OFF98: How to Install Office on a Network

Last reviewed: February 26, 1998
Article ID: Q179731
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

This article explains how to install Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition on a network. This article includes information about how a system administrator can create an Office administrative installation point on a network server and how users can then install Office from the server.

HOW TO PERFORM AN ADMINISTRATIVE INSTALLATION

There are two ways to perform an administrative installation on a network server: use a drag-and-drop procedure or use the Microsoft Office Installer. The method you use depends on whether you want to customize the administrative installation image on the server. Also, using the Microsoft Office Installer allows you to customize the installation of Office.

NOTE: Regardless of the method you use, you must set the appropriate permissions for the administrative installation point. Users should not have permission to write to or change the contents of the administrative installation image on the server.

Method 1: Use a Drag-and-Drop Procedure

When you use this method, you can create either an Easy Install image or a Complete Install image on the server. To create an Easy Install image on the server, drag a copy of the Microsoft Office 98 folder from the root level of the Office compact disc (CD) to the server. To create a Complete Install image on the server, copy the Microsoft Office 98 folder from the Office Custom Install folder from the CD to the server.

You can customize the contents of the Office folder by manually removing components or by adding components in that folder.

If you want to add items from the Value Pack to this administrative installation image, you manually copy the files you want from the Value Pack folder from the CD to the administrative installation image. Note that you cannot run the Value Pack Installer and point it to a shared drive on a server.

Method 2: Use the Microsoft Office Installer

You can also run the Microsoft Office Installer program to create the administrative installation image. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Double-click the Microsoft Office Installer icon inside the Office Custom Installer folder on the Office 98 Macintosh Edition CD.

    NOTE: When you run the Microsoft Office Installer, several files are copied to the System Folder on the local hard disk. After you have finished creating the administrative installation image, you can remove these files. For information about the files that are copied to the local System Folder when you run the Microsoft Office Installer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

          ARTICLE-ID: Q179217
    
          TITLE     : OFF98: Using First Run Installation to Troubleshoot Mac
                      Office
    
    

  2. Click Switch Disk to choose the hard disk on which you want to install Office.

    If you create the administrative installation image on a server, you must first connect to the sever location by using the Chooser.

    NOTE: You cannot add items to an administrative installation image on a server from the Value Pack. The Value Pack installer looks only on a local disk for the Microsoft Office 98 folder, therefore you cannot point the Value Pack installer to the server. To add items from the Value Pack, install Office on the local hard disk.

  3. To customize the components that are installed, change the installation type from Easy Install to Custom Install.

    The installer prompts you to enter a name and organization.

  4. Because you cannot leave the Name field blank, enter any text in this field, and then enter information in the Organization field.

    This information can be changed later.

  5. Enter the CD-Key.

  6. After the Microsoft Office Installer has finished copying files, click Quit.

  7. In step 4, you entered a name in the Name field. If you want users to be prompted to enter their names when they start their first Office program, replace the Microsoft Office 98 library file in the Office folder on the administrative installation point with a new one from the Office 98 CD. This file is located in the Microsoft Office 98:Office folder on the CD.

    NOTE: If you replace the Microsoft Office 98 library file with a copy from the Office 98 CD, anyone who installs Office from the administrative installation image is prompted to enter the CD-Key in addition to a name and organization.

  8. If you want to add items from the Value Pack to the administrative installation image, add them.

    If the Microsoft Office 98 folder is on a local hard disk, run the Value Pack Installer from the Value Pack folder on the Office 98 CD to install items to the administrative installation point. As stated earlier, the Value Pack Installer runs only if the Microsoft Office 98 folder is local. If you have installed the administrative installation image to the server, you must either manually copy the Value Pack files to the administrative installation point image or drag the administrative installation point image to the local hard drive, and then run the Value Pack Installer.

    NOTE: You cannot add all of the Value Pack components to the administrative image. Some components, like Data Access ODBC components and fonts, must be installed into the System folder. There is no way to integrate these components into a unified installation process.

  9. If you have installed the administrative installation image locally, the last step is to drag the Microsoft Office 98 folder from the local hard disk to the server location.

HOW TO INSTALL OFFICE ON THE WORKSTATION AFTER THE ADMINISTRATIVE

INSTALLATION

After you create the administrative installation image, the next step is for users to install Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition on the workstations. Users can install Office on the workstations by using one of the following methods:

  • Perform a drag-and-drop installation from the administrative installation image on the server to the local hard disk on each workstation.

    With this method, all of the Office 98 files are run from the local hard disk.

  • Create aliases to the programs on the server.

    With this method, the programs run from the server administrative installation image, and a minimum number of files are copied to the local hard disk.

  • Add the Microsoft Office Installer to the server.

    This method does not use the administrative installation image on the server but does allow the user to customize the installation.

Drag-and-Drop Installation from the Server Administrative Image

Users can install office from the administrative installation image on the server by following these steps:

  1. From the workstation, connect to the server location by using the Chooser (click Chooser on the Apple menu).

  2. Drag the Microsoft Office 98 folder from the server to the local hard disk.

  3. Double-click any of the Office program icons in the Microsoft Office 98 folder on the local hard disk.

    The program runs and installs the remaining required components on the local hard disk.

    NOTE: If you have replaced the Microsoft Office 98 library file in step 7 in the previous section, users are prompted to enter a name, organization, and CD-Key.

Running Office Programs from a Server

You can use this method to allow a user to run the Office 98 programs from a server so that only the System files are copied locally. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. From the workstation, connect to the server location by using the Chooser (click Chooser on the Apple menu).

  2. Open the Microsoft Office 98 folder on the server and make aliases to each of the three Office 98 programs (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint). To create an alias, click the program to which you want to create the alias. On the File menu, click Make Alias.

  3. The user should then create a folder called "Microsoft Office 98" on the local hard disk. To do this, the user double-clicks the local hard disk icon on the desktop to open it. On the File menu, click New Folder. Type "Microsoft Office 98" (without the quotation marks) and press RETURN.

  4. The user should drag the three aliases created in step 2 to the Microsoft Office 98 folder on the local hard disk.

  5. The user should double-click any of the Office program icons in the local Microsoft Office 98 folder.

    The program then runs and installs the necessary remaining components to the local hard disk. If you have replaced the Microsoft Office 98 library file when you created the administrative installation image, the user is prompted to enter a name, organization, and CD-Key.

    NOTE: Word users are prompted to specify a location on the local hard disk for templates when they quit the program for the first time. Word requires a folder with read/write permissions for the Normal template.

Running the Microsoft Office Installer from a Server

This method allows the user the run the Microsoft Installer and customize the installation. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Copy the entire Office Custom Install folder on the Office 98 CD to the server.

  2. The user should connect to the server location from the workstation by using the Chooser (click Chooser on the Apple menu).

  3. The user should double-click the Microsoft Office Installer, which is located in the Office Custom Install folder on the server to start the installation.


Additional query words: OFF98 admin
Keywords : kbfaq
Version : MACINTOSH:98
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type : kbhowto


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Last reviewed: February 26, 1998
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