Adobe Flash v19.0.0.185 and uninstalling older versions

Question

Anyone had any luck getting v19.0.0.185 upgrade to uninstall previous versions of Flash? I copied the packages supplied by Adobe/Patch Manager and changed Package Boot Helper to run an MSI uninstall first using the product codes for 18.0.0.232, but those packages don't seem to be executing the commands. It installs the new version, leaves the old version installed and doesn't even create an MSI log file. It's like it just ignores Package Boot Helper. I use the exact same setup to uninstall previous versions of JRE when I push out updates of that and those execute perfectly.

Also tried fixing the .MSI files using Orca but then Patch Manager wouldn't import the files because the checksums didn't match what it was using. Really getting annoyed with Adobe and Oracle for leaving old versions installed the past few releases.

kellytice · Answer

in theory you wouldn't have to duplicate it; you could just modify it and publish it... but you'd just need to know that the modified package will get overwritten next time the catalog sync happens.   If you've already published it, it wouldn't affect the already published update; that would still be on the WSUS server as you had published it....but it could be confusing to someone else if they were not aware of the changes you had made before publishing.

sz-a · Answer

Same problem here.

If i duplicate the package i have to create a duplicated package every time, because i have to add the former package as superseeded package.

Do we have to approve the old package for uninstall and the new one for install?

kellytice · Answer

haven't tried that exact scenario, but i don't understand why it would treat the uninstall MSI command any differently for that one than the Java ones.  interesting.

If you want to modify the .MSI that a particular package uses and DON'T want it to check to see if the checksum matches what it thinks it should be, you might try this:

* Instead of using the Download Content/Import Source option consider duplicating the package (so that your changes to the package you're about to make don't get overridden with the next catalog sync)
* Edit the duplicate package.  
* Go to the middle page in the wizard (the one where the top option is to choose whether it is an .EXE, .MSI, or .MSP). 
* Choose the option for "i already have the content for the package locally on my network" and then point it to the install file. 
* Don't change any of the rules or anything (unless you want to enable some of the PackageBoot options or something)...just Next Next, etc.... and Finish to save it.

That way the rules that check applicabilty, etc... are the same but the file to be installed is different.