Config.xml file in Office 2010

 

Applies to: Office 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2015-05-15

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Administrators use the Config.xml file to perform installation and maintenance tasks for Microsoft Office 2010.

The primary tool that administrators use to customize the installation of products in Office 2010 is the Office Customization Tool (OCT). The customization tools and methods in Office 2010 are the same as for the 2007 Microsoft Office system. For more information about how to use the OCT to create a Setup customization file and to learn about updates to the OCT in Office 2010, see Office Customization Tool in Office 2010.

The Config.xml file is used to configure installation tasks and is used only when you run Setup. Config.xml is not installed or cached on users' computers. Administrators can edit the Config.xml file to customize the installation. By default, the Config.xml file that is stored in the core product folders (core_product_folder_name.WW folder; for example, ProPlus.WW) directs Setup to install that product. For example, the Config.xml file in the ProPlus.WW folder installs Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010.

You use the Config.xml file to perform the following installation tasks:

  • Specify the path of the network installation point.

  • Select which product to install.

  • Customize Setup options, such as logging and the location of the Setup customization file and software updates.

  • Set installation options, such as user and company name.

  • Copy the Local Install Source (LIS) to the user's computer without installing Microsoft Office.

  • Add or remove languages from the installation.

The Config.xml file can also be used for maintenance operations such as adding or removing features, repairs, and removing installations. To do this, administrators must run Setup.exe again from the original source.

Important

To edit Config.xml, use a text editor, such as Notepad. Do not use a general-purpose XML editor, such as Microsoft Word 2010.

In this article:

  • Config.xml element quick reference

  • How Setup uses Config.xml

  • Config.xml file format

  • Config.xml element reference

  • Sample Config.xml file

Config.xml element quick reference

The following table lists the Config.xml elements. These elements can appear in any order, except for Configuration, which must be first, and elements such as Command, whose order in Config.xml affects how they are processed during installation.

Element Description

Configuration

Top-level element

AddLanguage

Add a language to the installation

ARP

Values that control the text and behavior of the Programs and Features option, in Control Panel, to add or remove features for the product

Command

Run a command during installation

COMPANYNAME

The name of the organization or company of the user on whose computer the product is being installed

Display

The level of UI that Setup displays to the user

DistributionPoint

The fully qualified path of the network installation point from which the installation is to run

INSTALLLOCATION

The fully qualified path of the folder on the user's computer in which the product is installed

LIS

Options for how the Local Install Source (LIS) is cached on the user's computer

Logging

Options for the kind of logging that Setup performs

MinOSRequirement

The minimum supported operating system for this product

OptionState

Options to specify how individual product features are to be handled during installation

PIDKEY

The 25-character volume license key

RemoveLanguage

Remove a language from the installation

Setting

Values for Windows Installer properties

SetupUpdates

The search path for Setup to use to find Setup customization files

USERINITIALS

The initials of the user on whose computer the product is being installed

USERNAME

The name of the user on whose computer the product is being installed

How Setup uses Config.xml

Setup looks for a copy of Config.xml in the same folder as Setup.exe. If a copy is not found there, Setup uses the Config.xml file that resides in the core product folder for the product that you are installing. (If multiple products are in the network installation point, Setup waits until you specify which product to install before it looks for the copy of Config.xml.) The copy of Config.xml that resides in the product folder identifies the product through the Product attribute of the Configuration.

You can also use the /config Setup command-line option to specify the location of the Config.xml file. For example:

\\ server \ share \setup.exe /config \\ server \ share \ProPlus.WW\config.xml

Note

If you also created a Setup customization (.msp) file by using the OCT, the customizations that you define in Config.xml take precedence over those in the customization file.

Config.xml file format

XML elements in Config.xml begin with < and end with />.

The basic element format is as follows:

< element [attribute**="value"] [attribute="value"**] … />

For example:

<Display Level="none" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="yes" AcceptEula="yes" />

The following statements apply to format:

  • Elements and attributes are case-sensitive.

  • Attribute values must be enclosed in quotation marks (") and are not case-sensitive.

  • An element definition can span multiple lines. Spaces, carriage returns, line feeds, and tab characters are ignored in an element definition.

    The following is an example of an element definition that spans multiple lines.

    <Display
       Level="none"
       CompletionNotice="no"
       SuppressModal="yes"
       AcceptEula="yes"
    />
    

Tip

For long element definitions, put attributes on separate lines and use indentation to make the file easier to read.

