Configure for a hard disk image (st...

Configure the 2007 Office system for a hard disk image (step-by-step)

Updated: 2006-11-16

You can deploy the 2007 Microsoft Office system and other software products at the same time to all users. You first install a custom configuration of Office on a clean test computer. Then you capture and distribute an image of the hard disk to users' computers. The first step in this process is to configure Office in preparation for the hard-disk image.

Steps	Reference
Copy all files and folders from the Office CD to a folder on the network or on your computer. Copy language packs or additional Office products to the same installation point. When you are prompted to overwrite duplicate Setup files, click No.	Create a network installation point for the 2007 Office system
Start the Office Customization Tool by running Setup with the /admin command-line option. Specify the primary Office product you want to customize.	Customize the 2007 Office system
On the Setup pages of the tool, enter the following information: Path to the network installation point from which you are installing Office Default organization name for all users who receive the hard-disk image Path to one or more backup network sources Your 25-character volume license key Acceptance of the License Agreement	Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system
In the Display Level box, set the display level for the installation to Basic.	Customize Setup before installing the 2007 Office system
If you are including multiple language versions in the hard-disk image, open the Config.mxl file for the product you are deploying and specify all the languages you want to include in the hard-disk image.	Customize and deploy multiple language versions of the 2007 Office system
Run Setup and install Office on the test computer from which you will create the hard disk image. Do not start Office applications on the test computer.	Run Setup for the 2007 Office system on users' computers

How it works

You use the Office Customization Tool to specify the majority of customizations to the Office configuration, which are saved in a Setup customization file (MSP file) that is applied when users install Office. When you save the customization file in the Updates folder on the network installation point, Setup finds and applies the file automatically during the installation. Only a few customizations, such as specifying more than one Office product or language to install, are handled in the Config.xml file.

Tip:
Consolidate all your customizations in the configuration intended for the hard-disk image, including additional Office products or language packs that you plan to deploy. Then you can more efficiently recreate or repeat the hard-disk image.

All the customizations detailed in the preceding table help optimize the process of installing Office through hard disk imaging. You can make additional customizations for your organization by using the methods described here.

Note:
Setup handles many details of the installation process automatically. For example, you no longer need to set the NOUSERNAME property when you install Office on the test computer. Setup automatically prevents Windows Installer from capturing a user name until a user starts an Office application for the first time. Creation of a local installation source on the client computer also occurs automatically.

Note:

Setup handles many details of the installation process automatically. For example, you no longer need to set the NOUSERNAME property when you install Office on the test computer. Setup automatically prevents Windows Installer from capturing a user name until a user starts an Office application for the first time. Creation of a local installation source on the client computer also occurs automatically.

Next step

After you install a custom configuration of Office on the test computer, you capture the hard-disk image and then distribute it to users.

More information

For detailed information about the design and behavior of Setup, see the Setup architecture section of the 2007 Office Resource Kit, beginning with Setup architecture overview for the 2007 Office system.

For more information about using the deployment tools for 2007 Office release, see Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system and Config.xml file in the 2007 Office system.