Deployment and Setup of Office 2003
Published: May 15, 2003
Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity
Hosts:
- Sloan Crayton, Product Support for Office Setup
- April Dalke, MVP Lead for Office
- Paul Barr, Program Manager w/ the Office Deployment and Roaming team
- Jamie Sloan, PSS Community Program Manager for Office
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Good day. Welcome to today's chat 'Deployment and Setup of Office 2003 .' Before we begin the chat, we'd like to go over the ground rules and basic instructions.
Before we begin, let's meet our hosts for today's chat.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
I'm Sloan Crayton, and I'm in Product Support for Office Setup (and some additional core component areas). I've been involved in every Office beta since Office 95. :)
Host: April (Microsoft)
Hello, I am the MVP lead for some of the Office products, welcome to you all.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
I'm Paul Barr. Program Manager w/ the Office Deployment and Roaming team. I've been w/ the deployment team for about 3 years after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University w/ degrees in Information Systems and Business Administration. I own most of O
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Deployment - is an admin SharePoint and resync / recache still a supported and viable option, or are we supposed to use only client side patches now?
A: If you are using administrative images as your deployment mechanism for office you can still use full file patches with a scripted recache reinstall for the clients to get the update. Only when you install from a compressed source will you be requited to use binary client patches.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Could there be a step-through guide to help import saved .pst files the first time office runs. I always end up having confusing pst files as ones are set up before you can import them.
A: There will be documentation in the office resource kit at release to aid in migrating PST. http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/default.htm
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Where can I find more information regarding Visio 2003 besides responses as "Postponed for future consideration"?
A: I'm told that we're working on scheduling a Visio chat. So keep checking the schedule for when that might happen. I'm not directly involved with the Visio beta, but you should be able to reopen a bug via http://www.betaplace.com if you have a question about a resolution. That's how we handle it in the Office technical beta programs.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Will it remain an option to *remove* any files that are kept on the hd for later use...or will this be a compulsory option?
A: User will always have the option to remove source files on their HD in Office 2003
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Will there be any sorta decent software to be able to easily create a Windows/Office install DVD
A: We provide generic install and deployment tools but we don't have anything to do exactly what you are suggesting.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Will there be any issues running Word 2000 macros on Word 2003?
A: Our goal is complete backwards compatibility. So we will try to fix any bugs of this nature. The one exception is in the area of Security. There could be changes in behavior caused by a security fix. We will document any of these in KB articles.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Will office 2003 updates/patches be available through SUS?
A: The next version of SUS (later this year) will be able to accommodate Microsoft Office Patches.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: when we can expect Windows SharePoint Services RTM in French, thanks
A: The French version will release at the same time the English version does.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Will Office 2003 install on Windows 98SE? Any plan for that still? or truly never?
A: No, never. Our minimum supported OS is Windows 2000 SP3.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: What are the realistic minimum requirements for deployment of Office 2003?
A: The minimum requirements are listed in the resource kit http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/default.htm
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: If deployed in on a corporate network, will there be printer and other driver issues to worry about? To what extent does Office 2003 accommodate these issues?
A: We try to fix any driver-related issues prior to ship. However, these issues are sometimes dependent on the driver revision or are based on a bug in the driver that we can't address in our software. When we encounter these we report them to the vendor, but the fix is dependent on the vendor. We will document the ones that we cannot fix in the Microsoft Knowledgebase. Sometimes (if it involves a crash) we will push the information to users as they encounter the crash.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: is it going to be possible to go up to 2003 from 2000, or are we going to have to do an entirely fresh install?
A: Migration from Office 2000 to Office 2003 will be fully supported with the final version. It is not supported for the Beta versions.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: can we install office 2003 along side office xp ?
A: Yes you can except you will need to run a single version of Outlook.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Will Office 2003 include some utilities to completely remove the programs?
A: The resource kit has tools to remove the old versions of Office but theree is no tool to remove the current version.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: I could open up a new bug thread about the resolution, but I have been getting "postponed for future consideration" twice already on the same thread. Basically, Office team doesn't want to reply regarding the status of Visio2003.
