The D-Spot (The Deployment Spot)

Recently we hosted an event about “Desktop optimisation – efficient windows 7 and office 2010 deployment – notes from the field”. This seminar not only listed many of the new features and functionality that are included in Windows 7 and Office 2010 but also answered many deployment questions including some notes from the field.

The result can be found here:

http://seminar.the-d-spot.org/Desktop optimisation – notes from the field – 17102011.pdf

Once in a while you need to patch Office 2010 sequences with the latest security fixes from Microsoft. I needed to patch a package which contained Excel 2010 and an Excel Addin.

I prepared my sequence machine with:

• Windows patches, dummy printer, dummy odbc connections
• App-V Sequencer 4.6
• Placed new addin sources and the sequence to upgrade on the desktop
• Made a snapshot

Started the Sequencer, opened the package for upgrade. Enabled “Show Advanced Monitoring Options”, and select “Allow Microsoft Update to run during monitoring”. So far so good, but after downloading & installing the patches all of them failed to install!

All patches failed with error code 0×80070643.

What went wrong?

I forgot to install the OSPP (Office Software Protection Platform) service on my sequence machine! (AKA Office 2010 Deployment Kit for App-V).

After installing the prerequisite all security fixes installed successful:

I needed to change the config.xml for an Office (OneNote) 2010 deployment. After changing the config file I tested the silent installation but the installer couldn’t handle my newly created config.xml file.

All my xml tags where closed like it should, I couldn’t find any syntax error. But then I remembered something learned at school (it’s been 10 years!); opening an XML file in Internet Explorer to verify the syntax!

I used the Dutch word “geïnstalleerd”. After removing the special character (changed to “geinstalleerd)”, the Office 2010 installation was successful.

In Configmgr 07 the SP1 was only imported in english (just as the rest of our updates). The Office 2010 package source is originally in English with (in our case) added languages French and Dutch.

 From one of the troubled clients I found this in the logs;

CAS.LOG:

Location update from CTM for content 1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e.1 and request {CDBF2855-B0A1-42AB-80F0-D7B2F939CFD8}               ContentAccess 23/08/2011 04:58:24       828 (0x033C)

Download request only, ignoring location update           ContentAccess 23/08/2011 04:58:24       828 (0x033C)

Setting download timeout options for content request {CDBF2855-B0A1-42AB-80F0-D7B2F939CFD8}: LocationTimeout = 604800, DownloadTimeout = 864000, PerDPInactivityTimeout = 0, TotalInactivityTimeout = 0   ContentAccess 23/08/2011 09:25:33               624 (0×0270)

No need to change timeout settings     ContentAccess 23/08/2011 09:25:33       624 (0×0270)

Setting download timeout options for content request {CDBF2855-B0A1-42AB-80F0-D7B2F939CFD8}: LocationTimeout = 604800, DownloadTimeout = 864000, PerDPInactivityTimeout = 0, TotalInactivityTimeout = 0   ContentAccess 25/08/2011 09:15:17               3232 (0x0CA0)

No need to change timeout settings     ContentAccess 25/08/2011 09:15:17       3232 (0x0CA0)

Setting download timeout options for content request {CDBF2855-B0A1-42AB-80F0-D7B2F939CFD8}: LocationTimeout = 604800, DownloadTimeout = 864000, PerDPInactivityTimeout = 0, TotalInactivityTimeout = 0   ContentAccess 25/08/2011 10:28:44               2144 (0×0860)

No need to change timeout settings     ContentAccess 25/08/2011 10:28:44       2144 (0×0860)

Download failed for content 1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e.1 under context System, error 0x800705b4                ContentAccess 26/08/2011 22:25:19       4280 (0x10B8)

Download failed for download request {CDBF2855-B0A1-42AB-80F0-D7B2F939CFD8}   ContentAccess 26/08/2011 22:25:19                4280 (0x10B8)

Raising event:

[SMS_CodePage(437), SMS_LocaleID(1033)]

instance of SoftDistDownloadFailedEvent

{

                ClientID = “GUID:9E699560-328B-42A4-9EB4-2DB4E16AC74F”;

                DateTime = “20110826202519.093000+000″;

                MachineName = “xxxxxxxx“;

                PackageId = “1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e”;

                PackageName = “1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e”;

                PackageVersion = “1″;

                ProcessID = 3360;

                SiteCode = “399″;

                ThreadID = 4280;

};

                ContentAccess 26/08/2011 22:25:19       4280 (0x10B8)

Successfully raised Download Failed event.       ContentAccess 26/08/2011 22:25:19       4280 (0x10B8)

UPDATESHANDLER.LOG:

Starting download on action (INSTALL) for Update (1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e)   UpdatesHandler                29/08/2011 20:59:20       4152 (0×1038)

well, Now we know for sure that the culprit is the missing update ID: 1ba18f9a-1d45-44fa-958f-5374f3b9ea5e.  furthermore it is supposed to be part of the bundled update for SP1 office 2010 (kb 2510690).

