Deploying Office 2016 using the Click-to-Run Deployment Tool

16

Update: Before you read this post, check out my new guide on TechNet right here: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/How-to-Deploying-Office-e9f296fb

Today Microsoft has released the Office 2016 Deployment Tool.

This Tool allows administrators to customize and manage Office 2016 Click-to-Run deployments. It will also help administrators to manage installations sources, product/language combinations, and deployment configuration options for Office Click-to-Run.

The tool can be downloaded here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49117&WT

Prepareing and Deploying Office 2016

After downloading and extracting the Deployment Tool, we need to create a download.xml that is used to download or update the installation source with the latest version of Office 365 Pro Plus (2016).

We also need to create a configuration.xml file that are used when deploying Office 2016.

clip_image001

Note: When you attempt to download the Office 365 ProPlus from the Microsoft content delivery network (CDN) using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) you might get the following error message:

clip_image005

This occurs when you leave the SourcePath blank in the configuration.xml.  For example, your configuration.xml looks as follows:

<Configuration>
<Add SourcePath=” ” OfficeClientEdition=”32″ >
<Product ID=”O365ProPlusRetail”>
<Language ID=”en-us” />
</Product>
</Add>
</Configuration>

To workaround this issue, you will need to specify a path (UNC or Local folder) in the SourcePath attribute of the configuration.xml file.  This requirement is for /download only and not for /configure.

More info about this bug: http://blogs.technet.com/b/odsupport/archive/2015/09/22/office-365-proplus-2016-couldn-39-t-install-error-30015-1007-when-trying-to-download-using-the-office-deployment-tool-odt.aspx

Creating the Configuration files

This is how the download.xml file that I use in my lab looks like:

SNAGHTML2c9573c

Note: There is a bug with the

 

And here is the configuration.xml file:

clip_image004As you can see, I’m downloading both the Danish and English version but I’m only deploying one language.

Here is a cool tool that will help you create the xml files you need:
http://officedev.github.io/Office-IT-Pro-Deployment-Scripts/XmlEditor.html

Running Setup

To download the latest version you need to run the following command:

Setup.exe /download download.xml

And when the download is complete you can run the following command to install Office:

Setup.exe /configure configure.xml

That’s it… Happy deployment…

 

/Enjoy

+Ronni Pedersen

For more updates on Deployment and Enterprise Client Managemet please follow me on Twitter: @ronnipedersen

If you want to connect via LinkedIn, you can reach me here: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/ronnipedersen

About Author

My name is Ronni Pedersen and I'm currently working as a Cloud Architect at APENTO in Denmark. My primary focus is Enterprise Client Management solutions, based on technologies like AzureAD, Intune, EMS and System Center Configuration Manager. I'm is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft MVP in Enterprise Mobility.

16 Comments

  1. Pingback: Office 2016 Released - msdigest.net - by Peter Schmidt [MVP & MCSM]

  2. Hello,

    Very nice write-up! Do you know will this C2R installation method be the only available installation option with Office 2016 or will there be the normal setup.exe with Office Customization Wizard like it was with Office 2013 ?

  3. Hi Ronni,

    I’m glad to see you manage to use Office Deployment Tool in the end. In my case I’ve not been so lucky.

    In fact I manage to make it work in one VM, where I use the following config to choose what applications to install:

    This code worked perfectly in VM1. In fact I could see during the install process that the progress window shows only the icons of the applications being installed.

    In VM2 the file simply does not work. Rather than showing the icons of the applications being installed, it shows a big OFFICE 2016 logo.

    Back in VM1 I then tried to use another file to remove Word:

    But that didn’t work…

    Any ideas of what might be wrong?

    Regards,
    P.

  4. Hi
    I don’t think using SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstallO365ProPlusRetail – en-us. is good way for Detection Rule, esspecialy for later on updates deployed by SCCM.
    For me you should put SOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeClickToRunConfigurationVersionToReport == 16.0.xxxxxxx

    • I agree. There are some scenarios where you want to control the version, but for customers that want to use Office as a service, and stay on the latest version, this will work just fine.

  5. Flemming WIlton Hansen on

    Tak for hjælpen,

    På alle de MS sider jeg har fundet omkring dette emne, er der en syntaxfejl. Har derfor ikke fået downloadet noget før jeg fandt din side.

    Hos MS står der : Setup.exe /download download.xml

    ..og ikke som du gør Setup.exe /download download.xml , som virker !!!

    Mvh
    Flemming

  6. Steve Johnson on

    Hi,
    I’m trying to deploy Office 2016, and have searched for help…your blog helped greatly until the configuration file…the one shown in the blog is all remarked out, so I couldn’t get the configuration to work (unless you meant to leave it all remarked out). Your download xml file worked flawlessly, so I wondered if your configuration file just didn’t get uploaded…or is it supposed to be blank?

    Thanks…

  7. Hi Ronnie

    in your post you write:

    Note: There is a bug with the

    And here is the configuration.xml file:

    a bug with the….. the….. ??

  8. What’s your experience with SourcePath?

    Reading your guide, I notice you don’t use any SourcePath in Configuration.xml Is Setup.exe clever enough to use the files from the Office folder automatically, or will the lack of SourcePath mean you download the needed install files from Microsoft on every install?

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