Modifying the DestDir Column in the MS Office SETUP.STF

ID: Q125459

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.2, 4.3
Microsoft Office for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

A setup script is a set of instructions you can use to control elements of a program's setup. These instructions are contained in a special file called a "setup table file" (STF).

The following are guidelines you can use to determine whether to use a trailing backslash with items in the SETUP.STF:

DO use a trailing backslash with the DestDir column

DO NOT use a trailing backslash in the Object Data column for the AppSearch object.

MICROSOFT OFFICE VERSION 4.X

These two methods have different purposes. Changing the DestDir will hard code a specific destination directory for the Program files. However, changing the Object Data entry will change the default directory but will allow the user to change this directory if they are not using the batch mode for installation.

DestDir

If you are modifying the %1 in the DestDir Column (the destination directory of a specified object) of the SETUP.STF, you need to include the trailing backslash, as in the following example:


   C:\WORD6\

Object Data for AppSearch Object

If you choose to modify the Object Data column for the AppSearch object, then you do not use the trailing backslash.

The row beneath Object Data (cell F24 or F25 if you are editing the STF in Microsoft Excel) will list the current settings including the default directory. The default settings in the Object Data column are the following:


   "C:\WINWORD", "WINWORD.EXE", "6.0.0.2226", 1, "yes", "yes", 2 3 4 5

You could change C:\WINWORD to the desired default directory (if you do this, do not change any other settings in the cell).

MICROSOFT OFFICE VERSION 7.0

As a 32-bit operating system, Windows 95 allows you to use long filenames. Therefore, the Office version 7.0 STF file contains long filename alternative entries. For example, the first AppSearch entry appears as follows:


   "C:\MSOffice"<C:\MSOffice>,MSOFFICE.EXE,95.2.3.2,176,,yes,8

The path enclosed in angle brackets (<path>) is the long filename alternative. The preceding path enclosed in quotation marks ("path") is the standard path.

Modification

Modifications to an STF file should be made using a backup copy of the file and following the procedures outlined in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q111248 XL: Saving .STF File in Excel May Cause Setup Error Messages

To set the folder that Office version 7.0 is installed to, modify both paths in the Object Data and the Destination Directory for Object Id 2 by using the following procedure:

In the Setup.stf file, locate Object Id 2. This item is located in the first column of the STF file under the ObjID heading.

Press the Right Arrow key to move to the sixth column in the STF file (Object Data) which contains the following cell contents:
```
   "C:\MS_OFF95"<C:\Microsoft Office 95>,MSOFFICE.EXE,95.2.3.2,176,,yes,8 
```
Modify the standard path ("C:\MS_OFF95") and/or the long filename path (<C:\Microsoft Office 95>).

Press the Right Arrow key again to move to the eleventh column in the STF file (Destination Directory). There should be an entry in this column similar to the following:
```
      C:\MS_OFF95\<C:\Microsoft Office 95\> 
```
Modify the standard path (C:\MS_OFF95\) and/or the long filename path (<C:\Microsoft Office 95\>).

Note that the path in this column is followed by a backslash character as described in the "Summary" section of this article. If this entry is not present, you may enter it using the entry above as an example.

After this procedure is completed, save the STF file as a Tab delimited file. To use this modified STF file, use a command line similar to the following:


   <path>SETUP /t <path>filename.STF /q

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about customizing the SETUP.STF file, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q119357 OFF: "How to Create a Custom Installation Script" (WC1046)

Additional query words:

Keywords : offwin
Version : WINDOWS:4.2,4.3; Win95:7.0
Platform : Win95 WINDOWS
Issue type :