Installing Office

     

You will encounter two different types of Office installations: a fresh installation and an upgrade . A fresh installation is performed on a system that has not had a version of Microsoft Office installed previously. An upgrade installation is performed on a system that has had a previous version of Microsoft Office installed.

You should be comfortable installing, configuring, and customizing Office XP software.

Determining the Type of Installation Required

If a previous version of Microsoft Office is not currently installed on your computer, you need to determine which option is appropriate for your scenario. The following options are available in the Choose the Type of Installation dialog box:

• To quickly install the most commonly used Office XP applications, tools, and features, select the preconfigured installation. Choose the Install Now Option.

• To install everything, including all optional tools and features, select the Complete option.

• To control exactly which applications, tools, and features are installed, select the Custom option.

With any of these choices, you can change the default installation location by typing or browsing to a new folder path in the Install To text box.

If a previous version of Office was installed on your computer, you see an additional option in the Choose the Type of Installation dialog box during the setup. The Upgrade Now option is available only when a previous version of Office is installed on your computer. During the installation, the previous Office version is removed, replacing each application with the new version.

Performing a CD-Based Installation

Before you begin the installation, you need the Office XP CD, a valid product key, and access to a CD-ROM drive. This drive can be local or a shared CD-ROM drive on the network.

The following steps guide you through the Installation Wizard process:

1. Insert the first Office XP CD into the CD-ROM drive. If the autoplay feature is disabled, open the Explorer window and view the contents of the CD. Run the Setup.exe program in the root folder of the Office CD.
   
   
2. Enter the appropriate details in the User Information dialog box, including name , initials , organization, and product key (see Figure 4.1). Click Next .
   
   

   Figure 4.1. The User Information dialog box.

   

   
   

   

   The product key is located on a label on the Office CD container. You cannot install Office XP without a valid product key.

   
   
3. You must accept the End-User License Agreement (EULA) in the End-User License Agreement dialog box to proceed with the installation. Click Next.
   
   
4. In the Choose the Type of Installation You Need dialog box, shown in Figure 4.2, select the type of installation you want to perform. You can choose either Complete, which installs all options available, or Custom, which enables you to choose the components you want to install. Also, select the location where the Office XP program files will be stored. Then click Next.
   
   

   Figure 4.2. The Choose the Type of Installation You Need dialog box.

   

   
   

   

   The remaining steps apply only if you have selected the Custom option, regardless of whether this is an upgrade or fresh installation.

   
   
5. In the Choose Which Application for Setup to Install dialog box, choose the applications to install. The available options are
   
   

   • To quickly install the common features for the applications you selected, as well as the typical Office tools, select Install Applications with the Typical Options.

   • To choose the specific application features and Office tools that will be installed, select Choose Detailed Installation Options for Each Application.

   After you have made your selection, click Next.
   
   
6. If you selected the Detailed Installation Options for Each Application, Setup displays the Choose Installation Options dialog box, shown in Figure 4.3. Select the specific application features and Office tools that you want to install. Then click Next.
   
   

   Figure 4.3. The Choose Installation Options dialog box.

   

   
   

   

   To control the installation of a particular application, tool, or feature, expand the hierarchy in the Choose Installation Options dialog box if necessary to reveal the component; then click the down arrow to open the menu of choices. Choose Run From My Computer to install the component, choose Run All From My Computer to install the component plus all components beneath it in the hierarchy, choose Installed On First Use to have Office automatically install the component the first time you attempt to use it, or choose Not Available to omit installing the component.

   
   
7. If you had a previous version of Office installed on your computer when you ran Setup, the Remove Previous Versions dialog box is displayed. Choose whether to have Setup remove your previous Office version, preserve your complete previous Office installation, or remove one or more specific applications from your previous installations. Then click Next.
   
   
8. Setup displays the Begin installation dialog box, which shows a list of the applications that will be installed. Click Install to complete the installation.
   
   

Performing a Network-Based Installation

In a networked environment, provided that you have obtained the required licenses from Microsoft, you can copy all the Office XP files to a single shared network folder and then allow all users to install Office XP directly from that folder over the network rather than from the product CD. Not only does this method eliminate the need to distribute CDs to all users, but it also allows you to fully customize and automate the Office XP installation. With a customized installation, users are not required to enter the details into the Setup dialog boxes but can run a standard Setup file.

