SMS Office 2003 with Sp3 install problem

[paigeharrisuk]

Ok hear goes:

Task: upgrade all pc’s and laptops to Office2003 with sp3.

I am new to the SMS world and I am trying to push out a sms package of Office 2003 with SP3 slipstreamed over the network to over 400 pcs/laptops, I have successfully managed to create the msi with sp3 included and am now at the stage where I need to push out to a test pc, this is my first time using SMS 2003,please note that these pc’s cannot be rebooted at random as I have come across the following problems, most are in use 24/7 so I am forced to used the silent install with the relevant switches.

Hear is my dilemma: some of the pc’s have had an AD install of office 2003 with sp2 and the some have still have office 97.

On my test pc I have the image with the AD install of office 2003 with sp2 , the pc gets the advert and displays the message that the install will run in 3min but alas no installation!! . Is there a way to force the app to overwrite/update the app with the new software? Or force an uninstall of the old office (no inst files were saved to customer pc’s during the AD Deployment)

Also, if a customer is working within one the office apps the same time the install need to occur, will the install still go ahead or will it wait until the app has been closed, as I do not want the customer to lose any work he/she may be working on

 

[SimonDavies]

Have a look at the Office Resource Kit, that should allow you to define whether the the previous version get's uninstalled at that time.

One thing for you, remove the AD instance of Office from the users profile, you don't want it over writing your new installation.

You may also find that you need to do a reboot for the installation of Office to work correctly afterwards, failure to do so could (and probably would) cause you all sorts of horrible issues that you could do without.

You also need to check whether you made the installation install with the users account (are they local admins) or with a remote account, if it's with the users local account that may be why the install failed).

Have a look at the Advertisements error logs to see what happened to it.

Simon

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[paigeharrisuk]

Hi Simon

thanks for getting back to me, as you know I am new to sms world you mentioned "remove the AD instance of Office from the users profile" could you please simplify this if possible?

as for your other possibl solutions I'll let you know how I get on


paige

 

[SimonDavies]

More information can be found here (

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Group-Policy-Deploy-Applications.html)

with regards to deploying applications via AD but basically you want to stop that method of deployment otherwise it will interfere with your SMS deployment.

I am not really an SMS guy, my forte is with the replacement product (SCCM) but essentially they are the same thing.

As long as you have a collection, a package and advertisements you should be fine, the fact that you're getting the advertisement to the users desktop proves that that's working, the next step is to ensure that the user has the rights to install the application or that you have provided an account with elevated privs to do that work.

It's nearly home time for me (UK) so I will check back tomorrow.

Simon

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.