The Configuration is a special case and is required. All other elements are contained in the Configuration, and the element is closed with </Configuration>, as shown in the following example.

<Configuration Product="ProPlus">
   <Display Level="none" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="yes" AcceptEula="Yes"/>
   <INSTALLLOCATION Value="%programfiles%\Microsoft Office" />
   <LIS SOURCELIST Value="\\server1\share\Office14;\\server2\share\Office14" />
</Configuration>

Comments can be added anywhere and are delimited by "<!--" and "-->".

For example:

<!-- Configure install options for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 -->
<Configuration Product="ProPlus" >
   <Display
      <!-- Turn off all Setup UI and prevent prompting users-->
      Level="none"
      CompletionNotice="no"
      SuppressModal="yes"
      <!-- Accept the EULA for the user -->
      AcceptEula="Yes"
   />
</Configuration>

Each Office product folder contains a default Config.xml file, which consists of a Configuration that has the Product attribute set to the appropriate value for the product. A number of example elements enclosed in comments are included in the Configuration. To activate these elements, remove the beginning and closing comment marks and enter the appropriate attribute values.

As shown in the following example, you can activate the Display element by changing this line:

<!-- <Display Level="full" CompletionNotice="yes" SuppressModal="no" AcceptEula="no" /> -->

to this:

<Display Level="none" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="yes" AcceptEula="yes" />

The Display options in the previous example direct Setup to run a silent installation, to prevent prompting users to enter information, and to prevent the installation from waiting for any user interaction.

Config.xml element reference

The following conventions are used in the descriptions in this reference.

bold

Element or attribute name

normal

Text to be entered exactly as shown

italic

Placeholder for a value to be added

x|y

Choose among multiple values

[x]

Optional value

Configuration element

Top-level element. This element is required, and all other elements must appear in this element.

Syntax

<Configuration [Product="productID"] >

   ...

</Configuration>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Product

productID

The value of the ID attribute in the Setup element in the Setup.xml file for the product that is being installed.

Remarks

The Product attribute identifies the product affected by this Config.xml file. The productID is defined in the Setup.xml file that is located in the core folder for the product, in the ID attribute of the Setup element.

The Product attribute is optional, unless you set the Display Level attribute to “basic” or “none”. In this case, the Product attribute is required. If the product specified by the Product attribute does not exist in the network installation point, Setup ends the installation.

Example

The productID for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 is located in ProPlus.WW\Setup.xml in the following line:

<Setup Id="ProPlus" Type="Product"  ... >

You use this productID in Config.xml to specify Office Professional Plus 2010 by entering the following:

<Configuration Product="ProPlus">
   ...
</Configuration>

AddLanguage element

Adds the specified language to the installation.

Syntax

<AddLanguage

   Id="ll-cc" | "match"

   [ShellTransform="Yes"]

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Id

ll - cc

The language identifier.

match

Matches the language Id of the user's Windows user locale.

ShellTransform

Yes

Specifies the language for the shell user interface. If more than one AddLanguage element is specified, one (and only one) language must specify the ShellTransform element.

Remarks

The language must be available on the network installation point.

You can have multiple elements for AddLanguage and RemoveLanguage. If both the RemoveLanguage and the AddLanguage element specify the same language, the AddLanguage element takes precedence and the language is installed.

Note

If more than one AddLanguage element is specified, one (and only one) language must specify the ShellTransform element or Setup ends the installation.

There are three language concepts that you should know about when you install the Office 2010:

  • Setup user interface (UI): the language of the installation.

  • Shell UI: the language of shortcuts, right-click context menus, and tooltips.

  • Office UI: the language of the Office user interface and menus.

When there are multiple Office languages, these three values are determined as follows:

By default, the Setup UI depends on the set of available resources for installation and the ability to match the user locale. By default, the Setup UI matches the user locale. The Shell UI depends on the set of languages that is being installed and, by default, follows the Setup UI. The default Office UI language depends on the user locale and current user settings. The default is to use the Windows user locale set on each user's computer. This means that in the default case, the Setup UI, Shell UI, and Office UI will all be the same.

A locale in the Windows operating system is a set of user preference information related to the user's language, environment, and cultural conventions. This information is represented as a list of values that are used to determine the correct input language, keyboard layout, sorting order, and the formats that are used for numbers, dates, currencies, and time. The user locale is a per-user setting that determines the formats that are used, by default, to display dates, times, currency, and numbers, and the sorting order of text. A user locale is specified for each account that is created on a computer.

