How to create a custom Office install to deploy via group policy 2

[mofohead]

First create an administrative install point with the Office 2003 disk by using the "/a" option (without the quotes).

D:\SETUP.EXE /a

You will want this install point to be on a share on the server. Next step is to use the Office 2003 Resource Kit to create your custom installation (available at

http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2003/default.htm

. This will leave you with a MST file or Transform file. It will ask you if there is an administrative install point to apply the transform to. Point it towards the share that is your admin install point.

Next, create the group policy. Open up Active Directory Users & Computers (ADUC). Choose whether you are going to apply this policy to the entire domain or just a particular OU. Right click on the domain/OU and select properties. Then select the Group Policy tab. Create a New policy and name it whatever (Custom Office Install). Double click the policy. When the Group Policy Editor opens navigate to Computer Configuration -> Software Settings -> Software Installation. Right click on Software Installation and select New -> Package. Navagate to your admin install point and and select the STD11.MSI (office .msi installer). It is very important that you use the UNC path to point towards this msi file otherwise the group policy bombs. After you select the msi file you will be prompted by a Deploy Software dialog box... select "Advanced published or assigned". Next you will be prompted with a "Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003 Properties" dialog box. Select the Modifications tab. Click Add and navigate to the MST file in your admin install point. Click OK, close out of everything else and your are finished.

You now have a custom installation of Office 2003 to deploy to your entire network via group policy and you don't even have to leave your desk!!!

 

[nate2345]

Is there a way to do this with a retail version of word 2003. We bought 20 retail copies for 20 users. So obviously we'd rather install it via group policy - but how do we overvome the product activation issue and anything else which might get in the way?

Thanks
Nate

 

[mofohead]

I hope somebody else here has some info on that because I don't think I'm going to be much help on that one. My situation was different because we have volume licensing for our M$ products. With volume licensing I can plug in the serial during the creation of the administrative install point. After that I deploy with the assigned package and it installs behind the scene. Sorry, not much help with that one.