Johnny50

Wonder if anyone can help me,

I'm soon to be deploying WinXP onto our workstations (about 140 PC's) and will be using Active Directory to deploy some applications.

Now, i've been told we dont have the cash for Office XP, so i'm going to have to stick to Office 97pro.

But...Office 97 doesn't have the ability to create an MSI file, needed for a deployment.

Does anyone know if an MSI file can be obtained ? Or created ?

Probably a long shot...

Thanks

Johnny

J1nxy

If all your machines are going to be a standard build then it should be possible to package the app into a MSI file using either something like SMS installer or Wise.

Another way I've seen to do this is to put the install files onto a share and then create and msi with a batch file in it which then calls the setup from the share.

Never done this with Office 97 but might be worth a go, you should be able to get a trial version of wise from their website or wininstall le as its a freebie.

Steve

Johnny50

Cheers Steve.

We dont have SMS unfortunately, so i'll have a look at those websites.

All the machines are identical, as they will be brand new, and all of the same build (ie.software)

Thanks

Johnny

medders

why don't you use an imaging tool like ghost, and put the app on the image ?

Alternatively purchase installshield or similar which will be much less than the ms office licence for office xp and you can make your own msi.

Paul

Johnny50

We've got Drive image,

But have been told that if we use this to deploy, we cannot use Active Dir to re-deploy in the future.

Is that b0ll0ks then ?

Johnny50

Many thanks for all the feedback guys.

Am gonna print the thread off so i can check everything out.

Will get back to you soon.

Thanks

Johnny

medders

Just for the record - AD IS good at deploying apps - SMS 2003 (just rolled RC1 here) does a lot more besides. if you just want to roll msi's to a LAN AD is fine.

Johnny - If you dont have an MSI for office anyway - you could put it on your image as you wouldn't be able to redeploy (same predicament you're currently in ?)

you could roll an uninstall batch file to remove office 97 if you need to upgrade or just a leter office msi will probably do a nice upgarde if you go down that route.

Paul

DSOTM

The only chance you might have is the Office 97 ORK (Office Resource Kit)

I know there are tools in there to create MST files (Transform) files but you specify those on the command line of Setup.exe
I used them when I installed 97 onto our Citrix servers.

You might want to have a look at Prism Pack. It's fairly cheap per client, couple of grand would licence you for all your 140 PC's I think.

Very powerful tool, with enterprise deployment capabilities. Might suit you just perfectly.

In simple terms, you take a snapshot, install your software, then take another snapshot.
Resulting file can be applied to multiple machines

It'll convert to MSI's, but each of the clients must still be licenced if you use the MSI on there. (Not for software that comes as an MSI install though !)

FWIW we use it for 3000+ PCs / 700 laptops instead of AD Software Deployment, but we use it with a third party Software Deployment package.

Lanovation (NewBoundary - new name ? ) Clicky

Ingram Micros (only UK Reseller - for prices) Clicky

HTH

[Edited by DSOTM - 8/11/2003 10:15:24 PM]

J1nxy

I might be wrong but I think your thinking of the Office 2000 ORK as it came with the MST file for use in a terminal services based environment. An MST only works on an MSI file and Office 97 is not based around the Microsoft Installer which appeared with 2000 and Office 2000.

Link to Office 97 ork
http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/appa/appa.htm

If all machines are identical then wininstall le will do what you want, or at least point you in the right direction, as it is a snap shotting tool. Only thing to be very careful with is that the package produced by the snapshot has to go onto an identically built OS as the package machines otherwise all hell usually breaks loss.....And if your doing apps which need device drivers such as dongles these tend to be incredibly picky about being snap shotted as the drivers just wont re-register properly.

If you are building all machines the same then building one machine with Office installed and configured and then sysprepping it and imaging it from there is a good way of deploying.

Realistically an AD is not going to be the worlds greatest means of deploying applications, if it was would microsoft still be trying to sort out SMS 2003??. Any system that give you a more controllable and managable means of deploying applications will in the long run save u a load of money just in man time.....

Just my 2p worth..........

Steve


[Edited by J1nxy - 8/11/2003 10:48:22 PM]

DSOTM

Nope. Deffo not Office 2000. Never used it at work.

Though I will admit, it's been a long time since I put MF 1.8 and Office97 in

/me rumbles off for a look

OK, I may be [mumbles]wrong[/mumbles]
I have vague memories of testing with Office 2000 and being told no

[Edited by DSOTM - 8/12/2003 1:00:16 AM]