If an administrator specifies multiple languages for installation in the Config.xml file, the Shell UI language must be selected from the set of languages that are being installed. To do this, administrators specify the ShellTransform attribute of the AddLanguage element in the Config.xml file. AddLanguage specifies the language that Setup uses for the Shell UI. However, this will not necessarily affect the choice of Setup UI or Office UI when it is installed on the user’s computer.

For example, if you have an Office image with English, French, German, and Spanish, to specify that Setup install full language support for all these languages and have the Shell UI follow the user’s default regional options, you add the following elements in the Config.xml file.

<AddLanguage Id="match" ShellTransform="yes"/> <AddLanguage Id="en-us" /> <AddLanguage Id="fr-fr" /> <AddLanguage Id="de-de" /> <AddLanguage Id="es-es" />

In the previous example, Setup installs all the specified languages and the Shell UI matches the language of the user's locale. If more languages were available in the source image, the match value in the previous example might install an additional language if the match language does not resolve to one of the other four explicitly called-out languages. For instance, if Japanese was also included in the source, this example would install Japanese in addition to the other four languages when it is installed on a computer that has the user locale set to Japanese.

Example

<AddLanguage Id="en-us" ShellTransform="Yes" />

ARP element

Specifies values that control the text and behavior of Programs and Features in Control Panel for the product.

Syntax

<ARP attribute =" value " [attribute**="value"**] ... />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

ARPCOMMENTS

text

Additional text. Can be up to 255 characters, although all characters might not be displayed.

ARPCONTACT

text

List of technical support contacts.

ARPNOMODIFY

Yes

Prevents users from modifying the product installation by making the Change button unavailable.

No (default)

Allows users to modify the product installation.

ARPNOREMOVE

Yes

Prevents users from removing the product by making the Remove button unavailable.

No (default)

Allows users to remove the product.

ARPURLINFOABOUT

URL

URL for the product's home page.

ARPURLUPDATEINFO

URL

URL for information about product updates.

ARPHELPLINK

URL

URL of a Web site where users can receive technical support.

ARPHELPTELEPHONE

text

Telephone numbers for technical support.

Command element

Specifies a command line to run. For more information, see Remarks later in this article.

Tip

The equivalent option in the OCT is Add installations and run programs.

Syntax

<Command

   Path="path"

   [QuietArg="arguments"]

   [Args="args"]

   [ChainPosition="Before" | "After"(default)]

   [Wait="mseconds"]

   [Execute="Install"(default) | "Uninstall"]

   [Platform="x86"(default) | "x64"]

/>

Attributes

The following table describes the Command element attributes.

Attribute Value Description

Path

path

Fully qualified path of the executable file. If the path value contains a space, you must use double quotes as shown in the following example:

"\\server\share\Office 14\copylogs.bat"

QuietArg

string

String of arguments to be appended to the command line if you configure a silent installation. For more information about when to use the QuietArg attribute, see the Remarks section that follows this table.

Args

string

String of arguments to be passed to the executable. For information about when to use the Args attribute for chained installations, see the Remarks section, following this table.

If the value of the Args element includes quotation marks, you can enclose the entire value in single (') quotes as shown in the following example:

Args='"/param value"'

ChainPosition

Before

This command is executed before the primary product installation.

After (default)

This command is executed after the primary product installation.

Wait

mseconds

When you install a product with the Display Level attribute set to "full" or “basic,” this is the number of milliseconds to wait after you run the program before you continue the installation. The default is 0 (zero), which indicates no waiting.

Execute

Install (default)

Setup executes this command when the primary product is installed.

Uninstall

Setup executes this command when the primary product is uninstalled.

Platform

x86 (default)

Specifies that this program requires the Intel x86 platform. This command runs only if the computer on which the installation is run matches this platform requirement.

x64

Specifies that this program requires a 64-bit processor that supports the x64 extensions to the x86 architecture. This command runs only if the computer on which the installation is run matches this platform requirement.

Remarks

The Command element in the Config.xml file and the Add installations and run programs option in the OCT (command-lines entered in the Add Program Entry and Modify Program Entry dialog boxes) are intended to be used only for initial product installations and uninstallations. The Command element commands are processed only during initial installations and uninstallations. If Command element commands are used for customizations after the initial installation, they are ignored.

