Basic Installation Methods

How to Install Office from a Custom CD-ROM

If you have users who cannot install or run Microsoft Office over the network, you can still create a customized version of Office for them by modifying and distributing a custom copy of Microsoft Office 2000 Disc 1. This option requires that you have the capability to create and distribute CD-ROMs.

Important   You must obtain the proper user licenses before copying, modifying, or distributing a customized version of Office Disc 1. For more information about licensing, see your Microsoft reseller.

The process of customizing Office Disc 1 is similar to the process of customizing an administrative installation point. First, you edit the Setup settings file or create a Windows installer transform (MST file) to use with Setup. However, instead of customizing an administrative installation point on the network, you copy the contents of Office Disc 1 to your hard disk. After modifying the Office installation with your settings, you save and distribute copies of your custom CD-ROM to your users.

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Copy Office Disc 1 to your hard disk

Select a folder on your hard disk with at least 496 MB of free space, and copy the complete folder hierarchy and files from Office Disc 1 to the folder. This step creates an exact copy of the CD-ROM contents. You can customize this copy before using it to create custom copies of Office Disc 1.

Note   The folder structure that you copy from Office Disc 1 to your hard disk is nearly identical to the folder structure created by Setup when you create an administrative installation point. However, users cannot perform a network installation from the CD-ROM image. To create a valid administrative installation point, you must use Setup with the /a option.

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Customize Setup

When users insert Office Disc 1 into a CD-ROM drive, Microsoft Windows uses the Autorun.inf file to run Setup.exe from the CD-ROM. Users can also double-click Setup.exe on the CD-ROM. You can modify your copy of the CD-ROM files on disk to customize the way that Setup.exe installs Office.

You have two options for customizing the way that Office is installed when users run Setup from your custom Office CD-ROM:

• Edit the Setup settings file.
• Create a transform by using the Office Custom Installation Wizard.

Edit the Setup settings file

You edit the Setup settings file (Setup.ini) to define properties that Office Setup uses to control the installation process. You can also specify whether Setup runs interactively or quietly. Setup uses the property values that you define in the settings file and alters the installation process accordingly.

For example, you can run Setup quietly, specify a unique organization name, and restart when the installation is complete by adding these lines to the settings file:

[MSI]
MSI=Data1.msi

[Display]
Display=None

[Options]
REBOOT=Force
COMPANYNAME=Northwind Traders

Create a transform by using the Custom Installation Wizard

The Custom Installation Wizard allows you to specify the same property settings that you can define on the command line or in the settings file, but the wizard also allows you to make many more customizations.

For example, you can select the Office features that you want to install, modify shortcuts, customize options for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and Microsoft Outlook, and even add your own custom files to the installation. The wizard saves your selections in a transform.

When you run Setup, you specify the transform that you want Setup to use by setting the TRANSFORMS property in the Setup settings file. For example, these lines specify the transform Custom.mst:

[Options]
TRANSFORMS=Custom.mst

Caution   Do not alter anything in the files that you copied from Office Disc 1 to the hard disk other than editing the settings file or adding a transform. Setup relies on the folder hierarchy and files to remain as they are on Office Disc 1.

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Copy and distribute your custom CD-ROM

After you have customized your copy of the CD-ROM on disk, you can use this copy to create CD-ROMs for your users. The CD-ROM that you create can be used in the same way as the original Office Disc 1, except that Setup runs with your modifications.

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See also

Office Setup allows you to customize how Office is installed by modifying the Setup settings file. For more information, including a complete description of settings file options, see Customizing How Setup Runs.

For more advanced customizations, use the Office Custom Installation Wizard to create a transform to alter the installation process. For more information, see Customizing How Office Features Are Installed.