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Introduction 
Once you have your Office Administrative Installation Point
created, how do you update the Installation Point when Microsoft
releases its regular updates? And then, how do you update
the clients with the new Office updates?
When Microsoft issues an Office update, there are 2 separate versions
of the update made available. One for updating stand alone PCs (client
updates), and one for updating Administrative Installation Points
(administrative updates).
For stand alone computers, the recommended way of updating
Office is to go to the Office Update site and install the updates
from there.
http://office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/default.aspx
Additionally, you can go to the Office Download Center and download
the updates to your computer and install them from your PC.
http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/default.aspx
For updates to an Office Administrative Installation Point,
you can go to the Office Download Center and download the updates
that are identified as Administrative Installation updates.
For Security Updates on either a stand alone computer or
an Administrative Installation Point, you can go to the MS Technet
Security Bulletin Search site and search for any updates. Once
again, there should be 2 updates for each Office security update,
one for stand alone computers and one for Administrative Installation
Points.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/default.asp?url=/technet/security/current.asp
Before you start
| 1. |
Obviously, you need an Office Administrative Installation
Point created on a server first. If you need information
on how to do this, see these Microsoft web pages:
Office 2000
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2000/two/45ct_3.htm
Office XP
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/one/depb01.htm
Note: When using Windows 2000 pre SP2 as your operating
system, and you create an Office Administrative Installation
Point and you set any features to run from the network (Run
from Network or Run All from Network), you must create your
administrative installation point in a subfolder on the
share:
\\server01\Installs\Office\. If Setup.exe is located at
the root of the share,
\\server01\Installs, Office features will not run properly.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q273674
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| 2. |
Once client PCs have Office installed from an
Administrative Installation Point, then all subsequent updates,
repairs, installs must be done from the Installation Point.
You cannot do these tasks from the Office CD.
Note: Microsoft now supports updating client Office
installations that were originally installed from an Administrative
Installation Point to be updated with the client version of
an Office update. In the past this was not supported,
but because of synchronization issues some organizations were
having with Office updates, MS now supports this.
However, like most Microsoft products, there are caveats to
everything, so you need to read about this first. See
this web page:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/journ/Cliupdt.htm
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| 3. |
Before you update an administrative installation
point, make sure no users are using the Office installation
share. If a file on the share is in use during the upgrade
process, a newer version of that file is not copied to the installation
point.
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| 4. |
MSI and MSP Files
The MSI file is the Windows Installer package file located
in your Office Administrative Installation Point. Different
version of Office have different MSI files. For example,
Office XP Pro with FrontPage would have a MSI file called PROPLUS.MSI.
The MSI file can also be found at the root of the Office
CD if you aren't sure which file it is on your server.
Note: In addition to the Office MSI file there
will be another MSI file for the Office Web Components. This
file is not the file to reference unless you are applying a
Service Pack update. In Office XP the web components
MSI file is called OWC10.MSI, in Office 2000 it is called MSOWC.MSI.
The MSP file is the Office administrative update file
that updates the MSI file and copies files to the Administrative
Installation Point. If you have more than one Office update
to install (more than one MSP file), you have to install them
separately. You cannot "chain" MSP file installs. |
Updating Office
Updating Office and your clients is a 2 step process:
| 1. |
Update the Office Administrative Installation
Point on the Server. |
| 2. |
Update the client PCs with the new Office Updates. |
Update the Office Administrative Installation
Point
| 1. |
Download the Office update you want to install
from one of the sites listed above. Make sure you download
the Administrative Installation update. This will be a
self extracting file that contains a MSP file. The MSP
file is used to update the Office MSI file located on
the server installation point. |
| 2. |
On a client PC or on the server, extract the MSP
file from the Office update download (just double click the
.exe file) and then run the MSP file by clicking Start, Run
and typing:
[start] msiexec /p path\name of update MSP file /a path\name
of MSI file SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb /L* path\name of
log file.
ex.:
msiexec /p c:\ofcupdates\winwordff.msp
/a \\server01\installs\office\PROPLUS.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE
/qb /L* c:\logfiles\ofcupdate.log
In the above example the location of the MSP file is c:\ofcupdates\winwordff.msp
The location of the MSI file on the server share where Office
is installed is
\\server01\installs\office\PROPLUS.MSI
The location of the log file for the installation will be c:\logfiles\ofcupdate.log
Notes:
You can use a UNC path or drive letter and path for the location
of the MSP and MSI files.
