OFFICE 2007 Deployment

[Randy]

I have set up the ORK with all the specs I need. It does not work. It
installs Office 2007, but not the way I have it configured. Plus, it doesn't
run the .exe's I have set to run after the office install. Anybody know why
the ORK in the update folder doesn't use my settings? Office 2003 worked
perfect. Help???

 

[Robert R Kircher, Jr.]

Randy,

It seems clear from some of the responses I've read that many if not all of
the MVPs who frequent this group are clueless when it comes to enterprise
wide installation so don't feel slighted that your post has gone unanswered
for the past couple of days. My first post on this subject was never
answered. Most of my knowledge (limited at best I fear) comes from personal
research and hours of staring at the screen writing testing scripts and
installs.

Here's the short story and much of this you may already know and/or have
done.

1) copy the CD contents as is to you installation point on your server.
2) from that installation point run setup.exe /admin. This will launch the
Office Customization Tool.
3) make all you custom changes
4) save your MSP file to the Updates folder within you installation points
folder structure. Note mine MSP is called CustomSetup and I don't remember
if I named it that.
5) At the work station run setup.exe from your newly created installation
point on you server.


There is documentation here:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Offic...b7a8-4ada-b2ac-90eb5266b0c01033.mspx?mfr=true
describing how to use a Startup Script to deploy you install thought-out the
enterprise. This method is very limited compared to the old MSI MST
install. MS now assumes that an office install should be tied to every PC
and not users so you no longer have the option to Publish the software based
on the user or deploy the software corporate wide yet choose individually
just what PCs actually install the software. A huge mistake on MS's part if
you ask me.


--

Rob

Don't ever argue with an idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience

 

[Randy]

I forgot to mention....I've done all of that and used a GPO to link with an
OU where I put the workstation into....and after 2 reboots, it installs
Office 2007 with none of my customizations. The MSP file is in the updates
folder just like it says to do. This is driving me crazy. I specifically
tell it not to install Outlook because we use Groupwise and it still installs
it.

 

[Robert R Kircher, Jr.]

If you using the MSI it won't work. However if your script is correct,
basically exactly like what's in the documentation it should work fine. The
first place I'd look is the config path in your script and make sure its
correct.

And BTW: I feel you pain... This new deployment sux compared to the old
method and nobody has been able to satsifscarly explain why it was changed.

--

--

Rob

Don't ever argue with an idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience

 

[Randy]

I didn't use any script files. Are you supposed to? I thought it was only
if you didn't want to use the MSP? Do you have to use both or only one if
you choose?

 

[Robert R Kircher, Jr.]

That's the problem.

MS has dynamically changed deployment. The MSP does not work like the old
MST files. So the concept of choosing you MSI in your GPO and then your
transform doesn't work. To add insult to injury the only time you MSP file
is used is if setup is run from the setup.exe file in the root of the
distribution. This makes it unnecessarily more complicated to deploy using
GPOs.

The kludge provided by good old MS is to add a Startup Script to you GPO
witch checks for the existence of Office 2K7 on the workstation and if it
doesn't exist it launched the setup.exe.

Option tow is to edit the Custom.xml file located in the distrobution
folders but this allows for much less customization than MSP provides.

Option three is to purchase a copy of SMS server and the necessary hardware
to run it on, spend the time to learn it, deploy it all so you can deploy
office 2007 using the MSP custom file. Something that used to take just a
few minutes to setup now takes hours and/or money.

So there you have it. I'm sure you just as mystified as I was. .

You can find all the documentation you need here.
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Offic...b7a8-4ada-b2ac-90eb5266b0c01033.mspx?mfr=true

There's a "book" on deployment with GPOs that explains to some degree
editing the XML file and provides the sample script.


--

Rob

Don't ever argue with an idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience

 

[clintholliday]

That's the problem.

MS has dynamically changed deployment.   The MSP does not work like the old
MST files.  So the concept of choosing you MSI in yourGPOand then your
transform doesn't work.   To add insult to injury the only time you MSP file
is used is if setup is run from the setup.exe file in the root of the
distribution.  This makes it unnecessarily more complicated todeployusing
GPOs.

The kludge provided by good old MS is to add a Startup Script to youGPO
witch checks for the existence ofOffice2K7 on the workstation and if it
doesn't exist it launched the setup.exe.

Option tow is to edit the Custom.xml file located in the distrobution
folders but this allows for much less customization than MSP provides.

Option three is to purchase a copy of SMS server and the necessary hardware
to run it on, spend the time to learn it,deployit all so you candeployoffice2007using the MSP custom file.  Something that used to take just a
few minutes to setup now takes hours and/or money.

So there you have it.  I'm sure you just as mystified as I was.  .

You can find all the documentation you need here.http://technet2.microsoft..com/Office/en-us/library/264e7da6-b7a8-4ada...

There's a "book" on deployment with GPOs that explains to some degree
editing the XML file and provides the sample script.

--

Rob

Don't ever argue with an idiot....
They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience







- Show quoted text -

I don't understand why they have made these changes!!! I have told
every microsoft employee i speak to about this and non one has a good
explanation. Deploying the previous versions was so painless. Office
2007 has been out for about a year now and none of my clients are
running it because it will cast them too much to deploy it.

Have you successfully configured Outlook to access an Exchange server
automatically? If my memory serves me correctly I chose to use the MSP
and and a start up script but Outlook was not configured for the
exchange server when the user opened it.