You can use the following procedure to set up and install Office XP on a network. This procedure allows you to fully automate the customized Office XP installations on users' computers. Keep in mind that Microsoft provides many additional techniques, options, and tools for setting up custom network installations of Office XP. You can find all the required documentation and tools in the Office Resource Kit.

The Office Resource Kit is available for download from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork.

1. Create an administrative installation point , which is a shared network folder that contains all the Office files required to install Office on a user's computer. To convert a shared network folder to an administrative installation point, run Office Setup using the /a flag. For instance, if the Office CD is on drive D, you execute the following command using the Run option from the Start menu: d:\Setup.exe /a . Figure 4.4 displays the Run dialog box with the required command.
   
   

   Figure 4.4. The Run dialog box displays the Setup program with the required switch to begin a network installation.

   

   
   Next, in the Administrative Installation Setup dialog box, enter your organization name, the path of the shared folder you want to use as the administrative installation point, and the product key. In the End-User License Agreement dialog box, accept the license agreement and click Install.
   
   

   

   If the product key is omitted, each user will have to enter a valid product key when installing Office XP.

   
   
2. Use the Custom Installation Wizard to create a transform ( .mst ) file to automate the customization of the Office XP installation on a user's computer. The Custom Installation Wizard is included in the Office Resource Kit. When you run it, it begins by displaying an informational dialog box.
   
   On the second wizard dialog box, enter the path of the Windows Installer package file that will be used to install Office XP. You can find this file in the administrative installation point folder that you set up in step 1.
   
   

   

   The Windows Installer package file has a name such as msoffice.msi . This file contains default settings that Setup uses to install Office XP. These settings are modified by the transform file that you create in step 2.

   
   
3. In the third dialog box, enter a name and location for the transform file that you're creating. The best place to save this file is in the administrative installation point folder you set up in step 1.
   
   In the next series of wizard dialog boxes, approximately 20, select all the options that you want to apply when users install Office XP on their individual computers. You can click Finish in any of these wizard dialog boxes to use the defaults for all installation options you haven't yet set.
   
   
4. Have each user install Office XP by running the Setup.exe program in the administrative installation point folder you created in step 1. When running Setup.exe , the user must pass the Transforms command-line parameter specifying the location of the transform file you created in step 2. For instance, if you created the administrative installation point in the \\admin\c\admininstallpoint\ network folder and named the transform file New Custom Setup file.mst , a user could install Office XP by choosing Run from the Start menu in Windows and entering the following into the Run dialog box:
   
   

   
   

     \admin\c\AdminInstallPoint\setup   transforms="\admin\c\AdminInstallPoint\   New Custom Setup file.mst" /qb  

   
   

The entire command line should be entered on a single line in the Run dialog box.

Deploying Office through Group Policy

Another method of deploying Microsoft Office XP (as well as other software applications) is using Group Policy. Group Policy includes software installation features that you can use to perform mass installations of and to maintain Microsoft Office.

Group Policy settings are contained within a Group Policy Object (GPO). The GPO can be linked to any level of the Active Directory hierarchy, which essentially determines the scope of the GPO settings. For example, applying a GPO to a specific OU means that only those accounts within the OU are affected by the GPO settings.

Microsoft Office XP is designed to function within an environment that uses group policies for software installation and maintenance. By using features of Microsoft Office XP and Active Directory, you can deploy a custom configuration of the software to a specific group of users and computers.

Microsoft Office XP can be deployed using a GPO in three different ways:

• Assigned to computers ” With this method, Microsoft Office XP is installed the next time the computer is restarted. The software is then available to all users.

• Assigned to users ” With this method, a shortcut is placed on the users' desktop. When a shortcut for one of the Office applications is opened, the software is automatically installed. Applications that are assigned to users are resilient.

• Published to users ” With this method, Microsoft Office XP can be installed using the Add/Remove Programs applet.

When deploying software using a GPO, remember that applications can be assigned to users and/or computers. However, applications can be published only to users, not computers.