The command line can be specified to run an arbitrary command or to run a lightweight executable that you want to run when this product is installed.

The Command element in Config.xml and the Add installations and run programs option in the OCT do not provide the software deployment capabilities that an enterprise software deployment and management tool provides, such as the ability to track deployment progress and troubleshoot problems. Therefore, it is recommended that you limit the use of Command element in Config.xml and Add installations and run programs in the OCT to running only lightweight executables or arbitrary commands that will not make changes to the computer or that do not require user input. For example, you can run a utility to copy logs or a command to launch a Welcome page at the end of installation.

Important

Chaining is not as reliable as installing each product separately. For example, if you chain two installations together and one of the products fails or encounters an unexpected error, the primary installation and the chained installation might not be completed successfully. Therefore, using the chaining approach is not recommended. The recommended method for installing multiple products together in enterprise environments is to use a deployment management program, such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003, or a third party tool, instead of chaining.

The use of Args and QuietArg is as follows:

  • The Args attribute is always appended to the command. This can include switches such as "/install" or **"Company=**MyCorporation".

  • The QuietArg attribute is also appended if setup is running silently (with Display set as Display="none"). In such cases, you can specify the QuietArg attribute with the "/quiet" switch, for example, you can use: QuietArg="/quiet".

The following statements apply to the Wait attribute:

  • Setting the Wait attribute to 0 milliseconds indicates no waiting after you run the program before you continue the installation; the command will execute and move on immediately.

    Return codes are only respected if the Wait value is nonzero. If you specify 0, Setup will not wait to continue the installation after running the specified program; therefore, there is no return code to report in that case.

  • Setting the Wait attribute to any positive nonzero value will wait exactly the number of milliseconds you specify. If the process ends earlier than the specified time, setup will continue. If the process has not ended when the specified time is up, setup will fail.

  • Setting the Wait attribute to -1 indicates to wait indefinitely. This can be problematic because if the command process stops responding (hangs), setup will stop responding and will wait indefinitely for the command to run.

If there are two or more Command elements in the Config.xml file, they run in the order in which they are specified in Config.xml.

Examples

<Command Path="\\server\share\myscript.exe" Args='/id "123 abc"' QuietArg="/q" Wait="30000" />

COMPANYNAME element

The name of the organization or company of the user on whose computer the product is being installed.

Tip

The equivalent option in the OCT is the Organization name setting in Installation location and organization name.

Syntax

<COMPANYNAME Value=" companyname " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Value

companyname

The company or organization name.

Example

<COMPANYNAME Value="Microsoft Corporation" />

Display element

The level of UI that Setup displays to the user.

Tip

The equivalent option in the OCT is the Display level and license agreement settings in “Licensing and user interface” in Office Customization Tool in Office 2010.

Syntax

<Display

   Level="None" | "Basic" | "Full"(default)

   CompletionNotice="Yes" | "No"(default)

   SuppressModal="Yes" | "No"(default)

   NoCancel="Yes" | "No"(default)

   AcceptEula="Yes" | "No"(default)

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Level

None

No Setup UI is displayed. If you set Display Level="none", Setup runs a silent (unattended) installation. See the Remarks section for more information.

Basic

Setup displays a Welcome screen, the product key (PIDKEY) page (if needed), the software license terms page (if needed), a progress bar, and the completion notice (if allowed).

Full (default)

Setup displays all UI to the user.

CompletionNotice

Yes

Only applies if Level is set to "basic" or “none”: Setup displays the completion notice.

No (default)

Only applies if Level is set to "basic": Setup does not display the completion notice.

SuppressModal

Yes

Only applies if Level is set to "basic": Setup does not display error messages and other dialog boxes that might interrupt the installation.

No (default)

Only applies if Level is set to ”basic”: Setup displays errors and other dialog boxes as needed.

NoCancel

Yes

If Level is set to "full" or "basic", disable the cancel button (X in upper-right corner of the progress dialog box).

No (default)

If Level is set to "full" or "basic", let the user cancel the installation from the progress bar.

AcceptEULA

Yes

The End-User License Agreement (EULA) is accepted on behalf of the user. Setup does not display the software license terms page.

No (default)

If Level is not set to ”none”, Setup displays the software license terms page.

Remarks

If this element is not defined, the default settings are used. If an invalid value is specified, Setup ends the installation.

