The
option that requires the most administrative attention—manually
installing the Outlook client—is often a necessary choice for deploying
the Outlook client. After considering all available options,
administrators must determine which option best fits the deployment
needs by determining the overall effort required for each.
Any or all of the options
can be utilized for an organization-wide deployment—utilizing each where
it best fits. In this section, you review the basic steps for
installing the Outlook client to desktop systems using transforms, PRF files, and the switches available when using these options.
Using Transforms and PRF Files When Installing Outlook
When the options are
not available to push the installation to client systems,
administrators can still install the Outlook client and save valuable
keystrokes and time by predefining profile information. Using these
options with a manual installation scenario can greatly reduce the
overall amount of time required to install the Outlook client manually.
Administrators can now incorporate the manual installation process with
preconfiguration files, such as PRF files and transforms, and save time
on each installation by avoiding the necessity of manually configuring
each installation after completion.
When the required
functionality is the client profile configuration setting and limited
configuration options, the manual installation can easily be completed
by using a simple PRF file. PRF files are simple to incorporate into the
installation and require only the addition of a command-line switch
with the setup.exe installation program to deploy.
With more complex
installation needs, administrators can create MST files to define
Outlook settings, security profiles, and user options. This option is
most effective and enables administrators to continue with installations
rather than manually configure each client setting individually.
Installing the Outlook Clients with PRF Files
After creating a PRF
file by following the steps detailed in the previous section,
administrators can copy the file to an installation share for use when
manually installing Outlook. This allows administrators to avoid the
necessity of manually configuring each Outlook profile after
installation.
To understand more about using PRF files when using the Windows installation program, complete these steps:
1. | Create a folder share and place the Outlook.PRF file in the folder where it can be accessed from any location on the network.
Tip
When creating
shares to support installs and PRF configuration file access, grant the
account being used to install the client with Full Control permissions
to the PRF file and installation share.
|
2. | To open a command prompt and begin an installation in Outlook using PRF files, begin by selecting Start, Run, enter command in the Open text box, and then click OK to continue.
|
3. | At the command prompt, type
d:\setup.exe /ImportPRF \\Outlook Files\Outlook.PRF
where
d: represents the location of the Outlook installation files and
Outlook Files is the name of the folder share created to host the PRF
configuration files.
|
When errors occur or
it appears that the Outlook profile has not been set correctly, the PRF
file can be run by using the Open command and manually installing the
configuration information.
Manually Installing Outlook 2003 with Transforms
Transforms offer
administrators the most functionality and flexibility when predefining
Outlook 2003 settings and profile information. By utilizing transforms,
administrators can leverage multiple options and even combine multiple
transforms to configure Outlook 2003 clients. To understand the command
lines and syntax used when installing the Microsoft Outlook client with
MST files, review the examples listed in the following sections.
Applying Transforms with the Outlook Setup.exe
In these examples, administrators should use the OutlookSet1.MST
transform filename to customize the Outlook installation. To
incorporate transforms into the Outlook installation, use the following
command:
Example: D:\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=OutlookSet1.mst
Administrators
can also use multiple transforms when necessary. At times,
organizations create individual transforms to configure specific
settings. By combining these individual transforms, administrators can
“pick and choose” which settings they do or do not want to apply.
For example, an
organization creates a baseline transform that defines settings to be
applied to all users. They then create individual transforms for
specific settings for particular departments. These transforms can be
applied to a single installation, creating customized Outlook settings
that are configurable and easily redeployed if necessary. Using a Setup.ini file with the proper syntax, administrators can link and apply transforms in a very effective manner.
Manually Installing Outlook 2007 with MSPs
MSPs offer
administrators the most functionality and flexibility when predefining
Outlook 2007 settings and profile information. By utilizing MSP files,
administrators can leverage multiple options and even combine multiple
transforms to configure Outlook 2007 clients. To understand the command
lines and syntax used when installing the Microsoft Outlook client with
MSP files, review the examples listed in the following sections.
Applying Transforms with the Outlook Setup.exe
In this example, administrators should use the CompanyABC.MSP to customize the Outlook installation. To incorporate transforms into the Outlook installation, use the following command:
Example: D:\setup.exe /adminfile CompanyABC.MSP
Administrators
can also use multiple MSPs when necessary. At times, organizations
create individual MSPs to configure specific settings. By combining
these individual MSPs, administrators can “pick and choose” the settings
they want to apply. In this situation, the MSPs can be placed in the
Updates folder in the installation media or network install point, and
they will be applied as part of the default installation. Multiple MSP
files can be placed into the Updates folder to chain together a set of
configurations.
Tip
Every time a
customization file is saved in the OCT, the tool updates the
customization file’s patch sequencing number with the current computer
date and time stamp and generates a new patch globally unique identifier
(GUID). The OCT MSP files are applied chronologically according to
their time stamp.
