Autocad 2017 deployment does not install updates when run as System or via SCCM

[Anonymous]

I have created a deployment of autocad 2017 using the provided "create a deployment" tool. I've added hotfix 2 and 3 to the deployment. When installing from an elevated command line using the "SCCM" command given in the SCCM Text file after creating the deployment, the install completes, and both hotfix 2 and 3 are installed successfully.

However, after promoting the source files into SCCM itself, and running the deployment via an advertisement within SCCM, the product installs, but NOT the Updates.

The phenomenon/bug can be re-created without using SCCM as well. By running the same successful command line in an elevated command prompt, but running as the "SYSTEM" account. The product itself installs, but not the updates. 

This is the 2nd AutoCAD release in a row that has not worked for deploying updates via SCCM. Autocad 2016's issue was never fixed, and it appears a similar problem now exists for 2017.

FYI, easy to test this phenomenon using PSTOOLS, run "psexec.exe -i -s cmd" from an elevated command prompt to open a command prompt running as the "SYSTEM" account, then run the deployment setup command line from there. This duplicates the failed behavior that happens when SCCM launches the installer as the "SYSTEM" account on targeted computers.

Thanks for any help or suggestions, although I'm doubtful this will fixed by Autodesk, so I plan to convert the updates into "Additional Software" like the 2016 workaround posts suggested last year, instead of using the documented "Add Updates" feature that has been fundamentally broken for two product releases in a row.

[avto]

Hi bdecamp,

Welcome to the community.

This issue has been reported to AutoCAD Product Development team.

If you would like to voice your thoughts specifically about the software or its functionality, please, follow the link below. Please note that your comments will go directly to the Product Management team.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794

Regards, 

[Bill_Daly]

We're also installing C3D 2015 using psexec -s, which works great, even with no user logged on.  We're also running into similar problems as you trying it with C3D 2017.  In our case, it's that new users on the workstation don't get all the tool palettes.

I think it might be because the SYSTEM account doesn't have a complete profile (located in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile).  I think it's incomplete because the SYSTEM account has never logged on at the desktop (i.e. interactively).

You may be able to use an account that has previously created a profile which has logged onto the console (maybe the local administrator account), and have PSEXEC use that account instead of SYSTEM.  Or perhaps copy the missing profile information into the SYSTEM profile.

Please keep us updated of any progress and we'll share anything we find.

[Anonymous]

Bdaly, thanks for the info, that will certainly help anyone that want to deep dive into this issue. Unfortunately those are things we shouldn't need to worry about when the Network Deployment Guide clearly explains the supported way to install AutoCAD using SCCM. When the supported method fails, we should not have to spend hours of time troubleshooting a 3rd party vendor's issue. The vendor (Autodesk) should either update the documentation, or provide a solution in a timely manner.

Also I'm not intentionally using PSEXEC to do these installs, I just provided that as an example of how to re-create the root problem without needing an SCCM environment; as PSEXEC allows running commands locally as the System account.

The common root problem that is affecting your PSEXEC installs, and any "supported" SCCM install is this: Deployments do not install correctly when run as the System account.

Thanks!

-Ben

[xuyRY3SM · Accepted solution]

There is a bug in how the SCCM script is created. The problem is the full path is used for updates packaged in execrable, which breaks SCCM execution.

A simple workaround is to convert the full path to relative path. Here is an example,

:== Start update installation

"D:\TEST\Img\Updates\FD297AC8-ED96-42BD-A27E-AF45AA7DB189\AutoCAD_2017_Hotfix_2_x86.exe" /q

"D:\TEST\Img\Updates\DD4B4C98-1946-4C48-BE5D-041C80BB2310\AutoCAD_2017_Hotfix_3_x86.exe" /q

The updated one should be like

:== Start update installation

"Img\Updates\FD297AC8-ED96-42BD-A27E-AF45AA7DB189\AutoCAD_2017_Hotfix_2_x86.exe" /q

"Img\Updates\DD4B4C98-1946-4C48-BE5D-041C80BB2310\AutoCAD_2017_Hotfix_3_x86.exe" /q