If the Level attribute is set to "basic" or “none” and you supply a product key by using the PIDKEY, Setup assumes that you also accept the license agreement on behalf of the user.

Note

In enterprise deployments, we recommend that you set the Display Level value to “none” to direct Setup to run a silent installation, to prevent prompting users to enter information, and to prevent the installation from waiting for any user interaction, including when files are being used. Setting the Display Level value to “none” assumes that the SuppressModal and CompletionNotice attributes are silenced and that the Microsoft Software License Terms is accepted. Administrators must also make sure that no Office applications run during an installation of the Office 2010.
If you set the Display Level value to “basic” and SuppressModal to “yes”, users might be prompted if any Office files are being used. Setting Display Level to “none” prevents prompting users in these cases. The SuppressModal attribute does not prevent files in use messages from being displayed. Only if Display Level is set to “none” are files in use messages prevented from being displayed.
The Display element is used by Setup only if Setup finds the Config.xml file in the same folder as setup.exe, or if you specify the Config.xml file by using the Setup /config command-line option. If Setup uses the Config.xml file in the product folder, Setup uses the default display options.

Example

<Display Level="none" CompletionNotice="no" SuppressModal="yes" AcceptEula="Yes" />

DistributionPoint element

Specifies the fully qualified path of the network installation point from which the installation is to run.

Syntax

<DistributionPoint Location=" path " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Location

path

The fully qualified path of the network installation point from which the installation is to run.

Remarks

If this is not specified, Setup assumes that the Setup.exe file is located at the root of the network installation point.

Note

The DistributionPoint element is used by Setup only if Setup finds the Config.xml file in the same folder as setup.exe, or if you specify the Config.xml file by using the Setup /config command-line option. If Setup uses the Config.xml file in the product folder, it ignores this element because the network installation point has already been found.

Example

<DistributionPoint Location="\\server1\office" />

INSTALLLOCATION element

Specifies the fully qualified path of the folder on the user's computer where the product is installed.

Tip

The equivalent option in the OCT is the Default installation path setting in Installation location and organization name.

Syntax

<INSTALLLOCATION Value=" path " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Value

path

The fully qualified path of the folder on the user's computer in which the product is installed.

Remarks

You can use system environment variables in the path. If this element is not specified, Office is installed in %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office.

Example

<INSTALLLOCATION Value="%ProgramFiles%\MyApps" />

LIS element

Controls how the Local Installation Source (LIS) is cached on the user's computer and specifies the location of one or more network installation points that contain the installation files for the product.

Syntax

<LIS

[CACHEACTION="CacheOnly" | "RemoveCacheOnly"]

[SOURCELIST=" semicolon-delimited-path-list "]

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

CACHEACTION

CacheOnly

Setup copies the LIS to the user's computer, but does not install the product.

Note

Do not use Command elements in a Config.xml file that specifies the CacheOnly value because the specified commands will not run.

RemoveCacheOnly

If the cache is copied to the user's computer and Office is not installed, Setup removes the LIS from the user's computer but does not install or uninstall the product.

SOURCELIST

semicolon-delimited-path-list

A list, separated by semicolons, of one or more network installation points that contain the installation files for the product.

The equivalent option in the OCT is Additional network sources.

Remarks

By default, the LIS is created in the folder \MsoCache\All Users at the root of the drive on which Office is installed. Setup customization files and software updates in the Updates folder in the network installation point are also copied.

If you specify INSTALLLOCATION, the drive designation in the path is used to determine on what drive the LIS is created. For example, if the INSTALLLOCATION path is E:\office\files, the LIS is created on drive E. The sources listed by the SOURCELIST attribute are kept with the installed product and are used by Setup if the LIS on the user's computer is missing or corrupted.

Example

<LIS CACHEACTION="CacheOnly" />   
<LIS SOURCELIST="\\server1\office;\\server2\corpdata" />

Logging element

Specifies the kind of logging that Setup performs.

Syntax

<Logging

   Type="Off" | "Standard"(default) | "Verbose"

   Path="path"

   Template="filename.txt"

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Type

Off

Setup performs no logging.

Standard (default)

Setup writes installation information to the log file.

Verbose

Setup writes all installation information to the log file.

Path

path

The fully qualified path of the folder used for the log file. You can use environment variables. Default is %temp%.