A: If you're posting in the Office newsgroups, then that's the wrong place to ask that question. None of us on the Office Beta have that information. Are you on the Visio technical beta?
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: I know in Office XP, my company faced many installation errors when upgrading 60,000 + clients. Has Microsoft seen many problems with installs upgrading from Office XP or Office 2000?
A: I don't know what version you were coming from when you upgraded to XP but the migration story is very clean between Office 2000 or XP to Office 2003. The file formats are the same, and there are no reboots required. There's also no system files update, and no Windows Installer update. The primary issues you will face is with 3rd party applications that interface w/ Office as we can't control all of them.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Is it safe to go ahead and create an SMS package or does Microsoft expect many changes with the next release?
A: Yes it is safe (it has been tested), although you will have to do it again at RTM.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Are Outlook files (.pst or whatever new format is) limitations larger than previous versions and if so what is the limitation now?
A: If you are using the default (Unicode) for Office 2003 it is approx. 20 Gig.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: is 2003 going to be fully backwards compatible with 2000 data files?
A: If by data files you mean documents, then yes, absolutely.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Are language packs for Office 2003 beta available?
A: Six languages are available in Beta2.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Since images editing and management is a popular practice these days, why doesn't Picture Library install by default?
A: The Beta2 refresh has Picture Library installed by default based on customer feedback.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: can someone please tell me how to do an unattended installation of Office?
A: There is a detailed walk through in the Resource Kit http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/default.htm.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Why didn't Microsoft support Office 2003 on Windows NT since it is also a stable architecture from which Win 2000 & XP is built.
A: While a key reason for removing the support for Windows 9x was stability, another reason was the level of the system files. Since Office 2000 SR-1 shipped, our baseline for system files has been Windows 2000. Given that the support for Windows NT 4.0 will be expiring soon, it didn't seem to be productive to provide support to install on that platform and focus on the newer platforms.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Will/Should public users of BETA2 Uninstall BETA2 before deploying, and will there be a Offcie Cleaner Utiliity to remove traces of the BEAT2 before deploying the final release
A: Users will need to manually (or script) uninstall Beta2 before installing the Final client. There will be no separate cleaner utility.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Will the final version of Office 2003 require Service Pack 1 of Windows XP to install?
A: No, SP1 will not be required.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: What would you advise users who want to use the XML features of Office 2003 but have a mixed-node environment consisting of Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP?
A: Unfortunately the best solution would be to upgrade the 98 clients to Windows 2000 or better.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: will a 2003 install "break" existing Portal Server Clients, v1 or v2?
A: There shouldn't be a problem.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Shall we have several free support incidents for 2003?
A: With every Office release, the support policies undergo a review. That review has not been completed yet. It should be announced prior to the RTM for Office 2003.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Is there a way to "undo" what Save My Settings Wizard has restored on the target machine? After clean install of Office 2k3 in target machine, Save My Settings Wizard totally killed Outlook and a number of other applications
A: You can reset by going to Help | Detect and Repair | Reset settings to default. Unfortunately, you can't roll back to your previous state.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: When deploying to a Tablet PC, what is the best method of installing the extra Office functionality provided by the Office Tablet Addin Kit? As a separate MSI or is there a way of building it conditionally in with the Installation Designer?
A: This was an add-in for Office XP but is default in Office 2003
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Can you view a Office 2003 PowerPoint presentation in Office 2000 viewer without loss of format?
A: There will be a new viewer available with Office 2003 for Powerpoint presentations. The 2000 version of the viewer will not show all formatting for 2003 presentations.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: How many users can a terminal server install of Office 2003 support?
A: That depends on a lot of factors (usage, RAM on the server, network bandwidth, etc.). It should not be any different, however, than what you would see with Office XP.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Will the core components be the same for Office 2003 or RTM? Or do you recommend that we wait for the RTM before creating an SMS package.
A: I recommend waiting until RTM to create your SMS package if you wish to avoid doing it twice.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Has any thought been given to providing some sort of administrative patch capability for installations that were not created from an administrative install point?