Activating Office XP

After you install Office XP on your computer, you are required to activate the software. If you do not activate Office, you can start Office applications only 50 times; then you will be required to activate the software to avoid running the software in Reduced Functionality Mode. Reduced Functionality Mode prevents you from saving or creating new documents and from using certain features within the applications. Activation involves connecting with Microsoft on the Internet or by telephone. Figure 4.5 displays a sample warning message when activation is required.

Figure 4.5. The Activation Wizard dialog box.

The first time you open an Office application, the Office Application Wizard is displayed. The wizard allows you to activate Office XP using the following options:

• To activate Office XP via the Internet, select the Activate By Using the Internet option and then click Next. Follow the wizard's instructions to connect to Microsoft's Office XP activation site and complete the activation. You can manually connect to the Internet before clicking Next, or you can have the wizard use your default Internet connection. You need to provide only your country of residence; supplying additional personal information is optional. The wizard automatically activates your Office XP installation.

• To activate the product by calling a Microsoft customer service agent, select the Activate by Using the Telephone option and then click Next to see complete instructions for calling the agent and completing the activation process.

  The next dialog box provides the telephone number for calling the agent from your country and displays your unique Installation ID. You need to provide that ID to the agent, who will then give you a Confirmation ID. When you enter the Confirmation ID into the wizard dialog box and continue, the wizard activates your Office XP installation.

• To skip the activation and immediately run the application, click Activate Later. Keep in mind that you can run the product a total of 50 times before activating. The Office Activation Wizard continues to pop up every time an Office XP application is opened until the activation has been completed.

Using the Volume Licensing Product Key

A Volume License Product Key ( VLK ) is a product key issued to a corporate customer under a specific license agreement. Each VLK is associated with a particular customer and type of product for which the customer is licensed. For each type of license agreement, one VLK is issued per enrollment agreement per product family. For Microsoft Open License customers, the VLK is provided on the Open License order confirmation. These VLKs are to be used when the product prompts for it at installation or when you create a custom image. A VLK must be used with volume licensing media; therefore, it cannot be used with retail full-packaged product or OEM CD media.

Volume License Product Key (VLK) is available for both Windows XP and Office XP. You also can purchase VLKs for individual applications within Office XP, such as Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

When you use a VLK during the deployment of Office XP, you must enter it when building your network image. After you have set up your image using the VLK, the end user will not be prompted for a product key when installing from that network image. However, you must still work within the Microsoft license agreement that you have signed. In simple terms, you must acquire a separate license for the software you install for each computer or user. Use varies according to the terms of your agreement and the terms of each product license.

The majority of volume licensing customers deploy products over their network. When setting up the network share, the system administrator can preapply the VLK so that end users installing the software from that point will not be prompted for a product key. The same can be done when creating customized CDs.

Troubleshooting an Office Installation

You can rerun Office Setup in maintenance mode at any time to add or remove specific features, reinstall Office XP, or remove Office XP from your computer. You can also use maintenance mode if you have been having serious problems with one or more programs or features and you suspect that the program files or Registry settings may have become corrupted. To use Setup in maintenance mode, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Add or Remove Programs applet from the Windows Control Panel, select the Microsoft Office XP item from the list, and click the Change or Remove button (see Figure 4.6).
   
   

   Figure 4.6. The Add or Remove Programs applet displays the Change and Remove buttons for the Office XP installation.

   

   
   
2. In the opening Setup dialog box named Maintenance Mode Options, shown in Figure 4.7, select one of the following options:
   
   

   • To add or remove one or more Office applications or features, select Add or Remove Features. Setup displays the same installation options you selected when you most recently ran Setup. You need to change only the installation options for features you want to add or remove; the rest of the installation is not disturbed.

   • To force Setup to reinstall all Office XP files and redo all Registry settings and necessary repairs , select Detect and Repair Errors in My Office Installation. If in doubt about which option to select, choose this simpler option first and select the more radical Reinstall Office option only if your problem persists.

   • To remove Office XP from your computer, select Uninstall Office.

   Figure 4.7. The Maintenance Mode Options dialog box.

   

   
   

Another way to have Office XP detect and repair errors in your Office XP installation is to choose the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu of any Office application. This command provides an additional option that discards your customized settings and restores all defaults.