[gptalk] Re: GPO's and Office 2007

  • From: "Michael Pietrzak" <mpietrzak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:54:03 -0800

Rob,
 
You are not alone in your findings. I have been trying to get some sort
of functional Office 2007 deployment via GP's for going on four days
now.
 
I have seen everything you are writing about. Even when I do get
something deployed, it is very inconsistent. Sometimes it's just
Outlook. Other times it's all the components except Outlook.
 
It's seems they completely botched it! I could deploy Office 2003 with
no problems what so ever. And I could deploy it over any previous
installation type. For instance if the previous version was a CD
install, a GP install, or from a network share, my 2003 GP install would
install over all of them.
 
Also, to even be able to run the install now, you must be an admin. If
you want your non-admins to be able to receive the deployment package,
you need to grant then windows installer rights with elevated
priveledges.
 
The funny thing is, despite all the problems I had in using a GP
deployment, I can just simply run the setup.exe from the network install
point and everything works great. Why can't MS just make this simple
instead of needing some degree in computer science.
 
Michael

________________________________

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Robert Mariani
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 4:35 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] GPO's and Office 2007


Hi Everyone.
   Well I recently got my 70 licenses of Office 2007 and was keen to
build a test delpoyment.  I found the Office Resource Kit on the Technet
website and started reading.  To my amasement AD GPO is not the prefered
way to delpoy this package.....

MS have moved away from traditional MSI and MST files for O2K7.  The
Office Customisation Tool (OCT) creates a MSP file but the use is not in
the traditional sense of patching an admin install.

There is a way to deploy O2k7 by GPO but bugger all configurable to say
the most.  The config.xml is a pain to get working has extreemly limited
capabilites.

My question to the group is, has anyone sucessfully deployed this
package in testing or production via AD GPO and applied the msp
customisations?

Ohh and two more things... 
   1.  The O2K7 install does not finish before the user logs in - and
from what i have read if the first user to log in after the depoyment
does not have local admin rights to the pc the install fails - i am yet
to test this but i deploy apps with "Elevated privideges" for the GPO so
this may not happen
   2.  I noticed that there were office ADM templates for GPO
configurations.  Would my best option be to install an uncustomised
deployment and then use the ADM templates for config?

Regards
Rob....




Other related posts: