• Article

Configure feature installation states of the 2007 Office system

Updated: October 22, 2012

Applies To: Office Resource Kit

This Office product will reach end of support on October 10, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see , Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Topic Last Modified: 2015-05-21

After you create a network installation point but before you install the 2007 Microsoft Office system, you can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to create a Setup customization file to configure the installation for your users. You can use the OCT to change the default way that Office features are installed, setting some to be installed on the user's computer, some to be installed only on first use, and some not to be installed. You can even hide or lock features so that a user running Setup interactively cannot change what you have configured.

To configure Office feature installation states

  1. From the root of the network installation point, run the following command line to start the Office Customization Tool: setup.exe /admin.

  2. Select the product that you want to configure, and then click OK.

  3. In the left pane, under Features, click Set feature installation states.

  4. In the right pane, expand the tree and select the feature that you want to customize. For example, to not install the Equation Editor, expand Microsoft Office and Office Tools, and then for Equation Editor select the installation options Not Available, Hidden, and Locked. Setup does not install the Equation Editor and, if Setup is run interactively, this feature is not visible and the user cannot install it.

  5. On the File menu, click Save As.

  6. Specify a path and file name for the Setup customization file, and then click Save.

  7. On the File menu, click Exit.

  8. Copy the Setup customization file to the Updates folder in the network installation point.

When you run Setup to install Office, it uses the customization file it finds in the Updates folder and configures Office features according to your customizations.

The following table describes the available installation options:

Option Description

Run from My Computer

Setup copies files and writes registry entries and shortcuts associated with the feature to the user's hard disk, and the feature (or application) runs on the user's computer.

Run all from My Computer

Same as Run from My Computer, except that all child features belonging to the feature are also set to this state.

Installed on First Use

Setup leaves components for the feature and all its child features in the local installation source until the user first attempts to use the feature, at which time the components are copied to the Office program folder on the user's local hard disk. Some features do not support Installed on First Use; this option is not available for these features in the OCT.

Not Available

The components for the feature, and all of the child features belonging to that feature, are not installed on the user's computer.

Note

The Not Available installation state is reversible. When Not Available is set, a feature will not be installed. However, the feature can be installed locally later by using an .msp or a Config.xml file.
To unlock and install a feature locally, you can edit the Config.xml file to modify the OptionState element as described in the note for the Locked feature state description. For more information about the Config.xml file, see Config.xml file in the 2007 Office system.
You can also use the OCT to create an .msp file to install a feature locally. To do this, choose Set feature installation states in the navigation pane. In the details pane, select (right-click) a feature, and then set the feature installation state to Run All from My Computer. For more information, see Set feature installation states in Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system.

Hidden

The feature and all of its child features do not appear in the feature tree when Setup runs interactively. Setup uses the default installation state, or the state specified in the customization file, to determine how to install the feature.

Note

The Hidden option is not reversible. After it is set, a Hidden feature will not be displayed in the feature tree during or after installation. You cannot use another Config.xml file or apply a second .msp file after the initial installation to “unhide” a feature.
The feature remains hidden even if you opt to change your installation by using Programs and Features in Control Panel to change your 2007 Office system installation.
It will also not be displayed in the Microsoft Office Setup feature installation tree under the Add or Remove Features option for 2007 Office system. Although the feature remains hidden, you can unlock the feature to install and run it locally later by using an .msp file or a Config.xml file.

Locked

The feature cannot be changed by the user during interactive Setup or maintenance mode.

Note

The Locked option is reversible. If you set the Locked option for a feature by using the OCT or the Config.xml file during initial installation, that feature can be unlocked and installed locally by using an .msp file or a Config.xml file at a later date.
For example, you can edit the Config.xml file to modify the OptionState element as shown in the following example. This adds the OptionState element line to install the feature (in this case, Microsoft Office Access 2007) on a user's computer, and to set child features of the feature to the specified state.

  • To edit the Config.xml file to modify the OptionState element, open the Config.xml file in the core product folder (core_product_folder_name.WW folder, for example, ProPlus.WW) for the 2007 Office system product that you are installing. Use a text editor tool, such as Notepad, to modify the file.

  • Locate the line in the Config.xml file that contains the OptionState element:

    <!-- <OptionState Id="OptionID" State="absent" Children="force" /> -->

  • Modify the OptionState element as follows and then save the Config.xml file:

    <OptionState Id=”ACCESSFiles” State=”local” Children=”force” />

For information about the OptionState element, see Config.xml file in the 2007 Office system.

You can also use the OCT to create an .msp file to install a feature locally. To do this, choose Set feature installation states in the navigation pane. In the details pane, select (right-click) a feature, and then set the feature installation state to Run All from My Computer. For more information, see Set feature installation states in Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system.

When you change the installation state of a feature, Setup might change the installation state of a parent or child feature to match. For more information, see Set feature installation states in Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system.