Removing Office 2007 setup cache.

[Cat]

First of all, why did Microsoft office start caching all the setup
files on user's hard disk at the first place? Can't they be accessed
from CD/DVD?

There was a cache remover utility (from Microsoft!) for Office 2003.
(That program also caused problems. When I removed cache with it,
trying to add/remove Office features was just troublesome) Is there
such a utility for Office 2007? I manually deleted the MSOCache
folder, and now the 'Install on first use' always fails because it
cannot find the source.

 

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

You cannot remove the MSOCache folder. Deleting that folder created lots
of support problems with Office 2003, so Microsoft decided to change
this for 2007. If you run a repair of the Office 2007 setup, Office will
restore the MSOCache folder from the CD/DVD.
The point of caching the setup files on the hard disk is to avoid having
to have the CD/DVD around when you install a patch. It simply makes it
easier to have the files around and not needing the CD/DVD all the time.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Hi,

Personally, I think all MSO caching is wrong. It breaks the most
fundamental rule of best practice in IT which is never to repeat the
same information in multiple places. It's another case of "let's all be
clueless home users why are members of the Administrators group" because
that's the only kind of user Microsoft can relate to these days.

The only proper way to install software is using an AIP, even on a stand
alone computer. the AIP is not an office feature, it's fundamental to
all software and dates back to the days of Novell Netware together with
SBS, "Server Based Installs". Office 2007 is going against best practice
if it forces the use of an MSOCache and LIS. Microsoft were pioneers of
the AIP technology, making it core to their MSI technology, but now all
that work is wasted and we're back to Mickey Mouse land. They also made
it not work over DCOM in Vista so it's even more tied to the local
machine. Pathetic

You cannot remove the MSOCache folder. Deleting that folder created lots
of support problems with Office 2003, so Microsoft decided to change
this for 2007. If you run a repair of the Office 2007 setup, Office will
restore the MSOCache folder from the CD/DVD.
The point of caching the setup files on the hard disk is to avoid having
to have the CD/DVD around when you install a patch. It simply makes it
easier to have the files around and not needing the CD/DVD all the time.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Outlook 2007 Performance Update: http://pschmid.net/blog/2007/04/13/105
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

First of all, why did Microsoft office start caching all the setup
files on user's hard disk at the first place? Can't they be accessed
from CD/DVD?

There was a cache remover utility (from Microsoft!) for Office 2003.
(That program also caused problems. When I removed cache with it,
trying to add/remove Office features was just troublesome) Is there
such a utility for Office 2007? I manually deleted the MSOCache
folder, and now the 'Install on first use' always fails because it
cannot find the source.