Template

filename .txt

The name of the log file. If you insert the string * anywhere in the file name, a unique log file is created for each installation performed by setup.exe (see the explanation later in this article). If the * character is not included and the file name that is specified already exists, log information is appended to the existing file. The .txt file name extension must be included. The default template is SetupExe(*).log.

Remarks

You can specify a * anywhere in the Template value. Setup inserts a string in that location that has the following format.

YYYYMMDDHHMMSS xxx

where:

  1. YYYY = Year

  2. MM = Month

  3. DD = Day

  4. HH = Hour

  5. MM = Minute

  6. SS = Seconds

  7. xxx = a unique string generated by Setup

Note

The Logging element is used by Setup only if Setup finds the Config.xml file in the same folder as setup.exe, or if you specify the Config.xml file by using the Setup /config command-line option. If Setup uses the Config.xml file in the product folder, Setup uses the default logging options.

Example

<Logging Type="standard" Path="%temp%" 
   Template="MyLog(*).txt" 
/>

With this example, Setup creates a log file every time that it installs the product. Setup uses unique file names such as the following.

%temp%\MyLog(20060428110717CFC).txt
%temp%\MyLog(20060429113143C70).txt

MinOSRequirement element

Specifies the minimum supported operating system for this product.

Syntax

<MinOSRequirement

   VersionNT="version"

   WindowsBuild="number"

   ServicePackLevel="number"

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

VersionNT

version

Windows NT version.

WindowsBuild

number

Windows build number.

ServicePackLevel

number

Windows service pack (SP) number.

The following values can be used.

System VersionNT WindowsBuild ServicePackLevel

Windows XP

501

2600

2 or greater

Windows Server 2003

502

3790

0 or greater

Remarks

Setup does not continue with the installation if the user's computer has an operating system with a version earlier than what is specified here (or the Office default if this element is not specified). You cannot specify a version of Windows here that is earlier than the version required by Office 2010.

For information about system requirements, see What's new for IT professionals in Office 2010.

OptionState element

Specifies how specific product features are handled during installation.

Important

In most situations, we recommend that you use the OCT to change the installation state of features. The equivalent option in the OCT is Set feature installation states.

Syntax

<OptionState

   Id="optionID"

   State="Absent" | "Advertise" | "Local"

   [Children="force"]

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Id

optionID

An item that the user can choose to install.

State

Absent

The feature is not installed.

Advertise

The feature is installed the first time that it is used.

Local

The feature is installed on the user's computer.

Children

force

All child features of the feature are set to the specified state.

Remarks

A feature is an item that the user can choose to install. The Id value for a feature is defined in the Option element of the Setup.xml file in the core product folder.

Note

The following subcomponents of Microsoft Publisher 2010 are not visible in the Setup feature installation state tree in Office 2010.

  • Commercial Printing and the Enhanced RGB to CMYK Conversion subcomponent

  • Font Schemes

  • PaperDirect Previews

  • Publisher Templates and the Business Publications and Other Publications subcomponents

Example

<OptionState Id="ExcelAddinFiles" 
   State="Absent" 
   Children="force" 
/>

PIDKEY element

The 25-character volume license key.

Note

The equivalent option in the OCT is the Product key setting in “Licensing and user interface” in Office Customization Tool in Office 2010. For more information about volume licensing in Office Professional 2010, see Volume activation overview for Office 2010 and Tools to configure client computers in Office 2010.
A product key entry is not required for enterprise deployments that use Key Management Service (KMS) activation because all Volume License editions of Office 2010 have a KMS client key pre-installed. KMS is one of the methods that are provided by Office Activation Technologies for activating products licensed under Microsoft Volume Licensing programs. KMS uses a KMS host key to activate a KMS host computer and establish a local activation service in your environment. Office 2010 connects to the local KMS host for activation. By default, the Use KMS client key option is selected in the OCT (in the Licensing and user interface section).
A Multiple Activation Key (MAK) key is another method that Office Activation Technologies provide for activating products licensed under Microsoft Volume Licensing programs. By using a MAK, clients activate Office 2010 online with Microsoft-hosted activation servers or by telephone. Administrators can use the Config.xml file to enter a MAK key. See the Remarks section for more information about how to add a MAK key.

Important

This information applies only to volume-licensed editions of Office 2010. It doesn't apply to Office Professional Plus for Office 365, which is licensed through subscription.

