Updated: 2008-02-20

Administrators can use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to deploy multiple customization patches (MSP files) to configure the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Administrators can create a basic customization patch (MSP), and this initial MSP can be used to create another customization patch that includes all the settings in the original MSP and additional applications and modified settings, for example. The second MSP can be applied to a new set of users or to existing installations.

Using this approach is useful in phased deployments, or in cases where you are deploying a standard core configuration with variations for the various departments in your organization.

The following table highlights the process for deploying multiple MSP files.

Steps Reference

Make sure you have copied all files and folders from the Office CD to a folder on the network or on your computer. For example, copy the files to \\server\share\Office12.

Copy all language packs or additional Office products to the same installation point. When you are prompted to overwrite duplicate Setup files, click No.

Create a network installation point for the 2007 Office system

Use the OCT to create the basic Setup customization MSP file.

Customize Setup before installing the 2007 Office system

Customize and deploy multiple language versions of the 2007 Office system

Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system

Use the OCT to open the initial MSP and create the second customization patch. If you added additional languages to the network installation point, you must re-create the MSP file.

ImportantImportant:

When you create the second customization patch, you can configure the feature installation states that you want to use. To do this select Set feature installation states in the left pane of the OTC. Expand Microsoft Office and change the installation option for the applications. It is not necessary to duplicate the options you used in the initial customization patch if you do not want to modify them. If you set a feature to its default state, the symbol [F] is displayed before the feature name. This forces the feature into this state.

If you change a feature's installation state, the name of the feature and child features are displayed in bold font which indicates that Setup will apply the changes to the installation. Features whose names are not displayed in bold font are not changed.

If you are deploying additional languages in the second MSP, you must first copy all the Single Language Packs (SLPs) you want to deploy to the network installation point you created in the first step. And you must also re-create the customization MSP file you want to deploy to users. Failure to do this may result in unexpected behavior. For example, if the MSP is not re-created, the language pack may not be applied to all of the installed applications.

The Modify user settings options set the default values of Office application settings for users who install Office with the customization file. For the second customization patch, it is not necessary to replicate the settings that you do not want to modify. The settings are set to Not Configured by default.

Change users' configurations after installing the 2007 Office system

Customize and deploy multiple language versions of the 2007 Office system

Deploy the customization patch to users' computers.

NoteNote:

The Setup customization file is a Windows Installer package (MSP) that you apply to users' computers just as you would apply a software update.

To apply the Setup customization file, users can double-click the MSP file. Alternatively, users can run Msiexec.exe at the command prompt with one of the following command-line options to apply the MSP patches:

msiexec.exe /p \\server\share\custom.msp

msiexec /update \\server\share\Patch1.msp

where \\server\share indicates the path to the shared folder containing the MSP files.

For information about Windows Installer, see the following resources on the MSDN Web site:

Users can also use Systems Management Server to deploy the MSP.

Distribute product updates for the 2007 Office system

Using Systems Management Server 2003 to deploy the 2007 Office system

See Also