[ms office - 2007] office 2007 config.xml

[contink]

Thought I'd start a specific thread for this as we've bits of the office 2007 issue spread around but this deserves its own focus.

 

I've created a config.xml file for Office 2007 "ProPlus" and wondered if folks in the know could give it a once over and offer comment on anything that might bite if I try to deploy using it.

 

 

 

Any comments or suggested omissions, additions, etc... very, very welcome..

 

[srochford]

This is mine; I haven't done much customising here (used the MSP for that) but have specified everything else that I think we need. This does work if that helps :-)

[somabc]

Did you make an msp using setup.exe /admin

[srochford]

Yes (if that was aimed at me :-))

[somabc]

No sorry I meant the 1st poster. I would create an msp rather than directly modifying the .xml if you are at all unsure about what you are doing.

[contink]

Small tip I've found the hard way...

 

Run the setup and test your PID key to ensure it's correct and does not (as I found) have an ambiguous character like a B instead of the 8 it looks like.

[contink]

No sorry I meant the 1st poster. I would create an msp rather than directly modifying the .xml if you are at all unsure about what you are doing.

 

Oh, I wasn't aware you could because the documentation seemed to indicate that an MSP was a waste of time for anything other than a manual custom install. Thanks for the tip though as the idiots who put the docs together really haven't provided a clear indication of what to do or how to do it.

[contink]

No sorry I meant the 1st poster. I would create an msp rather than directly modifying the .xml if you are at all unsure about what you are doing.

 

Ok.. I think I misunderstood the point being made here and since I've had a chance to look at the Office Customization Tool (OCT) I've now realised that this does NOT change the config.xml file but only creates an MSP which, unless you use MSIEXEC and login script to deploy it won't work. Not to mention the fact that you need to be an admin for it to work... Not exactly ideal.

 

So, my original post stands... the config.xml I created does in fact work but there's definitely something to be said for looking at the OCT in tandem with the guide on Office 2007 that I posted a link to here:

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/20043-office-2007-deployment-join-crusade-2.html

.. as it helps explain what the different flags are and what they do..

 

From that you don't need to use a script to do what GPO should be able to handle just fine.

[DanW]

This is mine; I haven't done much customising here (used the MSP for that) but have specified everything else that I think we need. This does work if that helps :-)

 

how did you deploy your copy of office ?

 

was it via GP / Script / SMS

 

 

ta

 

Dan

[srochford]

how did you deploy your copy of office ?

 

was it via GP / Script / SMS

 

 

ta

 

Dan

 

With difficulty :-)

 

What I've tried to configure is a script run as machine startup script in group policy (we don't have SMS)

 

The trouble is that it doesn't always work and I can't see why. I've tried splitting it into two sections now; the main one which runs from a network share - this runs in "cacheonly" mode so that the local installation source is built. At the next startup, a check is made to see if the LIS cache is there and, if it is and office is not installed, it runs setup from the local cache and this time installs it.

 

 

I'm afraid it's all gone on the back burner a bit - there's been no real demand from staff (and we do have it available with SoftGrid) - and I've got lots of other things to do (I leave this job on Friday and trying to make sure everything will work after I leave is a big job!)