Syntax

<PIDKEY Value=" 25-character-key " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Value

25-character-key

The 25-character volume license key.

Remarks

When the PIDKEY value is set, users are not required to enter a product key when they install Office.

To enter a MAK key in the Config.xml file, add the following line to the file.

<PIDKEY Value="AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE" />

Where AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE is the 25-character product key. For more information about licensing for Office 2010, see the Volume activation overview for Office 2010.

Example

<PIDKEY Value="1234512345123451234512345" />

Note

If the Level attribute of the Display is set to "basic" or "none" and you supply a product key by using the PIDKEY element, Setup assumes that you also accept the license agreement on behalf of the user. In this case, regardless of how you set the AcceptEULA attribute of the Display, the user is not prompted for the license agreement either during installation or the first time that an Office application runs.

RemoveLanguage element

Removes the specified language from the installation.

Syntax

<RemoveLanguage Id=" ll - cc " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Id

ll-cc

The language identifier.

Remarks

If the language is not installed on the user's computer, the RemoveLanguage element is ignored.

You can have multiple elements for AddLanguage and RemoveLanguage. If both RemoveLanguage and AddLanguage elements specify the same language, the AddLanguage element takes precedence and the language is installed.

Example

<RemoveLanguage Id="en-us" />

Setting element

Allows you to specify values for Windows Installer properties.

Tip

The equivalent option in the OCT is “Modify Setup properties” in Office Customization Tool in Office 2010.

Syntax

<Setting Id=" name " Value=" value " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Id

name

The name of the Windows Installer property.

Value

value

The value to assign to the property.

Remarks

Not all Windows Installer properties can be specified in the Setting element. If a blocked property is specified, Setup ends the installation process. If a supported property is specified, Setup passes the property directly to Windows Installer. For a complete list of Windows Installer properties, which includes an explanation of supported and blocked properties, see Setup properties in Office 2010.

The Setting element supports the following Key Management System (KMS) properties:

  • KMSSERVICENAME — Specifies the KMS host name.

  • KMSSERVICEPORT — Specifies the KMS host port.

For example, to use the KMS properties, use the following syntax:

<Setting Id="KMSSERVICENAME" Value="contoso.com" />

<Setting Id="KMSSERVICEPORT" Value="1234" />

where:

contoso.com is the name of the KMS host

1234 is the port number value

Note

The recommended tool for specifying the KMSSERVICENAME and KMSSERVICEPORT values is the Office Software Protection Platform script (ospp.vbs). To set the KMS host name and port values by using ospp.vbs, run the following commands:
ospp.vbs /sethst:value
ospp.vbs /setprt:value
In the preceding example, the sethst value is the KMS host name, and the setprt value is the KMS host port.
You can set the KMS attributes in the Config.xml file as an alternative, such as in a scenario with a 32-bit Office 2010 installation on a computer running a 64-bit edition of Windows. For information about volume activation, see Deploy volume activation of Office 2010, and for information about how ospp.vbs works, see Tools to configure client computers in Office 2010.

The Setting element supports the AUTO_ACTIVATE property for product key activation. This property specifies that product activation occur automatically during Office 2010 deployment and it uses the following syntax.

<Setting Id="AUTO_ACTIVATE" Value="1" />

Note

Not setting AUTO_ACTIVATE is the same as setting AUTO_ACTIVATE to a value of 0. The result is that product activation does not occur during Office 2010 deployment.
Note that you can also set the AUTO_ACTIVATE property value by using the Office Customization Tool. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. In the OCT, select Modify Setup properties on the left pane, and then click Add in the right pane.

  2. In the Add Property Value dialog box, in the Name box, type AUTO_ACTIVATE. Note that property names must be uppercase.

  3. In the Value box, type 1, and then click OK.

The Setting element supports the REMOVEPREVIOUS property. This property removes the specified application from the installation and uses the following syntax.

<Setting Id="REMOVEPREVIOUS" Value="Option Id" />

where Option Id is the identifier value for the Office 2010 application. To specify multiple applications, use a comma-separated list to indicate the appropriate Option Id values.

Note

If you install Outlook, a previously installed version of Outlook is always removed, regardless of the user’s preference.

If you specify REMOVEPREVIOUS with an Option Id value, only the specified applications are removed.

If you do not specify REMOVEPREVIOUS, any previously installed Office applications for which a replacement is being installed are removed. This is the default behavior.

