Configure user settings for Office 2010
Applies to: Office 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2011-11-15
The Office Customization Tool (OCT) helps you create a Setup customization file (.msp file) to configure user settings for a customized environment.
The OCT lets you customize the user's environment before you deploy Microsoft Office 2010.
For example, you can use the OCT to configure the default settings for several AutoCorrect options in Microsoft Word 2010. When you configure a user setting, that setting is in place when the user first runs an Office application.
Note
Configuring a user setting in this manner is not necessarily permanent; it merely establishes the initial default value for the setting. The user can modify most settings after Office is installed. If you have to enforce user settings and prevent users from changing the settings, use Group Policy. For information about using Group Policy, see Use Group Policy to enforce Office 2010 settings.
In Office 2010, two architecture-specific versions of the Office Customization Tool (OCT) are available: one for 32-bit Office 2010 and one for 64-bit Office 2010. The 64-bit version of the OCT supports 64-bit client editions of Office 2010, and provides the same user interface, capabilities, and configurable settings as the 32-bit version. You use the same command to run the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the OCT. For instance, if you want to run the 32-bit OCT, run the setup.exe /admin command line from the x86 (32-bit) folder as shown in the following example: \\server\share\Office14\x86\setup.exe /admin. To run the 64-bit OCT, run the setup.exe /admin command line from the x64 (64-bit) folder. For more information about 64-bit Office 2010, see 64-bit editions of Office 2010.
For the latest information about OCT settings, please refer to the updated Microsoft Excel 2010 workbook, Office2010GroupPolicyAndOCTSettings_Reference.xls which is available in the Files to download section of the Office 2010 Administrative Template files (ADM, ADMX, ADML) and Office Customization Tool download page. The OCT settings are listed in the OPAX and OPAL Settings worksheet.
Configure user settings
Use the following procedure to configure user settings for Office 2010.
To configure user settings
To start the OCT, from the root of the network installation point, type the following at the command prompt: setup.exe /admin.
In the Select Product dialog box, select the product that you want to configure, and then click OK.
In the left navigation pane, locate Features, and then click Modify user settings.
In the right navigation pane, expand the tree, and then click the product for which you want to configure settings.
In the Settings column, double-click the user setting that you want to configure. A Properties dialog box appears.
Select one of the following options, and then click OK.
Not Configured The setting remains as it is.
Enabled The setting is modified based on your choices in the Properties dialog box. If values are available for the setting, select the value that you want to use.
Disabled The setting is disabled. Note that disabling an option may be different from not configuring the option. See the description of the specific option for more information.
Note
If you click Enabled to view the options for a setting and then click OK, Previous Setting, or Next Setting, the status changes to configured, even if you do not change the setting. Inadvertently configuring the setting with an empty hyperlink, path, or file name can cause errors. If you clicked Enabled and want to ignore your changes or avoid configuring the setting, click Cancel in the Properties dialog box for the setting. You can also return a setting to the Not Configured state by double-clicking the setting, selecting Not Configured, and clicking OK.
For example, to specify the default format in which you want users to save Word 2010 files, in the navigation pane expand Microsoft Word 2010, expand Word Options, and then click Save. In the list pane, in the Setting column, double-click Default file format. The Default file format Properties dialog box appears. Select Enabled, click the drop-down list arrow, click the file format that you want to specify, and then click OK.
If you want to preserve user settings from previous versions of Office, select the Migrate user settings check box.
Note
If you modify user settings and also select the Migrate user settings check box, Setup first applies the modified settings and then migrates the user's existing custom settings, overwriting any conflicting settings.
On the File menu, click Save As.
Specify a path and file name for the Setup customization file, and then click Save.
On the File menu, click Exit.
Copy the Setup customization file to the Updates folder in the network installation point.
When you run Setup to install Office 2010, Setup uses the Setup customization file (.msp file) in the Updates folder and configures user settings.