Chapter 4: Customizing Office 2003 | Microsoft Office 2003 Editions Resource Kit (Pro-Resource Kit)

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After you create an installation source on the network—either an administrative installation point or a compressed image of the Microsoft Office 2003 CD—you can make extensive customizations before you install Office on users’ computers. You can control many aspects of the installation process itself, including how much users interact with Setup and whether Setup creates a local installation source. You can also determine which Office features are available and specify default settings for most options.

Methods of Customizing Office

After you create an administrative installation point or compressed CD image for the Microsoft Office 2003 client, you can make extensive customizations before installing Office on users’ computers. You can also customize many aspects of the installation process itself, including the following:

Customize the way Setup runs, including display and logging options.
Determine which Office applications and features are installed.
Specify default settings for Office applications.
Add files or shortcuts to an Office installation.
Determine which previous versions of Office are removed when Office 2003 is installed.
Distribute a default Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 profile.
Chain additional packages, such as Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Packs (MUI Packs), to the Office installation.

Many of the customizations you make to an Office installation can be accomplished by one of several methods:

Specifying options on the command line.
Customizing the Setup.ini file.
Creating a transform (MST file) with the Custom Installation Wizard.
Creating an Office profile settings file (OPS file) with the Profile Wizard.
Running the Removal Wizard during or after the Office installation.

The following table shows packages (MSI files) related to Office that you can customize, and it provides recommended methods for different types of customizations.

Customization	MSI file	Command line	INI file	MST file	OPS file	Removal Wizard
Setup process (display, logging, installation location, organization name, and so on)	Pro11.msi	x	x	x
Local installation source (compressed CD image only)	Pro11.msi	x	x
Office features, added files, and shortcuts	Pro11.msi			x
Security settings	Pro11.msi			x	x
Outlook settings	Pro11.msi			x	x	x
Other user settings	Pro11.msi			x	x
Removal options	Pro11.msi			x		x
Language settings	LCID\Mui.msi			x
Chained packages	Chained.msi		x

On the Resource Kit CD

The Office 2003 Resource Kit core tool set includes the Custom Installation Wizard, Profile Wizard, and Removal Wizard. These tools are installed by default when you run the Office Resource Kit Setup program. For more information, see Appendix A, “Toolbox.”

Working with Setup properties

Setup properties control many aspects of the installation process, including the following:

Display settings, logging options, and other properties used by Setup to manage the installation process.
Properties that customize button labels and descriptive text in the Setup user interface.
Properties that control how Office features are installed.
Properties that determine how Outlook is installed with Office.

The default values for Setup properties are defined in the Windows Installer package (MSI file). You can specify new values on the command line, in Setup.ini, or on the Modify Setup Properties page of the Custom Installation Wizard. During the installation, Setup passes all Setup property values to Windows Installer.

Most properties are passed only during the call to install Office 2003. However, global display settings are passed to every installation included with Office. For example, when you specify /qb on the command line, or when you set Display=basic in the [Display] section of Setup.ini, Setup displays simple progress indicators and error messages throughout the entire installation. To install a chained package with a full user interface, you must set Display=full in the [ChainedInstall_n] section of Setup.ini.

For definitions and examples of all the properties that you can use with Office 2003 Setup, see “Setup Properties” in Appendix B, “Office 2003 Resource Kit Reference.”

Specifying options on the command line

When you run Setup, you can use command-line options to change some of the parameters that Setup uses to install Office. By using command-line options, you can do the following:

Identify the package (MSI file) and transform (MST file) to use.
Specify a custom Setup settings file (INI file) to use.
Direct Setup to run in quiet mode.
Set Windows Installer logging options.
Change default values of Setup properties.

For example, you can enter the following options on the command line:

setup.exe /qb+ /l* %temp%\office11.txt COMPANYNAME="Northwind Traders"

This command line customizes Setup in the following ways:

Setup does not prompt the user for information, but displays progress indicators and a completion message when it installs Office (/qb+).
Windows Installer logs all information and any error messages (/l*) for Setup.exe to the file C:\Documents and Settings\<Username>\Local Settings\Temp\Office11.txt on the user’s computer.
Setup sets the default organization name to Northwind Traders.
Because no custom INI or MST file is specified, Setup installs the same Office features that it would if the user clicked Typical Install in the Setup user interface.

For definitions and examples of all the options that you can use with Office 2003 Setup, see “Setup Command-line Options” in Appendix B, “Office 2003 Resource Kit Reference.”

When to use command-line options

The Setup command line is most useful when you have few customizations to make, or when you want to create several different installations quickly. You can use one custom INI file or apply the same MST file to install a basic Office 2003 configuration to everyone, but define different command lines for targeted groups of users.

For example, you can have your Engineering and Accounting departments install the same set of Office 2003 features and settings, but specify unique organization names. On the installation image, you create two shortcuts that have the following command lines:

setup.exe /q /settings Custom.ini COMPANYNAME="Engineering Department" setup.exe /q /settings Custom.ini COMPANYNAME="Accounting Department"

Command-line options are also useful if you use Microsoft Systems Management Server or another systems management tool to create multiple deployment packages, each of which requires a different command line.