If any
of your paths contain a space character, the path must be surrounded
by quotation marks (for example, "C:\OfficeXP Admin").
You
don't have to create a log file. This is optional. Also,
you don't have to use the /qb switch.
In the
above example the command line wraps to 2 lines. When
entering this command line it should be on one line.
It is
probably better to copy the Office update file (MSP file) to
the server housing the Installation Point, and apply the MSP
file from there. Doing it over the network, from another
computer, can take a long time.
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Commands for the Administrative Installation Point Update
| Command-line option |
Description |
| [start] |
Required only for Windows 98 systems where Msiexec is not
directly in the path. |
| Msiexec |
Executable file name for Windows Installer. |
| /p |
Enables Windows Installer to apply an update to an existing installation. |
| [path\name of update MSP file] |
Path and file name of the MSP file for the update. |
| /a |
Enables Windows Installer to perform an administrative installation
of a product on a network share. |
| [path\name of MSI file] |
Path and file name of the Windows Installer package for your original
administrative image. |
| SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE |
Directs Windows Installer to create all file names and folders with
MS-DOS–compatible file names. Required when you run Windows
Installer from the command line. |
| /qb or /qb+ |
Sets the user interface to the basic level (simple
progress and error handling). /qb+ supresses all dialog boxes. |
| /L* |
Turns on logging and sets a path for the log file. The *
flag causes the switch to log all information. |
| [path\name of log file] |
Path and file name of the Windows Installer log file. |
Update the Client PCs
| 1. |
Once you have updated the Admin Installation Point,
you can update Office on your client PCs. On a client PC, update
the Office installation by clicking Start, Run and typing:
[start] msiexec /i [path to updated .msi file on the administrative
image] REINSTALL=All REINSTALLMODE=vomus /qb
ex.:
msiexec /i \\server01\installs\office\PROPLUS.MSI
REINSTALL=All REINSTALLMODE=vomus /qb
In the above example, the location of the now updated MSI file
on the server share where Office is installed is \\server01\installs\office\PROPLUS.MSI
Notes:
This
command line can be run from Start, Run on the client PC, from
a login script, a command prompt, a batch file or whatever means
of file distribution your environment uses.
You
can use a UNC path or drive letter and path for the location
of the MSI file.
If any
of your paths contain a space character, the path must be surrounded
by quotation marks (for example, "C:\OfficeXP Admin").
In the
above example, make sure when entering the command line it is
on one line.
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Commands for the Client PC Update
| Command-line option |
Description |
| [start] |
Required only for Windows 98 systems where Msiexec
is not directly in the path. |
| Msiexec |
Executable file name for Windows Installer. |
| /I |
Enables Windows Installer to apply an update to
an existing installation. |
| [path to updated .msi file on the administrative
image] |
Path and file name of the Microsoft Installer (.MSI)
file on the administrative installation point. |
REINSTALL=ALL
REINSTALL=[list of features] |
Specifies whether you want to reinstall specific
features or reinstall all applications on the administrative
image. |
| REINSTALLMODE=vomus |
Triggers the recache and reinstallation on the client
computer. |
| /qb or /qb+ |
Sets the user interface to the basic level (simple
progress and error handling). /qb+ supresses all dialog boxes. |
Note: Above, the REINSTALL=[list of features] allows
you to update certain Office programs or their components. For
example, if you had an update just for MS Word, you could use REINSTALL=WORDFiles
instead of REINSTALL=ALL. The list of features you can use with REINSTALL=[list
of features] can be found on this web page.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/journ/Oxpsp2a.htm
Scroll down to the section on updating client computers. In
most cases it is just easier to use REINSTALL=ALL due the large number
of options for the list of features.
