Microsoft Office Installation

[Bankesy]

Good morning all,

 

I am hoping somebody out there has experience with deploying Microsoft Office to Windows 11 using MDT, but I know this is not the recommended way.

 

I am convinced that I have created the installation and the config file correctly, imported them to MDT and set them as part of the task sequence.  But, after successful installation, apps such as Word display an error about the need for a device license even though I have set the install XML for shared activation because we license the users.

 

It looks like MDT is successfully installing Office, but ignoring the install XML and just defaulting to the device license.

 

Does anybody have any advice, please?

 

Thank you

[andy_nic]

Can you share, the command line you’re using for the mdt application install, also the config file contents. Also are your latest setup file in your deployment? As it something i forget when i update the deployment of office365, but recently ive been getting strange results such as the setup file ignoring the predownloaded contents for the setup. Then gets stuck trying to go out to the internet, You can also force shared activation using gpo if you have the office admx added your central store  I do this as a backup.

[Zedster1974-MGS]

Have your tried the deployment without Office and then manually installing Office - I tried this recently on a few different devices and the Shared device setup of Office365 failed whether installed via MDT or command line.  I found an article which, sorry now can't re-find,  said that it required a specific version of Office365 and/or licencing in order to work as a shared install.  Can't recall the specifics, sorry.

 

But deploying MDT without office and manually installing, using command line - will show if it's an MDT issue or an Office365/Licencing issue.

 

 

[Bankesy]

@Zedster1974-MGS I think what you're suggesting is pretty much what I went through with Microsoft when I opened a ticket.  They gave me some steps for downloading, creating the package and installing via command line, which worked for both individual PCs and MDT.

 

Maybe I just did something slightly wrong the first time, but not sure what, because it feels like the same process to me.

[chazzy2501]

Hi, I understand you want to use MDT but there is a better way to deploy office. I install using a PS script at boot via GPO.  I don't have to sysprep Office, (the windows image is also now simpler) it'll install asynchronously (so no slow logins) and always install the latest version from the internet.. (no new images periodically)  I have 2 office xml's for student and staff (and two boot scripts).  

 

I guess you have a use case for MDT with office that I can't see.