A: The patching solution for non-administrative installs is client side binary patching. Using setup.ini you can chain those patches to the install.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Is Picture Library the final name?
A: As far as we know. :)
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Will there be any improvement to the Outlook junk mail filter other than what is seen in beta 2?
A: It's working quite a bit better in current builds. I think you'll find it to be about 95% accurate (based on my own experience).
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: So I just installed Beta 2 as an upgrade to Office XP Pro. The install went error-free, but any attempt to use an app gives an "unable to initialize" error and refuses to run. Any clues?
A: This sounds like the incomplete or failed Windows SP1 install issue. If you installed the patch and did not reboot or the patch did not install successfully or if you upgrade Windows XP Home edition to XP Pro, you may see your issue. The fix is to reinstall SP1.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: If I have saved my information in Normal.dot, can I transfer it into Word2003?
A: An integrated upgrade from a prior version of Office (like XP) will bring some of your normal.dot customizations forward as part of the migration.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: IS Picture Library a pre-requisite for Office 2003? or does it standalone as its own? or it will be installed by default no matter what?
A: Picture Library is currently installed in a Typical Install. However, you can choose not to install it. The major Office applications can function without it.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: after doing a custom install of Office2003 & then installing FrontPage or publisher the custom install settings are lost. I have to manually reselect them. why is this?
A: This is a bug, it should be fixed in the release version.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: In an unattended install of Office can the activation of the product also be unattended as well?
A: A bypass or enterprise key is required to skip activation during a deployment.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: On two different installs, I cannot get Office 2003 shortcut bar to launch. It worked before the upgrade to Office 2003 from Office XP. Any ideas?
A: That is expected. The Office Shortcut Bar does not ship in Microsoft Office 2003, and it will be removed in an upgrade (if all of the previous installation is replaced).
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Is there any plans to be able to minimize any office app to the system tray like Outlook 2003 does now?
A: Not at this time.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Does an administrative install still put source local on the hard drive like a CD based install does?
A: No, administrative installs will work exactly as before. Only installs from a compressed source will put the source local.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Can we open a Word 2003 document with Word 2002?
A: Yes. It will also open in Word 2000 and Word 97.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Will Office be released on DVD ? yes, i also want to know
A: Not at this time.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Thai language Pack for Office 2003 will be available for office 2003 or not?
A: Yes, there will be a Thai mui available.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Why is Office Shortcut Bar being removed in Office 2003? What's wrong with that bar?
A: The original reason for creating the Office Shortcut Bar was that the only way to launch the applications was the Windows Start Menu, and many users didn't find that to be the most efficient mechanism. However, since then, Windows has created the Quick Launch bar UI. It was decided that a more efficient use of our development resources could be made than in continuing to ship a UI that duplicates a feature that all users have via the Windows UI.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: Will the Beta2 Refresh (ETA unknown) be downloadable or shipped via CD?
A: It will be a download
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Can the unattended install of Office be set to include the setup of InfoPath and OneNote?
A: Yes, absolutely.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
Q: what about those with slow connections: will they commit suicide?
A: Possibly
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: What do you think is the best recommendation for upgrading 60,000+ computers to Office 2003? SMS?
A: This is a complicated question, but yes, SMS is our 1st recommendation.
Host: Sloan (Microsoft)
Q: Sloan - are there plans in the Windows group to enhance the QL to offer capability comparable with the OSB?
A: I know that they are looking at a lot of things in the UI for the Longhorn release, but I don't know what they are specifically considering.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Could you please explain why headers don't appear on a word 2000 doc. then> should i submit this as a bug?
A: Yes, please submit this as a bug.
Host: Paul (Microsoft)
Q: Thai language will be available?
A: Yes, it's currently on the release list for RTM.
Moderator: Jamie (Microsoft)
That's about all the time we have left for today's chat. Let's give our hosts our thanks and we'd like to thank you for your questions.
For further information on this topic please visit the following:
Newsgroup: http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?d=1
Office 2003 Transcripts: Read the archive
Website: Visit the Home Page for Microsoft Office Beta