Installing Office Service Packs
Installing Office Service Packs is slightly
different than installing other Office updates. Service Packs
have 2 components, the updating of the Office MSI file and the updating
of the Office Web Components MSI file. The process is basically
the same as other Administrative updates.
Note: Starting with Office XP SP3
(and Office 2003 Service Packs) you can now download a single
executable file that can be applied to client PCs that were installed
from an Office Administrative Installation Point. Prior to
SP3, this was not possible (or at least annoyingly difficult).
Microsoft is now recommending you create a Baseline Administrative
Installation Point of Office
(setup /a from the original Office CD). Install client PCs
from that baseline administrative install, and then install the
Service Pack directly on client PCs - instead of updating the Administrative
Installation Point with the Service Pack. (Of course you can
still update the Administrative Installation Point if you like)
See this MS
Office XP SP3 web site for more detailed information.
| 1. |
Download the Office Service Pack file which is
a self extracting .exe file. Double click the .exe file
and it will expand into 2 MSP files. One file updates
the Office applications and one file updates the Office web
components. I will use Office XP SP2 for this example.
Note: Different Service Packs use different naming conventions
for the MSP files. Why Microsoft doesn't standardize this,
is a mystery.
| OXPSP2A.EXE |
The SP2 download file |
| MAINSP2FF.MSP |
Updates core components for Office XP |
| OWC10SP2FF.MSP |
Updates Office Web Components |
Note: It is best to copy the 2 MSP files to the
server that houses the Office Administrative Installation Point
before you install them. Additionally, each MSP file must
be installed separately.
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| 2. |
The commands used to install each of the service
pack MSP files are the same, and are the same as the command
used for other Administrative updates. You just reference
the different MSP files in separate commands.
[start] msiexec /p path\name of update MSP file /a path\name
of MSI file SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb /L* path\name of
log file.
ex.:
Update Office applications
msiexec /p c:\ofcupdates\mainsp2ff.msp
/a d:\installs\office\PROPLUS.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE
/qb /L* c:\logfiles\ofcupdate.log
Update Office web components
msiexec /p c:\ofcupdates\owc10sp2ff.msp
/a d:\installs\office\OWC10.MSI SHORTFILENAMES=TRUE /qb
/L* c:\logfiles\ofcupdate.log
Notice that each command references one of the service pack
MSP files which is related to the associated Office MSI file.
Notes:
You can use a UNC path or drive letter and path for the location
of the MSP and MSI files.
If any
of your paths contain a space character, the path must be surrounded
by quotation marks (for example, "C:\OfficeXP Admin").
You
don't have to create a log file. This is optional. Also,
you don't have to use the /qb switch.
In the
above example the command line wraps to 2 lines. When
entering this command line it should be on one line.
Microsoft
recommends copying the MSP fiiles to the server that houses
the Administrative Installation Point, and on that server, run
the installation commands for the service pack MSP files.
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| 3. |
Updating the Client PCs with the latest Service
Pack
Updating the client PCs is the same as updating client PCs
with other Office updates. The difference being you must run
2 separate commands. One for the applications MSI file
and one for the web components MSI file.
[start] msiexec /i [path to updated .msi file on the administrative
image] REINSTALL=All REINSTALLMODE=vomus /qb
On each PC open Start, Run and enter the following commands:
ex.:
Update Office applications on each PC
msiexec /i \\server01\installs\office\proplus.msi
REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus /qb
Update Office web components on each PC
msiexec /i \\server01\installs\office\owc10.msi
REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus /qb
Notes:
These
command lines can be run from Start, Run on the client PC,
from a login script, a command prompt, a batch file or whatever
means of file distribution your environment uses.
You
can use a UNC path or drive letter and path for the location
of the MSI file.
If
any of your paths contain a space character, the path must
be surrounded by quotation marks (for example, "C:\OfficeXP
Admin").
In
the above example, make sure when entering the command line
it is on one line.
Links
Office 2000 Resource Kit
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2000/default.htm
Office XP Resource Kit
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/default.htm
Office 2000 Resource Center
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;ofw2k
Office XP Resource Center
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;offxp
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