Originally I thought I had to simply add the dutch and French languages for this SP1 update, but then it became clear that by default also the Spanish proofing tools are installed.. (check this with the office OCT if you are not sure)

SOLUTION:

So I went to my console > software updates > update repository > service packs > microsoft > office 2010 > select the appropriate version (32bit or 64 bit) of the office 2010 sp1,  Right-click > download updates. Select your existing deployment package, select “download from the internet”, in language selection, I had to select French, dutch and Spanish.

Once the supplemental updates had been downloaded, make sure to update your deployment package as well!.

Then I identified which machines where stuck downloading this update with software updates report States 4 and restarted the SMS Agent Host service, after which the download went further.

Note 1: if you have a bundled update like this, you can check in the content information tab what language you have already downloaded.

Note 2: see also this article on the technet blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/configurationmgr/archive/2011/08/23/troubleshooting-a-configuration-manager-2007-installation-of-office-2010.aspx

In addition to the Office 2010 Deployment-post, here is how to integrate (slipstream) Service Pack 1 into the Office 2010 network installation point.

• Download SP1 for Office 2010 (x86)
• Extract the sources: execute this at the command line:

officesuite2010sp1-kb2460049-x86-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:c:\temp\SP1>

Accept the License Terms and click continue.

 

After extracting is complete, you will find the unpacked files into the folder you specified.

• Apply SP1: Copy the extracted files to your Office 2010 network installation point into the Updates folder, no more no less.

We needed to have Access 2010 delivered through App-V on the same computers where Office 2010 Standard was published to. Office 2010 needs the Office 2010 Deployment Kit for App-V to activate, this was already up and running on our client computers.

If we streamed Access 2010 next to Office 2010 Standard, Access launched and asked for a Product Key:

I thought the Office Software Protection Platform must take action here, and contact our KMS Server to obtain a license, but it didn’t behave like that. The Office Software Protection Platform (osppsvc) service is responsible for the activation. This service is installed by the Office 2010 Deployment Kit for App-V.

After going through Technet and some forums, I finally got it all together and found the solution:

The KMS activation is done when installing the Deployment kit for App-V. To use Access 2010 and Office 2010 Standard together, the Deployment Kit for App-V needs to be installed with the STANDARD and ACCESS parameters combined. These Licensing Flags can be used on the command line separated by a space:

OffVirt.msi ACCESS=1 STANDARD=1 /qb REBOOT=REALLYSUPPRESS

To verify which actions the OffVirt.msi installer exactly did, use the logfile parameter and check the logs:

OffVirt.msi ACCESS=1 STANDARD=1 /qb REBOOT=REALLYSUPPRESS /l*v c:\temp\OffVirt.log

If the ACCESS=1 parameter wasn’t set, you’ll get this in the logfile;

MSI (s) (E0:E0) [17:11:35:989]: Skipping action: Access_KMS_Client (condition is false)

When you did set the ACCESS=1 licensing flag;

MSI (s) (40:58) [17:29:32:699]: Doing action: Access_KMS_Client

Going through the logs makes everything clear. Combining the OffVirt.msi parameters makes sense!

Many company’s choose to deploy Microsoft Office 2010 with the Windows 7 rollout, including mine. I will describe in short our Office 2010 deployment process in this post.

1. Create a network installation point

• Create a folder on a file server. For example: \\servername\sharename\office2010standard
• Copy the Office 2010 CD to that folder, this location becomes the network installation point (this approach differs from previous versions, such as Office 2003).
• Copy each language pack that you want from the source media to the installation point. When you are prompted to overwrite duplicate Setup files, click No.

2. Make a customization file with Office Customization Tool in Office 2010

• Start setup with the /admin parameter, to launch OCT (\\servername\sharename\office2010standard\setup.exe /Admin)
• Select your Office version, I choose Standard 32bit, or open a previous created msp file.

