Deploying Office 2007

feylya

I'm currently looking into deploying Office 2007 company wide and Microsoft, in all their wisdom, have decided to remove the GPSI from Office so you can't install with GPO any more. How have people been getting around this?

Masta Chief

How many seats ?

feylya

At the moment, less than 50 but that'll be growing rapidly and I'd prefer to have the whole system automated for simpler deploying and rebuilding.

Masta Chief

Ok , well I work for microsoft ( dont hate = ) ) .... I presume you have some sort of Select or EA agreement ?

feylya

Correct.

Alzar

I'm deploying Office 2007 using a simple one line batch file as follows:
[URL="file://\\servername\sources\Office2007Std\setup.exe"]\\servername\sources\Office2007Std\setup.exe[/URL] /adminfile [URL="file://\\servername\sources\Office2007Std\updates\1office2007.msp"]\\servername\sources\Office2007Std\updates\1office2007.msp[/URL]

I've used the Office Customization Tool to create the msp file & I've also extracted Service Pack 1 to it's component msp files & put them into the updates folder.

This installs Office 2007 Std & applies service pack 1 all in the one hit. I have to admit that I do most of the Office customizations using GPO's & just use the OCT to get the bare install configured.

I'd much prefer to use SCOM 2007 to deploy O2K7, but it's been decided to buy Novell's Zenworks instead....:( & that hasn't been installed yet.

I found all of the info on TechNet. Hope this is of use.

Al.

feylya

Yeah, I'm testing with a similar batch file myself at the moment but it's lacking a few features I'd like that existed in GPSI like uninstalling itself once the membership is removed and the option to deploy to 64 bit or not.

Good auld Microsoft - ****ing up the stuff that works that people use!

feylya

One thing I've noticed with using the batch is that the install isn't silent. Am I missing something obvious?

Alzar

feylya wrote: »

One thing I've noticed with using the batch is that the install isn't silent. Am I missing something obvious?

Change the .msp file to perform a silent installation. Run setup /admin again, open the .msp file to be changed, and change the Licensing and user interface page by clearing the Completion notice and Suppress modal check boxes and setting the display level to None.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/desktopdeployment/bb395351.aspx

This should make it nice n' quiet. I haven't tested this. My install give the splash screen but the user cannot cancel it or change any of the options.

Al.

feylya

Ah, got ya. Couldn't find a nice clear explanation of the modal screens.

And a quick warning to anyone who uses Sharepoint - Excel no longer has the ability to sync lists with Sharepoint, either WSS 3.0 or MOSS 2007.

Alzar

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179214(TechNet.10).aspx#UsingSWI

This may be what you are looking for. Looks a bit ?? to me, though.

Al.

feylya

It's possible to do alright because it's an msi file but you can only add very limited customisations to it.

Here's a blog entry from the actual Office Team

http://blogs.technet.com/office_resource_kit/archive/2008/05/21/deploying-office-2007-with-group-policy-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart.aspx

Alzar

feylya wrote: »

It's possible to do alright because it's an msi file but you can only add very limited customisations to it.

Here's a blog entry from the actual Office Team

http://blogs.technet.com/office_resource_kit/archive/2008/05/21/deploying-office-2007-with-group-policy-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart.aspx

Wow, never saw that one :eek:

Al.