Modify existing installations

You can also use a Setup customization file to change an existing installation. Because a Setup customization file is an expanded form of a Windows Installer .msp file, you apply the customization file to the user's computer exactly as you would a software update. The user's existing Office installation is updated with the customizations that you make. For example, if you change the installation states of some features to Not Available and apply the resulting customization file to an existing installation of Office, those features are removed from the user's computer.

Some options in the OCT are applicable only to a new installation of Office. These options are identified in the OCT and in the OCT Help. For example, you can use the Default installation path option (in the Installation location and organization name section) to specify the folder where Office is to be installed on the user's computer. However, if a customization file is applied to an existing installation, the Default installation path option is ignored (you must uninstall and reinstall Office to change the installation location).

Before you exit the OCT, choose the File menu, and then choose Save as to save the Setup customization file.

Every time that you save a customization file in the OCT, the tool updates the customization file’s sequencing number with the current computer date and time stamp and generates a new update globally unique identifier (GUID). The OCT .msp files are applied chronologically according to their time stamp.

To show the sequencing behavior, assume that you have created the following OCT .msp maintenance files:

1.An OCT .msp file that is named “uninstall-access.msp” in which you set Microsoft Office Access to Not Available. This file is saved first so that it has a lower sequencing number and an older date and time stamp. This .msp file is sequenced first and Access is set to Not Available on users' computers.

2.An OCT .msp file that is named "install-access.msp" in which you set Microsoft Office Access to Run All from My Computer (by selecting the product and setting the installation state in the Set feature installation states section). This file is saved last so that it has a higher sequencing number and a newer date and time stamp. This .msp file is sequenced later than the first OCT .msp file, "uninstall-access.msp." Therefore, the Access feature is set to Run All from My Computer on users' computers.

Choose OCT options

The OCT includes four major sections: Setup, Features, Additional Content, and Outlook. Each section contains several pages of options. When you change an option, the page name in the navigation pane of the OCT changes to bold type. If you open an existing Setup customization file, the bold page names indicate where options are customized.

The following table lists options that are available in the OCT.

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Microsoft T5D01575, 79G-03775 manual Modify existing installations, Choose OCT options