Acrobat Pro installation 

Customize the Acrobat Pro installation using the Acrobat Customization Wizard

Open Acrobat Customization Wizard DC
File - Open package
Browse for the Acrobat Pro .msi file

C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI\Adobe Acrobat\AcroPro.msi

Personalization Options

Suppress display of End User Agreement (EULA)

Installation Options

Make reader the default PDF viewer
Run installation silently
Suppress reboot

Shortcuts

Remove desktop shortcut

Online Services and Features

Disable product updates
Disable upsell

Direct Editor

ServiceInstall
Drop the row to prevent the installation of the Adobe ARM service

INFO
Adobe Arm is an auto-update utility that downloads and installs new updates for Adobe Reader. Because we are installing Acrobat on non-persistent Virtual Desktops, automatic updates will be disabled.

Generate Transform MST file

Transform - Generate Transform

The transform MST file will be used to apply these settings when running the Acrobat MSI installer

Save the transform file
C:\Install\AcrobatPro\AcroPro.mst

4. Install Acrobat Pro DC using PowerShell

Adobe Acrobat silent install command line switches

Adobe Acrobat MSI installation options

/qn quiet mode, no user interaction
/qb quiet basic, show basic UI
/norestart Do not restart

Silent install Acrobat Pro DC using PowerShell

This PowerShell script installs prerequisites, then installs Acrobat Pro DC using the .msi file and transform .mst file and finally applies the latest Acrobat update using the .msp file.

# install prerequisites 

# download Visual C++ 2013 
Invoke-WebRequest https://aka.ms/highdpimfc2013x86enu -OutFile C:\Install\AcrobatPro\vcredist_x86.exe
Invoke-WebRequest https://aka.ms/highdpimfc2013x64enu -OutFile C:\Install\AcrobatPro\vcredist_x64.exe

# install Visual C++ 2013 
Start-Process C:\Install\AcrobatPro\vcredist_x86.exe -ArgumentList '/install /quiet /norestart' -Wait
Start-Process C:\Install\AcrobatPro\vcredist_x64.exe -ArgumentList '/install /quiet /norestart' -Wait

# install adobe pro
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList '/I "C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI\Adobe Acrobat\AcroPro.msi" /qn /norestart TRANSFORMS="C:\Install\AcrobatPro\AcroPro.mst"' -Wait

# install adobe acrobat update
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList '/p "C:\Install\AcrobatPro\Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI\Adobe Acrobat\AcrobatDCx64Upd2200320310.msp" /qn /norestart' -Wait 

Users will have to sign in to use Acrobat Pro features 

5. Change default PDF reader to MS Edge

Because we can't have both Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro installed on the Virtual Desktop, we need to set Microsoft Edge as the default PDF viewer using an app association xml file.

Export app associations XML file

Open PowerShell (run as admin) and run the following command to export file associations

Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:C:\Temp\AppAssociations.xml

Edit the file to change the app associations

Change the file association for pdf from Adobe to MS Edge

 <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="AcroExch.Document.DC" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />

 <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" /> 

Example: AppAssociations.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
  <Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier=".MP2" ProgId="WMP11.AssocFile.MP3" ApplicationName="Windows Media Player" />
  <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
  <Association Identifier=".svg" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
  <Association Identifier=".tif" ProgId="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Tiff" ApplicationName="Windows Photo Viewer" />
  <Association Identifier=".tiff" ProgId="PhotoViewer.FileAssoc.Tiff" ApplicationName="Windows Photo Viewer" />
  <Association Identifier=".txt" ProgId="txtfile" ApplicationName="Notepad" />
  <Association Identifier=".url" ProgId="IE.AssocFile.URL" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier=".website" ProgId="IE.AssocFile.WEBSITE" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier="http" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier="https" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
  <Association Identifier="microsoft-edge" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
  <Association Identifier="microsoft-edge-holographic" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
  <Association Identifier="ms-xbl-3d8b930f" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
  <Association Identifier="read" ProgId="MSEdgeHTM" ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" />
</DefaultAssociations> 

Deploy app associations file using GPO

Use the following group policy settings to set the application file associations on your Virtual Desktops

Computer Configuration - Policies - Administrative Templates
Windows Components - File Explorer

Do not show the 'new application installed' notification:Enabled

Set a default associations configuration file: Enabled
Default Associations Configuration File \\file-share\Citrix\AppAssociations.xml

References:

Adobe 64-bit Unified App Installer
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/VirtualizationGuide/singleinstaller.html

Export or Import Default Application Associations
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/export-or-import-default-application-associations

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