i've got the new adobe photoshop cs2 silent running but can not get the activation screen removed on installation.

i've already got this:

start /wait %systemdrive%\install\photoshop\setup.exe /v/qb!
(this is the program installation)

start /wait "%systemdrive%\install\photoshop\Adobe Common File Installer.msi" /qb!
(this is an installation to remove the update error when you start photoshop)

copy %systemdrive%\install\photoshop\B2B86000.dat "%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe Systems\Product licenses" /y
(this is my activation file for activation)

regedit /s %systemdrive%\install\photoshop\settings.reg
(for getting some reg settings right)


and my Abcpy.ini looks like this:

;***************************************************************
;Adobe Installer External Configuration File: Abcpy.ini
;***************************************************************

;***************************************************************
;Main Section
;The (Product) key is a required key
;***************************************************************
[MAIN]
Product=Adobe® Photoshop CS2
AbcpyVersion=2.0


;***************************************************************
;OEM Installation Options
;***************************************************************
[OEM Install]
SERIALNUMBER=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
SERIALNUMBERTRYOUT=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
USERNAME=a
COMPANYNAME=d
INSTALLDIR=
DisplayWelcomeDlg=NO
DisplayEULA=NO
DisplayXPDialog=NO
DisplayTypeOfInstallDlg=NO
DisplaySelectDestDirDlg=NO
DisplayCustomDlg=NO
DisplayUserInfoDlg=NO
DisplayConfirmRegDlg=NO
DisplayStartCopyDlg=NO
DisplayFinishDlg=NO
DisplayFinalMessage=NO
DisplayRebootDlg=NO
DisplayBackGround=NO
DisplayBackGround=NO
DisplayProgressBar=NO
ProgressBarStart=NO
ProgressBarEnd=NO


Can somebody help me?

greetz astie

Remove your tryout serial from your .ini file. You shouldn't be posting it. I don't think you can remove activation without manually doing it. I could be wrong though... Also you need to add two more msi's to your photoshop cs2 install or errors will occur with help and browse will not work. And another one exists which is for stock photos but is not needed unless like me you want the full install..

oke removed it, but cant i turn the activation off on installation so it pop ups when you start photoshop for the first time?

This might be possible but seeing how photoshop cs2 activation is slightly different from cs, I'm not sure if ya can or not especially how they have the transfer activation option (although I think this uses the net connection, not sure).

The activation file is unique to your system. I have the same name for the activation file and try deleting it and the activation window popped up. When I put it back, it disappeared.

i've tried creating an administrative installation point from the .msi resulting on a smaller setup... problem is that it won't run uA.

apparently the program builds the admin point only for photoshop and imageready, prompting an error when it's time to install adobe updater. this can be interesting for us b/c it also reduces the size of installed CS2

i wonder if will be available a tool to deploy .mst files to use with "/TRANSFORMS=" switch...

I followed the instructions posted here an got some interesting results. after creating an admin point with PSCS2 and the other MSIs i trie to install PSCS2 silently with the /qb-! switch - it didn't work - it did NOTHING at all! The only switch that worked was /qb. But i got an error (a nice errormessage - just ERROR). The reason for this error was the missing abcpy.ini, so i copied it to the main directory of the admin installation point. after that /qb worked, till i got another error, complaining that \PSCS2\CommonAppData\Adobe\Updater\Certs\photoshop.cer has a read error. Does anyone has the some or similar problems? I keep on trying....

Update: Ok, i finished the installed (i clicked ignore) but nevertheless i get the activation screen at the end of the installation. Adobe sucks .

This AutoIT script is not the perfect solution, but it works (for now)...

that script didnt work for me.
i hope someone finds out a method to make this unattended.

That script won't work anyway. You have to type in an serial numbers to have a fully activated copy unless of course you are using the trial in which the activation screen will keep popping up.

indeed

just add the serial to the abcpy.ini - there are two possibilities to enter serials - enter either a "real" or a "tryout". sorry, forgot to mention that. i tried it and it worked

ive tried that too, but the activation message still appears at the end of the installation.

