Comments on: Deploying Office 2007 with Group Policy Startup Scripts

By: Dustin

Dustin — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 05:49:43 +0000

Thanks Aaron, have been looking at implimenting DFS for a little while, just been fixing some other issues and rolling out a new file structure/new server. Sorry little off topic.

Anyway another quick way around this is also having another script with the different location as the exe, then just apply that script to the other office users.

By: Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:06:45 +0000

Hi Dustin, DFS is your friend. This will allow you to have replicas of your software installation points at different location using the same namespace and computer will connect to the closest replica.

By: Dustin

Dustin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 05:37:42 +0000

The vbscript as described worked for me apart from the bottom part (Set oExec) I use the following instead:

If OfficeInstalled True Then
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
WshShell.Run “”"\\servername\share\Software\Server Software\Microsoft\Office 2007\setup.exe”"”, 3, false

The Using the “”" due to folder name gaps. I’m no code wiz, just mixed and matched, also I assume I could of used the simple script too, thanks for the script came in handy

I just made an installation point, created a MSP and placed in the updates folder then edited the logon script to open the .exe, I found this to be the most simple way for a 50 user based company, the only thing I haven’t found is how to point the user to the closest installation point for our users in another office, don’t want them installing over 2mb link.

By: Bryan Angelico

Bryan Angelico — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:35:34 +0000

I think I may have found my answer:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/fff8197f-284d-4837-8086-47cf2cb410ed1033.mspx?mfr=true

It’s the 5th bullet point under the title:
Advantages of using computer startup scripts for deploying 2007 Office

By: Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:10:45 +0000

Here’s how to script elevation: http://blogs.msdn.com/aaron_margosis/archive/2007/07/01/scripting-elevation-on-vista.aspx

By: Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:09:43 +0000

You won’t be able to elevate via a script. You can launch the elevation process via a script but it will still require an administrator to go to the machine to to enter credentials.

If you use the Software Installation feature of Group Policy to assign or even publish Office, the MSP file will not apply, you must either use the CONFIG.XML or use SETUP.EXE. Unfortunately there’s no way around it.

By: Bryan Angelico

Bryan Angelico — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:53:00 +0000

Yea… I know about the assigning option in GPO, I test pushed 2007 to a computer and it worked. The problem was it didn’t use the MSP file I created. I didn’t think it would, but others on the web say they have had hit and miss success deploying Office this way and it used the MSP file. Also, I have relatively small network (250 workstations) but I was concerned about the strain on the server if I pushed the installation to that many machines at once. I know I could break it up but that would be a pain in the ass. All I would like to do is publish it and let the users install it when they’re ready… but Microsoft decided to be a dick and remove that option. That really pisses me off, cause for me I think it’s the perfect solution. So I was wondering if there was a way I could elevate the permissions in the script, other than using the runas command as that’s not very secure.

By: Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:05:47 +0000

Hi Bryan, the only way you’ll be able to use this method to deploy Office 2007 is to assign the software to your computers. Office 2007 does not support assigning the software to users. When you assign software to computers you won’t have to worry about elevating to allow the install.

By: Bryan Angelico

Bryan Angelico — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:31:45 +0000

This sounds great. I was thinking something along the same line, only I would right a script that copies the entire install folder to the local drive first(to ease server load, and network traffic during install; then launch the install. The only problem is how to you elevate the permissions to allow end users run the install?

By: Aaron Parker

Aaron Parker — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:15:43 +0000

Nice work Dave, that’s a good tip.

By: Dave Hope

Dave Hope — Thu, 31 May 2007 13:53:58 +0000

Found this article when wanting to deploy the FileFormatConverters.exe that Microsoft released office 2003 can open the new format.

In case it helps someone, to deploy FileFormatConverters.exe via a GPO I first extracted FileFormatConverters.exe and copied the msi, cab, cat etc across to my installation share.

I then set it up as per any other software installation object and use the following WMI filter:

SELECT * FROM Win32_Product WHERE (Caption LIKE “Microsoft Office%2003%”)

This worked for me as we only have Office 2003 and 2007 on our network.

Hope it helps,

Dave