Tip

Any settings that you can specify on the command line can also be added to Setup.ini—including the command line itself. For extensive or complex command-line customizations, use Setup.ini to make the installation process easier to track and troubleshoot.

How to distribute command-line options

When users double-click setup.exe on the installation image, Setup runs with no command-line options. To apply your custom command-line options, users must click Run on the Microsoft Windows Start menu and enter the path to Setup.exe, along with your command-line options.

To simplify this process, you can create a Windows batch file that runs Setup.exe with your command-line options. Or, you can create a Windows shortcut and add your custom options to the command-line box. Users double-click the batch file or shortcut to run the Setup command line that you have defined. You can store the batch file or shortcut in the root folder of the installation image.

If you run Setup from a network logon script or through a systems management tool (such as Systems Management Server), you can add your custom options to the Setup command line in the script or deployment package.

Customizing the Setup settings file

Before applying the values specified on the command line, Setup reads the properties specified in the Setup settings file (Setup.ini), where you can set all the properties that you can on the command line. For example, you can:

Identify the MSI and MST files to use in the [MSI] and [MST] sections.
Direct Setup to run in quiet mode in the [Display] section.
Set logging options for Windows Installer and Office 2003 Setup in the [Logging] section.
Change the default values of Setup properties in the [Options] section.
Chain multiple Windows Installer packages, including MUI Packs, to your core Office installation in the [ChainedInstall_n] sections. (You cannot specify chained packages on the command line.)
Customize the way Setup creates a local installation source on users’ computers when you install Office from a compressed CD image.

In most sections of Setup.ini, including the [Options] section, you use the syntax property=value to specify custom property values. In the [ChainedInstall_n] sections, you can set the Display and MST values with this syntax; however, you must use the Cmdline property to add other options to the command line that Setup passes to Windows Installer for a chained package.

For more information about each section of Setup.ini, see “Setup Settings File” in Appendix B, “Office 2003 Resource Kit Reference.”

When to use a custom INI file

Because the Setup settings file organizes Setup options in an easy-to-read format, it is more convenient to use than long or complex command lines. If you use Setup.ini to set most Setup properties, then you can reserve the command line for specific and targeted modifications, or changes that you need to make late in the deployment process.

If you are installing Office from a compressed CD image and you want to customize the way Setup creates the local installation source on users’ computers, you set properties in the [Cache] section of Setup.ini. Because Setup creates the local installation source before a transform is applied, you cannot set most local installation source options in a transform.

If you want to chain MUI Packs from the Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack or chain other Windows Installer packages to your core Office 2003 installation, then you must enter the Mui.msi files by adding the name and path in the [ChainedInstall_n] section of Setup.ini.

Other scenarios in which the Setup settings file is the preferred customization method to use include the following:

You want users to run Setup.exe directly from the installation image, instead of creating a batch file or shortcut to install a customized version of the Office 2003 client.
You want to override global display settings (that is, the display settings specified for Office 2003) and set unique display settings for chained packages.
You want to set additional options for a chained package, such as specifying a transform to apply.

How to distribute a custom INI file

When you edit the default Setup settings file (Setup.ini), users can run Setup without using command-line options to install Office with your customizations.

To create multiple custom installations that use different Setup options, you can create several custom INI files that have different names and store them in the root folder of the installation image. Users specify the name of a settings file by using the /settings Setup command-line option. You can simplify this process by creating a batch file or Windows shortcut that contains the appropriate /settings command-line option.

Note

If your custom INI file is stored in any location other than the folder that contains Setup.exe, you must include the relative or absolute path with the /settings option. For example:

Setup.exe /settings \\server\share\files\setup\off11eng.ini

If you run Setup from a network logon script or through a systems management tool (such as Systems Management Server), then you must edit the Setup command line in the script or deployment package to refer to the appropriate settings file by using the /settings option.

You can create multiple custom INI files for different groups of users. For example, you might want to deploy the French and Spanish Multilingual User Interface Packs with Office to your Accounting department, but give users in your Engineering department their choice of languages in the MUI Pack Wizard. In this case, you can create two custom INI files: one that chains the French and Spanish Mui.msi packages, and another that chains the Muiwiz.msi package. Users in each department run Setup by using one of the following command lines:

setup.exe /settings off11act.ini setup.exe /settings off11eng.ini

Note

When you create a custom INI file, you can also specify options on the Setup command line. If you specify a command-line option that conflicts with a value in the INI file, Setup uses the command-line option.

Creating a transform by using the Custom Installation Wizard

When you install Office 2003 from an administrative installation point or compressed CD image, you can customize the Office configuration that is installed on users’ computers by applying a Windows Installer transform (MST file). Many of the customizations that you make in Setup.ini or on the command line can also be made in a transform, but some tasks are better handled in a transform. For example, a transform is typically used to set default installation states for Office features or to specify default application settings.

