Profile Wizard

How to Distribute Unique Office User Profiles During Deployment

You can distribute different user profiles for different groups when you deploy Microsoft Office 2000. For example, a large corporation with several departments might want each department to specify how Office 2000 is installed on that department’s computers. You can configure Office 2000 with the default corporate settings and then have each department update those settings with a unique user profile.

You can approach this task in two ways:

• Create a standard user profile, create separate department profiles, and then substitute the department profiles for the standard profile during deployment.
• Or you can create a standard user profile, create separate department profiles, and distribute both profiles during deployment.

The first approach is simpler, but it does involve keeping track of different versions of the customized installation — one customized by the corporate administrator and one customized by each department administrator. The second approach allows the department administrators to deploy Office 2000 without modifying the corporate installation.

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Distribute a department-specific user profile

In this scenario, the corporate administrator creates a default Office profile settings (OPS) file first.

To create a standard corporate user profile

1. Install and configure Office 2000 on a test computer, and then run the Profile Wizard to create the default OPS file.
2. Customize the Office 2000 installation to include the default OPS file.

   In the Office Custom Installation Wizard, the Customize Default Application Settings panel includes this option.

Before Office is deployed, the individual department administrators create a new OPS file based on the corporate version.

To create a department-specific user profile

1. By using the corporate transform (MST file), install Office on a test computer.
2. Customize the Office 2000 environment to suit the department needs.
3. Run the Profile Wizard to create a new department-specific OPS file.
4. Customize the Office 2000 installation to include the new OPS file.
5. Deploy the customized Office 2000 installation to all department users.

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Distribute both corporate and department settings

In this scenario, the corporate administrator customizes the Office 2000 installation to point to the Profile Wizard and OPS file with a relative path. Using a relative path allows each department to add the Profile Wizard and a departmental OPS file to their administrative installation point.

To customize the Office installation for department-specific user profiles

1. Install and configure Office 2000 on a test computer, and then run the Profile Wizard to create a default OPS file.
2. Customize the Office 2000 installation to include the default OPS file.

   In the Office Custom Installation Wizard, the Customize Default Application Settings panel includes this option.

3. Customize the Office 2000 installation to include the Profile Wizard as an application to be run at the end of the installation, and point to the Profile Wizard and OPS file with a relative path. Use the following syntax:

   OPW\Proflwiz.exe /r Department.ops /q

   In the Office Custom Installation Wizard, the Add Installations and Run Programs panel includes this option.

4. Create separate administrative installation points on the network for each department.
5. Create an OPW folder at each administrative installation point, and copy the Profile Wizard to that folder.

When Office is deployed, the individual department administrators update the Office installation with their own customized versions.

To install a department-specific user profile

1. By using the corporate transform (MST file), install Office on a test computer.

   If the corporate administrator included an OPS file, this installation includes those settings.

2. Customize the Office 2000 environment to suit the department needs.
3. Run the Profile Wizard to create an OPS file based on the new settings, and name the file Department.ops.
4. Copy the new Department.ops file to the OPW folder on the department administrative installation point.
5. Deploy Office 2000 to department computers.

When Office 2000 is installed, the settings in the corporate OPS file are included. Immediately following the installation, the Profile Wizard automatically runs and the corporate settings are updated with the department administrator’s changes.