Yea but you still need an authorization & activation code to input into the activation screen. I guess you wasn't getting what I saying before.

Thats right - but therefore i included this part here:



It waits for the Registration "popup" and cancels activation. Of course, you have to register it within the first 30 days, but hey, at least its installed unattended :-). i suppose its the same as with adobe acrobat professional - the activation just sucks and can't be automated (as far as i know)!

And hey, the topic was "remove activation screen on install" - not REGISTER it successfully :-).

I'm new to this AutoIt thingy, how does it work? Can you post the exe for this?

You could also fill in the activation info with autoIt... Not that hard, look in the help files, or other scripts posted in the forum

i too would like an exe or an au3 file for this.
most prefferably an au3 file.

thanks

using autoit for activation is impossible!

Adobe knows about Autoit

when the corp edition comes out no need to activate.

I am curious as to how you got the admin install to work
I cant get it to run.

When I try to run the installation from a script it fails to find the data1.cab file and then prompts to retry or cancel.
This method would prove to be very useful if I could get it to work.
The source size is reduced to 130mb when compressed with 7zip.

I am running it with an AutoIt script but it would seem that the installer
itself needs to be altered to keep it from checking for the data.cab file.
But the .msi file itself runs fine when I just double click on it.
Here is my AutoIt script if anyone is interested. The .msi has been renamed.

As mentioned on page 1 if u use just the msi file you'll most likely have an error when starting PS b/c of the missing autoupdater.

And what i posted at the beginning WAS an AutoIT script (i suppose batman75 copied it )- just copy it and save it to a plain text file and rename to whatever.au3.

I know how to use AutoIt.

I don't want to use the setup.exe and the full install.
I can get that work fine, I want the admin install to work and save space.

Ok but remove implys "getting rid of"

I heard there won't be a corp version.

that CRAP...

are u sure?

Well its like this. When Adobe first launched their products with CS product name, they introduced activation (which we all know) but didn't include support for other languages. So Adobe lanched Photoshop CS Central European Version which didn't need activation, and added support for more languages but could be used by english speaking individuals as well. Well according to Adobe, there won't be an CE version of CS2 which means probably no corp version either. And I think somewhere I saw Adobe saying everyone having to use activation on their products also.

why not just dont be so lazy...and just pop in the Installation CD after you installed your windows....its not like your not gonna be installing other programs in the future....what is your goal...to have a 5 DVD set of Windows Installation.. ...geesh the chances of any one of your programs to come out with a "update" is almost 100%....in the near future....I dont know about you....but i dont have the excess time...and im not installing Windows every week...so its your project..good luck....i'm not knocking your project or you...but it seems you will drive yourself ragged over this......soon SP3 will be out..right before the launch of Longhorn...and you will be right back again.

Well I understand where you are coming from but some people have the excess time to do this... Also lots of people do unattended installs for their jobs, family, etc. so I wouldn't say this is lazyiness. It actually takes more to create a satisifactory unattended cd or dvd than just pop the software installation cd or dvd on a installed windows.

Thats the point of this forums, right?

If you dont have anything useful to say then dont post...

Personally I want to have all my software to install automatically. After six months I might update the software, create a new DVD and discard the old one.

Why don't you use a rewritable dvd or cds? Just wondering out of curious..

let see

copy xp service pack 2 frm an iso i made to my hard drive - 3mins
(thanks to p4 3.0mhz and SATA drives)
Manual Integration of all Hotfixes using Iceman's method - 3 mins
BST drivers pack - 4 mins
Using Existing WPI and Software Folder -0 mins

Total less than 10 mins. Given u know what u are doing.

