HOWTO: Silently install any Office 2003 Edition

[l33t]

Hi @All,

as we now from the Office Resource Kit Documentation, only the Enterprise Edition acquired through a non-retail channel (such as MSDN or Select) can be installed silently or without a transform. I'll show you that this is not quite true, but rather a feature of Office...

If you do not want to violate your EULA or modify the installation source of Office, do not read past this line. The following text illustrates the process the Office Setup takes to distinguish the Office Editions and prevent the silent/CIW driven installation.

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Microsoft distinguishes the office edition by an SKU XML file and a different main MSI file. Upon entry of the product key the installation determines the appropriate edition and available features (such as transforms and CIW) from the sku xml file.

My first idea was to simply modify the sku xml file, but there is a file signature check in place to prevent the modification. So this was obviously not an option...

My next step was to run the MSI with full logging (msiexec.exe /lv* <<logfile>>) to see how the checks were made and indeed there are a couple of checks made via custom actions in the MSI:

- SkuredQuiet

- SkuredCIW

The first determines if a silent install is in progress and if it is allowed in the edition. The second determines if an install using a transform via the custom installation wizard is allowed/currently running.

So: To make a silent/CIW driven installation work, simply remove the above two custom actions from the InstallExecuteSequence using your favorite MSI editor from the Office MSI file, create the CIW transform and install as the CIW tells you once you finished. (Tutorial available on unattended.msfn.org)

Final words: I am sure using this approach to install Office violates your EULA. I don't know if there are any side-effects to using this approach, however it works for me. Office and McAfee VirusScan were my troubles and this solution worked to automate the Office install.

Have fun!

l33t

P.S.: For those who do not own an MSI Editor: There is a free one part of the Microsoft Windows Installer SDK, which is freely available for download from the platform sdk update site. It includes an orca.msi, which installs a simple MSI editor. I used the editor to modify my office MSI file.

[nodiaque]

hmmmm.... easier way:

http://unattended.msfn.org/xp/office2003.htm

[RichTJ99]

Keep reading. I have the Office 2003 edition that came with the MS action pack. I cant do the unattended install with service packs slipstreamed

This will help me out once I figure out how to edit the msi files.

[l33t]

@nodiaque

The tutorial presented there only works for the Enterprise or VL Editions of Office. The above tutorial should work on any edition. I've tested it on the standard and student editions.

@RichTJ99

Short how-to about editing MSI files for those, who don't own InstallShield or alike...

1. Go to Microsoft Platform SDK Update

2. Click on the link "Windows Installer SDK" on the left.

3. Click on the link "Install this SDK" on the right.

4. Follow installation instructions carefully.

After installation is complete you should have a folder Microsoft SDK in your %ProgramFiles% directory. Navigate to the Bin folder in it.

You should see a file Orca.msi inside it. Install Orca. This will add a new shortcut in your start menu to Orca, a simple msi editor. After installation you can process the tutorial above.

Hope this helps you. Surely helped me.

Regards,

l33t

[RichTJ99]

L33T,

I got Orca running & was able to navigate to the PRO11N.MSI. I was also able to remove the:

- SkuredQuiet

- SkuredCIW

entries from the "InstallExecuteSequence" section. These items do pop up in other spots as well. "

SkuredCIW was in the CustomAction section also.

SkuredQuiet was in the AdminExecuteSequence and in the CustomAction section (as well as the installexecutesequence).

I only removed the entries from the "Installexecutesequence" (since that is what you said).

Any ideas? It doesnt work.

[RichTJ99]

I also tried removing all instances of:

- SkuredQuiet

- SkuredCIW

In the whole msi file, but that didnt work either.

[l33t]

@RichTJ99

You need to save and exit Orca for testing. It keeps a lock on the MSI file and all changes are not really stored until you exit it.

If it still doesn't work for you try the following:

msiexec.exe /lv* C:\officesetup.log /i <<name+pathofofficeMSI>> TRANSFORMS=<<name+pathoftransform>> /qb-

Let the install run. At some point it will fail as you described above. Now open C:\officesetup.log and scroll down to the end of the log file. You should see the detailed error message and the last action, which was executed. This last action most likely caused the error.

Regards,

l33t

Edit: How did you execute the installer? I am executing the MSI directly.

[prathapml]

@l33t-

Cool info, thanx for sharing with us..

Useful for home users who won't have access to corp. editions (atleast, not legally ). I don't suppose this method is warez since it falls in the same category as hacking dxsetup.exe to allow silent install.

[RichTJ99]

msiexec.exe /lv* C:\officesetup.log /i <<name+pathofofficeMSI>> TRANSFORMS=<<name+pathoftransform>> /qb-

Leet - say that my office directory is C:\office2003, the MSI is PRO11N.MSI the transform (thats the MST right?) is unattended.mst & is sitting in the main c:\office2003 directory

What would be the path?

[l33t]

You should be able to run it this way:

msiexec.exe /lv* C:\officesetup.log /i C:\office2003\pro11n.msi TRANSFORMS=C:\office2003\unattended.mst /qb-

Hope this works for you.

l33t

[RichTJ99]

Well, that worked I think, the install didnt, but it made a 600K sized error file. Can you PM me your email address & I will pass it along to you? Or let me know what I should be looking for.

Thanks,

Rich

[edbro]

Is there any way to trick Office into doing an admin install so that I can slipstream? My version is also from the Action Pack and it does not support it.

By the way, I found an alternate source for Orca.msi without installing the SDK.

Orca is on this page

[Tanshu]

Thanx a lot edbro, I was looking for orca. Your good work has saved me a loooooooot of useless downloading.