Setup

• Choose install location and company name.
• Setup licensing and user interface; we ‘re using a Key Management Server (KMS), we don’t like having users canceling the setup, we don’t like setup to display error messages and other dialog boxes that might interrupt the installation and we’re accepting the EULA automatically:

Features

• Modify user settings;
  • Disable Opt-in Wizard on first run: Enable (to disable the Wizard)
  • Enable customer experience improvenment program: Disable
  • Automatically receive small updates to improve reliability: Disable

• Language settings:

• Choose features you’d like to install.

Additional content

• We’re moving the shortcuts to another place in the Start Menu, it’s your choice to adapt this.

Outlook

• Outlook profile

• Add accounts

Save the customization file in de Updates folder: \\servername\sharename\office2010standard\Updates\yourFile.msp

3. Config.xml

Although some settings are already configured with OCT, this is my Config.xml file:

<Configuration Product=”Standard”>

  <Display Level=”basic” CompletionNotice=”no” SuppressModal=”No” AcceptEula=”Yes” />
  <Logging Type=”standard” Path=”C:\YourLogPath” Template=”Microsoft Office 2010 Standard Setup(*).txt” />
  <COMPANYNAME Value=”CompanyName” />
  <Setting Id=”SETUP_REBOOT” Value=”Never” />
  <AddLanguage Id=”match” ShellTransform=”Yes” />
  <AddLanguage Id=”en-us” />
  <AddLanguage Id=”nl-nl” />
  <AddLanguage Id=”fr-fr” />
  <LIS SOURCELIST=”\\servername\sharename\office2010standard” />
</Configuration>

Display

I like to immitate the /qb installation method, this can be done with this line:

<Display Level=”Basic” CompletionNotice=”No” SuppressModal=”No” AcceptEula=”Yes” />

Other options for Display Level are : None / Basic / Full

CompletionNotice set to None. To hide the setup end screen. Users don’t need this screen.

SuppressModal set to None, This way setup doesn’t display error messages and other dialog boxes that might interrupt the installation.

AcceptEula to accept the End User Licensing automatically.

Logging

We like to have some logging to troubleshoot install failures.

<Logging Type=”standard” Path=”C:\YourLogPath” Template=”Microsoft Office 2010 Standard Setup(*).txt” />

Setting – Reboot

To suppress a reboot after setup:

<Setting Id=”SETUP_REBOOT” Value=”Never” />

Setting – Suppress Activation using MAK actication

If you’re using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) and you want to automatically (silent) activate Office 2010, add the following line to your config.xml. So users don’t get bothered with activation.

<Setting Id=”AUTO_ACTIVATE” Value=”1″ />

AddLanguage

A system engineer in a multilanguage environment needs to enable extra languages. Use the following lines to match the User Interface (Shell UI) language of the user’s Locale, and install some languages used in Belgium.

<AddLanguage Id=”match” />
<AddLanguage Id=”en-us” ShellTransform=”Yes” />
<AddLanguage Id=”nl-nl” />
<AddLanguage Id=”fr-fr” />

LIS Sourcelist

Add extra lines to the LIS Sourcelist if you’re having multiple fileservers holding the Office network installation point.

<LIS SOURCELIST=”\\servername\sharename\office2010standard” />

 

Hotfixes and patches

Hotfixes can be placed in the directory \Updates. These patches will be installed by setup during Office installation.

4. Deployment

Install Office with the /config parameter, pointing to the config.xml file.

\\servername\sharename\office2010standard\setup.exe” /config \\servername\sharename\office2010standard\Standard.WW\Config.xml”

 

Happy deploying!

Update: Integrate Service Pack 1 into the network installation point.

Last week I installed an Office 2010 KMS server. I had to install it on top of an existing Windows 7 KMS server. So I downloaded the Office 2010 KMS host license pack and activated the machine. No issues so far. After I installed Visio 2010 on my machine I saw that i had installed and activated a premium version.

Visio 2010 comes preinstalled with a Premium KMS client key. Remember to enter the appropriate KMS key as needed in your image. See also http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624357.aspx

Late last week, the Office engineering team announced that Office 2010 RTM has been released.

As it seems, the public beta was already downloaded by 7.5 million people, this latest Office release is going to be a success.

If you want to read more on the new features in this release, or are just curious, checkout here

The Final build number is 14.0.4763.1000.

Downloads for msdn/technet people should be available on April 22th, for existing Volume Licensing customers with SA the date is April 27th.

Retail boxes should be available from June on

A Virtual Launch event is also planned on May 12 : http://www.the2010event.com

Enjoy!