You create a Windows Installer transform by using the Office Custom Installation Wizard. The transform contains the changes that you want to make to the Windows Installer package (MSI file). When you apply the transform during the installation, your modifications become the default settings for anyone who runs Setup from your installation image. If you run Setup in quiet mode (with no user interaction), your selections define precisely how Office is installed on users’ computers.

On the Resource Kit CD

The Office 2003 Resource Kit core tool set includes the Custom Installation Wizard, which is installed by default when you run the Office Resource Kit Setup program. For more information, see “Custom Installation Wizard” in Appendix A, “Toolbox.”

For information about how to set options on each page of the Custom Installation Wizard, see the Custom Installation Wizard Help on the companion CD.

When to use a transform

A Windows Installer transform is most useful when you want to make extensive customizations, particularly customizations that you cannot readily make by using the Setup command line or Setup settings file. By creating multiple transforms, you can also install different Office configurations to different groups of users from the same installation image.

When you create a transform, the Custom Installation Wizard allows you to do the following:

Define the path where Office is installed on users’ computers.
Accept the end-user license agreement (EULA) and enter a product key on behalf of users who are installing from a compressed CD image.
Define the default installation state for Office 2003 applications and features.

For example, you can install Microsoft Office Word 2003 on the local computer, but set Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 to be installed on demand or run from the network. You can also hide and lock features so that users cannot make changes after Office is installed.
Add your own files and registry entries to Setup so that they are installed with Office.
Modify Office application shortcuts, specifying where they are installed and customizing their properties.
Define a list of servers for Office to use if the primary installation source is unavailable.
Specify other products to install or programs to run on users’ computers after Setup is completed.
Configure Microsoft Outlook.

For example, specify a default user profile.
Specify which previous versions of Office are removed.

You can also create transforms for chained Windows Installer packages, including the MUI Packs.

Note

Office 2003 Setup automatically matches MUI Pack feature installation states to the corresponding features in the core English version of Office. If you specify different installation states for MUI Pack features in a transform, you must set the NOFEATURESTATEMIGRATION property to override the default matching behavior.

How to apply a transform during Office installation

For users to install Office with your customizations, you must specify the name and path to the transform by setting the TRANSFORMS property on the command line or by adding an entry to the [MST] section of the Setup settings file.

For example, to direct Setup to use the transform Custom.mst (stored in the same folder as Setup.exe), you use the following Setup command line:

setup.exe TRANSFORMS=custom.mst

Note

If you misspell the TRANSFORMS option on the command line as TRANSFORM (singular), then Setup returns an error and your transform is not applied.

This step is equivalent to adding the following entry to the [MST] section of Setup.ini:

MST1=Custom.mst

You can specify a transform for chained packages, too, in the appropriate ChainedInstall_n section of Setup.ini. (Note that the property used to specify a transform for a chained package in Setup.ini differs from the property used for the core Office package.) For example:

[ChainedInstall_1] MST=French.mst

If you create unique transforms for different groups of users, you must specify—on the command line or in Setup.ini—which transform to use. For example, users in your Accounting department might need all the add-ins included with Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and users in the Engineering department might need a custom set of Microsoft Office Access 2003 features. In this scenario, you can create different transforms that specify different installation states for Excel and Access features, and then create two shortcuts on the installation image by using the following command lines:

setup.exe TRANSFORMS=off11eng.mst setup.exe TRANSFORMS=off11act.mst

Note

You can apply a transform only when Office is initially installed. To make changes to an Office configuration after Office is installed, you must use the Custom Maintenance Wizard. For more information, see “Updating Feature Installation States and Application Settings” in Chapter 18, “Updating Users’ Office 2003 Configurations.”

Resolving conflicting Setup options

Office 2003 offers many ways to customize an Office installation, and using a combination of methods can result in conflicting settings. If you specify different values for the same Setup options on the Setup command line, in the Setup settings file, and in a transform, then Setup uses the following rules to determine which value to use:

If you set an option in the Custom Installation Wizard that corresponds to a Setup property, the wizard automatically sets the corresponding property in the MST file. For example, when you customize removal behavior on the Remove Previous Versions page, then the Custom Installation Wizard sets the SKIPREMOVEPREVIOUSDIALOG property to True.
If you modify a Setup property on the Modify Setup Properties page of the Custom Installation Wizard, this setting overrides any corresponding options that you set on previous pages of the wizard. Your modified Setup property is written to the MST file.
If you set options (including Setup properties) in the Setup settings file that conflict with options in the transform, then the values in the INI file take precedence over the transform.
If you set options on the command line, those settings take precedence over any conflicting values in either the INI file or the transform.

Note

The COMPANYNAME property is an exception to the normal precedence of settings. If you supply an organization name when you create an administrative installation point and then specify a new default organization name on the Specify Default Path and Organization page of the Custom Installation Wizard, that setting takes precedence over any other COMPANYNAME setting you specify later in the wizard, in Setup.ini, or on the command-line.

Resources and Related Information

For more information about creating an Office profile settings file (OPS file) with the Profile Wizard, see “Customizing User-defined Settings” later in this chapter.

For more information about using the Removal Wizard during or after the Office installation, see “Customizing Removal Behavior” later in this chapter.