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Customizing the End User ExperienceThe Custom Installation Wizard can be used to change the user interface and options, at least with the initial rollout of Outlook. However, Group Policy can also be used after the installation is complete to change the user experience. This section goes into detail only about using the Custom Installation Wizard. Using the Custom Installation WizardThe Custom Installation Wizard (CIW) is part of the Office 2003 Resource Kit and can be found in the core tool set that is installed by default when the kit is installed. The Resource Kit can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/downloads. The CIW is an extremely handy tool to customize the installation choices in Microsoft Office products. In Outlook, it allows for specifying what previous Office versions will be upgraded or removed, as well as configuring features such as Search Folder options, integration with Instant Messenger, how the messages appear in the Outlook notification area, and the order in which items appear in the navigation pane. Almost anything that is an option or behavior in Outlook can be controlled by the CIW. Creating a PRF File Using the Custom Installation WizardThis section does not present detailed directions on how to use the CIW; it only touches on the choices available for Outlook customization. To use the Custom Installation Wizard, follow these steps:
The PRF file is now created and available for deployment in the enterprise. Configuring Registry Keys During InstallationThe CIW also allows for the configuration of other Registry entries to be included in the installation of Outlook. Registry entries can be created and added, as well as removed, via the CIW. Being able to add these Registry entries greatly increases the customizability of Outlook 2003. Changes to the Registry are done in the Add/Remove Registry Entries page (about page 12) in the Custom Installation Wizard. To do this, the administrator must know the following information and enter it on the Add/Remove Registry Entries page:
This data must be inputted correctly into the CIW and saved while in the CIW. Then it will become part of the custom installation of Outlook for the enterprise. Using PRF FilesCustomized Outlook Profile Files (PRF files) are not new to Outlook 2003. In fact, the Outlook 2003 PRF format is the same as it was in Outlook 2000. However, the methods formerly used to create the PRF files (Newprof.exe and Modprof.exe) are no longer used in Outlook 2003. Using the Custom Installation Wizard, an administrator can make the required Outlook interface changes that are desired and then save those changes to a PRF file. The PRF file can then be pushed to the users in many different ways, updating or creating an Outlook profile that is different from the default Outlook profiles. Older Outlook 98 and Outlook 2000 PRF files can be used and updated. To update older PRF files that include corporate or workgroup settings only, import the file into the Custom Installation Wizard, update it as necessary, and save it through the Custom Installation Wizard. For older PRF files that don't have the corporate and workgroup setting configuredfor example, a file that has only Internet mail settingsa new PRF file should be created using the Custom Installation Wizard. It is possible to add further customization beyond what is available in the CIW by manually editing the PRF file using Notepad. Applying PRF filesAdditionally, when a new PRF file is invoked, Outlook checks to make sure that no services are duplicated and that all accounts have unique names . Many different methods can be used to push the PRF files to the users:
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