As long as u have a good base, the right application, and the know how
it doesn't take a long time to update your U.A. cd/dvd

Word on the street is that DVD-Rs have a longer life than DVD-RWs. I dont know whether that is true or not but I wanna be on the safe side.
Plus they are pretty cheap nowdays.

use DVD RW for testing purposes. when u got it working properly
use a dvd r or better yet dual layer

i can't get the autoit script to work using runonceex method. it starts the install fine but just stops at the activation window (according to processes the script is still running) if i press cancel on the activation window then the script jumps into life and answers the 30 day question. however when it then loads to windows if i uninstall photoshop and run the script it seems to work perfectly.

anyone else had this problem or found a better solution. will someone post an exact script file or exe that they have tested and works and the command to start it

thanks

I tired the script using wpi and it works. i just compiled the script using au3_2_exe or however this is called. maybe u should change the winwaitactive command to winwait? or maybe just start the autoItSpy and check how the cancel button is called? maybe u have another version than i have :-). if there is still need in the evening, i can send u the exe - just dont have it handy right now!

Gotcha, I understand..

thanks for the reply i'll try the install again with the following:

My runonceex file:


the autoit script converted from .au3 to .exe (with some extra features as suggested):

Please post how this works.

May I see your abcpy.ini (X out product key).

right it's still not working but i have isolated the problem. it works as soon as i have established an internet connection (which happens when i install the motherboard drivers). i do not install the drivers in the runonceex window cus i use this DVD on a number of computers. i can't understand why this would be but i can gurantee that it is the reason.

Please i hope someone has some ideas !?

here's my abcpy.ini file for the person who asked.


is there any way of setting abcpy.ini to do the trial install (i did try this but i couldn't set up abcpy.ini correctly) this would prevent the activation window and simply ask for a serial number and activation on first run which would be fine.

-----
Matt

Maybe try to just include the trial key? and not both. I think you should only have one key present... not both...

yep thats what i thought

so i removed the full serial and left the trial serial but install just crashes.
also if both serials are included it just installs the full version. there must be another option that i could add, something like "TRIALINSTALL=Yes" but i'm just stabbing in the dark i have no idea if it's even possible.

Ok, before I pass along this info, let me state, I have not tried any form of unattended install of this, and don't really have plans to. But I am interested in seeing if it can be done. So, here is what I have found in relation to serial numbers.

According to the MSI:

The "Full" version serial number property is: SERIALNUMBERTEMP
The "Trial" version serial number property is: SERIALNUMBERTRYOUT

The properties to set which version ("Full" or "Trial") is:
UNITYSELECTION="RETAIL"
or
UNITYSELECTION="TRYOUT"

So it sounds like you would call: Adobe Photoshop CS2.msi /qb UNITYSELECTION="TRYOUT" SERIALNUMBERTRYOUT="xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"

Now, I realize this doesn't help on the abcpy.ini way of setup, but for those setting up straight from the MSI (and maybe those passing the MSI properties through setup.exe without using abcpy.ini), hopefully this will help.

i'll test that then...

EDIT:
nope, sorry. if the full serial is still in abcpy it does a full install anyway. if it is not then it just throws an error.

EDIT:
btw, how did u get that information if i run the msi with the /? switch it gives me the normal help page but it doesn' tell me anything like the above?

Where do you get the msi from?

I opened it up in a MSI editor and poked around the dialogs and tables.

yep i did that for a while too but to no avail what editor do you use

Wise Package Studio Professional 5.6

YES!!

i dun it!

i managed to remove the section in the .msi which runs the activation window. so i now have a .msi which does the install normally except for not displaying the activation window. no need for autoit or anything else!

i'm not sure if i can post the msi here (might be considered warez) if a mod could let me know that'd be good.

Actually I think it would be fine since you need the other files in order to install it. I've posted Symantec Antivirus modified msi(s) before so go ahead and give us link please....

@mrmb i think it's ok, b/c your msi removes the activation screen although you need to activate the program on first run... right (correct me if necessary) ?