With Autopilot as the newer solution in deployment we're still creating reference images with MDT to support any solution that exist in place.
As IT Pro you want to have automation in every scenario that you can.
For this reason today i will cover how can deploy Office 365 Proplus with MDT in your reference image.
What is Required
Before start to explain let's prepare to be sure that we have all the staff that required
- MDT Deployment Share Configure. Find out how can install and configure it
- Internet Access and be sure that the Firewall allow the connections to download Office 365 proPlus
- Download Office Deployment Tool that you can find here
Office Deployment Tool Installation
The installation of the Office Deployment Tool it's very common as you know for every small application.
- Check the Accept ...
- Select the folder to extract the files
- After finish the installation open the folder that you have select to extract the files. In the folder you must find the following files
- configuration-Office365-x64.xml
- configuration-Office365-x32.xml
- configuration-Office2019Enterprise.xml
- setup.exe
Prepare the Office365 ProPlus for the Deployment
In order to setup or download Office 365 we must configure one of the xml files which included in folder base on the Office 365 proplus version that we would like to use.
Because i want to have these xml files as examples without change it i copy and paste the configuration-Office365-x64.xml and rename it as configuration.xml.
If you open the xml file with a notepad you will find the following lines.
We are not going to explain all the configuration options that we have here but we will proceed with the common configration scenarion.
For more detail instructions about what you can configure in xml file you can open the Official Microsoft Documentation
In our examples we will use
- OfficeClientEdition x64
- The Office365ProPlusRetail with Language English
- We have enable Updates in Monthly Channel
- Display Level=None which means no Graphical Interface through installation
- We use AutoActivation
How to Download Office365 ProPlus Files
If you want to Deploy from the Cloud you don't need to read this Paragraph.
We have setup the Office Deployment Tool, prepare the xml file. Now we can use the configuration.xml to download Office365 ProPlus if we want to proceed the the Deployment from Downloaded Installation files.
- Open an elevated command prompt.
- Go in the path with the xml and setup.exe files
- Write down the following command
setup.exe /download configuration.xml - After run the command you can see a new folder with the name Office
- The Office365 Proplus is 2GB .
- Base on the Internet Connection wait until finish.
Deploy from the Cloud or from Downloaded Installation files
We have two options to install Office 365 Proplus. The first one is from Office Content Delivery Network (CDN) without need to download any file local. The second option is to download the office installation files local and do the installation offline.
Depends of how you will setup your reference image with MDT you can choose any of two options. For example if your reference image it's not configure to has access in the Internet then you must use the second option to install the Office365 Proplus offline.
Import the Office365 ProPlus in the MDT
- From the MDT Console go in Applications
- Right click and select New Folder
- Write down the name of the Application.Click Next
- See the Summary and click Next to create the Folder.
- Click Finish
- Now right click in the folder that created and select New Application
- Select Application with source files.Click Next
- Fill the fields with whatever you want to recognize.
- Select the source directory which included the following files
- configuration.xml
- setup.exe
- Office(folder) if you have download and you would like to deploy from local source
- Specify the name of the directory that should be created in Deployment Share
- Type the following command and click Next
setup.exe /configure configuration/xml
- Check the configuration to be sure that you don't have any error. Click Next
- Wait to finish and click Next.
Create the Task Sequence in MDT for the Office365 ProPlus
Until now we have install and use the Office Deployment Tool to configure the xml file. We have also download the Office365 ProPlus, import in MDT as Application
Now it's time to configure the Task Sequence for the Reference Image in MDT.
- In the MDT go in Task Sequence and find the Task Sequence that you have created for the reference Image. If you don't have created it's the perfect time to read the How to Deploy a Windows 10 Custom Image with MDT that explain step by step how can create a Reference Image in MDT and any related Task as the Task Sequences.
- Open the Task Sequence and go in Task Sequence Tab.
- A small Tip: Click in previous Install Application and not in the beginning if you already have and click Add - - General - - Application.
- Select Install a Single Application.
- Click Browse and find the Office 365 ProPlus. Click OK
- Click OK.
- Now we are ready to Deploy the Reference Image.
- Let'see it in practice while deploy the Reference Image and start the installation of Office365 ProPlus
Have a nice weekend !!
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