PGP 8.0.3 doesn't think it has admin rights
The task of packaging PGP Corporate Desktop v8.0.3 (the latest-and-greatest) is evil, pure evil. I don't know of anyone who's succeeded in capturing the install, because of the various service and driver Registry keys that the packaging tools don't do too well with. Leaving any of these out leaves either the program or the OS broken (disabling the keyboard, mouse and WinLogon!), or both!
The only "trustworthy" way is to make a custom installer (old, pre-MSI InstallShield SETUP.EXE) with PGP Admin, with the settings as you want them.
This custom SETUP.EXE allows none of the InstallShield silent SETUP.ISS options (nor any command-line options for that matter), so you can wrap it without UI scripting tools like AutoIt/ScriptIt (which I've done--in fact, I've got it all wrapped up in a nice MSI complete with permissions, uninstall, the works).
However, this little SETUP.EXE also has some magic bit in it that's set to detect if the current user has the local administrator permissions to complete the install... as would be sensible. But there's a MAJOR flaw in the way it's implemented! You see, if the currently logged-in user is an average, unprivileged account and you run the custom SETUP.EXE from RunAs or the SMS service account--with full local administrator privileges--the darn SETUP.EXE will give an error message saying, "PGP 8.0.3 could not be installed, contact your administrator"--this is the error message it gives you only when you try to run the setup from a non-admin account! ARRRGGHH!
I am not an InstallShield expert, and I don't really have the tools to crack open the compiled ISScript in the SETUP.EXE. I've also submitted more than my two cents worth to PGP Corporation, and they don't give a darn what I think. (Maybe their marketing people will be a little more concern when the expose and how-to-get-around-it hits my website...)
So, in short, anyone have any ideas?
The only "trustworthy" way is to make a custom installer (old, pre-MSI InstallShield SETUP.EXE) with PGP Admin, with the settings as you want them.
This custom SETUP.EXE allows none of the InstallShield silent SETUP.ISS options (nor any command-line options for that matter), so you can wrap it without UI scripting tools like AutoIt/ScriptIt (which I've done--in fact, I've got it all wrapped up in a nice MSI complete with permissions, uninstall, the works).
However, this little SETUP.EXE also has some magic bit in it that's set to detect if the current user has the local administrator permissions to complete the install... as would be sensible. But there's a MAJOR flaw in the way it's implemented! You see, if the currently logged-in user is an average, unprivileged account and you run the custom SETUP.EXE from RunAs or the SMS service account--with full local administrator privileges--the darn SETUP.EXE will give an error message saying, "PGP 8.0.3 could not be installed, contact your administrator"--this is the error message it gives you only when you try to run the setup from a non-admin account! ARRRGGHH!
I am not an InstallShield expert, and I don't really have the tools to crack open the compiled ISScript in the SETUP.EXE. I've also submitted more than my two cents worth to PGP Corporation, and they don't give a darn what I think. (Maybe their marketing people will be a little more concern when the expose and how-to-get-around-it hits my website...)
So, in short, anyone have any ideas?
0 Comments
[ + ] Show comments
Answers (5)
Please log in to answer
Posted by:
ewall
19 years ago
[:D]I am overjoyed! Last night I found a simple yet effective work-around...
I kept the MSI wrapper package as-is, running with admin rights, but added two new little scripts as custom actions. The first goes just before the custom PGP SETUP.EXE, and it temporarily adds the logged-in (unprivileged) username to the local Administrators group. The SETUP.EXE is fooled into thinking that the account is a local admin (even though the user hasn't actually got the permissions, since s/he hasn't logged out and back in again for group settings to apply), so it doesn't error out. Then after it completes, another custom action script removes the name from the local Administrators group. The install completes, the machine reboots, and voila! it's done. I already had all the other details in this package worked out--from permissions to user-friendly settings to a clean uninstall, so it's nearly good to go.
I figured I'd let you all know, for posterity's sake... Lots of other people have had trouble trying to package PGP, so if you're one of them are are trying again, drop me a note and I'll see if I can give you a few tips.
I kept the MSI wrapper package as-is, running with admin rights, but added two new little scripts as custom actions. The first goes just before the custom PGP SETUP.EXE, and it temporarily adds the logged-in (unprivileged) username to the local Administrators group. The SETUP.EXE is fooled into thinking that the account is a local admin (even though the user hasn't actually got the permissions, since s/he hasn't logged out and back in again for group settings to apply), so it doesn't error out. Then after it completes, another custom action script removes the name from the local Administrators group. The install completes, the machine reboots, and voila! it's done. I already had all the other details in this package worked out--from permissions to user-friendly settings to a clean uninstall, so it's nearly good to go.
I figured I'd let you all know, for posterity's sake... Lots of other people have had trouble trying to package PGP, so if you're one of them are are trying again, drop me a note and I'll see if I can give you a few tips.
Posted by:
MSIMaker
19 years ago
Lucky me....I'm about to repackage this app in a couple of weeks and I'll need the help because I'm totally swmped at the moment and every little helping hand is welcome.
Expect an email ewall :)
Expect an email ewall :)
Posted by:
naumi
19 years ago
Hello guys, is there anybody who can give me the documentation or help to deploy the pgp desktop 801 or 803?
Please give me the information, its needed urgent!!
Thanks a lot
Steve
Please give me the information, its needed urgent!!
Thanks a lot
Steve
Posted by:
smithbk3
19 years ago
How in the heck did you get this thing to work? When I package pgp the keyboard and mouse locks up sometimes. When I package the uninstall of the old pgp the keyboard and mouse locks up. On top of that I can't get the vendor uninstall to run silently. Problems at every turn. I'm using the newest version of Wise Package studio.
Posted by:
ewall
19 years ago
Now, seemingly decades later [sm=rolleyes.gif], I've started documenting this success on my website...
Check out Part One, and keep an eye out for Part Two soon!
Check out Part One, and keep an eye out for Part Two soon!
Rating comments in this legacy AppDeploy message board thread won't reorder them,so that the conversation will remain readable.