If you specify REMOVEPREVIOUS with a blank value (REMOVEPREVIOUS=""), no applications are removed.

The Setting element also supports the SETUP_REBOOT property. SETUP_REBOOT begins a restart after installation. It uses the following syntax. You must use all uppercase letters for the SETUP_REBOOT property.

<Setting Id="SETUP_REBOOT" Value="value" />

where value can be one of the following:

  • AutoAlways — Always begin a restart. Do not prompt the user.

  • Always — Always prompt for a restart at the end of setup.

  • IfNeeded — Prompt for a restart at the end of setup if setup requires a restart. (Default)

  • AutoIfNeeded — Begin a restart if setup requires a restart. Do not prompt the user.

  • Never — Never begin or prompt for a restart.

Examples

<Setting Id="SETUP_REBOOT" Value="Never" />
<Setting Id="REMOVEPREVIOUS" Value="WORDFiles" />

SetupUpdates element

Specifies a search path for Setup to use to find Setup customization files.

Syntax

<SetupUpdates

   [CheckForSUpdates="Yes"(default) | "No"]

   [SUpdateLocation="path-list"]

/>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

CheckForSUpdates

Yes (default)

Setup uses the path list in SUpdateLocation to find Setup customization files.

No

Setup does not search for Setup customization files by using the path list in SUpdateLocation.

SUpdateLocation

path-list

A list of fully qualified paths to folders, separated by semicolons.

Note

Environment variables cannot be used in the SUpdateLocation path. If an environment variable is used in the path, Setup ignores update files that are located in the specified path location.

Remarks

Setup looks in all the specified folders for Setup customization files that were created for the product that is being installed, and applies them in alphabetical order by file name. If a Setup customization file was specified in the Setup command line, that file is applied first, followed by any files that are found in the folder that is specified by this element.

Example

<SetupUpdates
   CheckForSUpdates="Yes"
   SUpdateLocation="\\server1\office\updates;\\server2\corpdata\updates"
/>

USERINITIALS element

The initials of the user on whose computer the product is being installed.

Syntax

<USERINITIALS Value=" value " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Value

value

The user's initials

Example

<USERINITIALS Value="JD" />

USERNAME element

The name of the user on whose computer the product is being installed.

Syntax

< Value=" value " />

Attributes

Attribute Value Description

Value

value

The user's name.

Remarks

The Office 2010  Username element data is populated as follows.

If the user who runs Office is the same user who installed Office, the Username and Initials supplied during setup are used. The user is not prompted when Office first starts. This case is most popular for home users who install Office themselves.

If the user who is running Office is not the same user who installed Office, Office prompts the user to confirm his or her Username and Initials when Office first starts. This case is most popular in a corporate environment, where an administrator installs Office for the user.

The value for the Username element shown to the user at first start time might be pre-populated with a default value from a previously installed version of Office or from the currently logged-on user. Note that the default value is not used unless it is confirmed by the user. If an earlier version of Office is installed on the computer, the registry key that was created by the earlier version of Office is used. For example, if the previous Office installation is Microsoft Office 2003, the registry key is provided at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Common\UserInfo.

Example

<USERNAME Value="John Doe" />

Sample Config.xml file

The following example shows a Config.xml file for a typical installation. The example uses the Office Professional Plus 2010 version of the product.

<Configuration Product="ProPlus">

    <!-- <Display Level="full" CompletionNotice="yes" SuppressModal="no" AcceptEula="no" /> -->
    
    <!-- <Logging Type="standard" Path="%temp%" Template="Microsoft Office Professional Plus Setup(*).txt" /> -->
    
    <!-- <USERNAME Value="Customer" /> -->
    
    <!-- <COMPANYNAME Value="MyCompany" /> -->
    
    <!-- <INSTALLLOCATION Value="%programfiles%\Microsoft Office" /> -->
    
    <!-- <LIS CACHEACTION="CacheOnly" /> -->
    
    <!-- <DistributionPoint Location="\\server\share\Office" /> -->
    
    <!-- <OptionState Id="OptionID" State="absent" Children="force" /> -->
    
    <!-- <Setting Id="SETUP_REBOOT" Value="IfNeeded" /> -->
    
    <!-- <Command Path="%WINDIR%\system32\msiexec.exe" Args="/i \\server\share\my.msi" QuietArg="/q" ChainPosition="after" Execute="install" /> -->

</Configuration>