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Installing Office 2021 via XML Configuration

Posted7 August 2023
Updated1 January 2024
ByDanny

Microsoft Office 2021 is the latest iteration of the popular office productivity suite, offering a range of applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. With Microsoft Intune, you can efficiently deploy and manage software installations across your organization’s devices. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Office 2021 using an XML configuration file through Microsoft Intune.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

  1. Microsoft Intune Subscription: Make sure you have a valid Microsoft Intune subscription and access to the Intune portal.
  2. Office 2021 Deployment Package: Obtain the Office 2021 deployment package from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) or another authorized source. This package should include the necessary setup files and a configuration XML file.
  3. XML Configuration File: The XML configuration file is essential for customizing the Office 2021 installation according to your organization’s requirements. You can create or modify this file using a text editor.

Steps to Install Office 2021 via XML Configuration File using Intune

Follow these steps to deploy Office 2021 using an XML configuration file through Microsoft Intune:

  1. Prepare the XML Configuration File:
    a. Open a text editor (e.g., Notepad) and create a new XML file or modify an existing one.
    b. Copy and paste the following XML code as a template and customize it to your needs. This example installs Office 2021 with basic settings:
<Configuration ID="a998f809-be96-489c-8015-f75abb6d90f2">
  <Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2021">
    <Product ID="ProPlus2021Volume" PIDKEY="YourProductKeyHere">
      <Language ID="en-gb" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="OneDrive" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="0" />
  <Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="TRUE" />
  <Property Name="DeviceBasedLicensing" Value="0" />
  <Property Name="SCLCacheOverride" Value="0" />
  <Property Name="AUTOACTIVATE" Value="1" />
  <Updates Enabled="TRUE" />
  <RemoveMSI>
    <IgnoreProduct ID="InfoPath" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="InfoPathR" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="PrjPro" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="PrjStd" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="SharePointDesigner" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="VisPro" />
    <IgnoreProduct ID="VisStd" />
  </RemoveMSI>
  <AppSettings>
    <Setup Name="Company" Value="CompanyName" />
    <User Key="software\microsoft\office\16.0\excel\options" Name="defaultformat" Value="51" Type="REG_DWORD" App="excel16" Id="L_SaveExcelfilesas" />
    <User Key="software\microsoft\office\16.0\powerpoint\options" Name="defaultformat" Value="27" Type="REG_DWORD" App="ppt16" Id="L_SavePowerPointfilesas" />
    <User Key="software\microsoft\office\16.0\word\options" Name="defaultformat" Value="" Type="REG_SZ" App="word16" Id="L_SaveWordfilesas" />
  </AppSettings>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
</Configuration>
  • Replace YourProductKeyHere with the valid product key.
  • Replace CompanyName with your company name.

Upload Deployment Package to Intune:
a. Log in to the Microsoft Intune portal.
b. Navigate to “Apps” > “Windows”.
c. Click on “Add” to create a new app.
d. From the App Type select from Microsoft 365 Apps “Windows 10 and Later”
e. Give the application its name and description. Fill out the other fields as needed and select Next.
f. Change Configuration settings format from Configuration Designer to Enter XML Data
g. Paste the XML, or your own XML into the Configuration file section and click Validate XML. If you have no errors you will get a message to confirm the XML is formatted as expected.
h. Click Review + Save.

Assign the Office 2021 App:
a. After uploading the XML, assign it to the desired group of devices.
b. Specify the deployment settings, including the installation deadline and user notifications.

Monitor and Verify:
Microsoft Intune provides tools for monitoring app installations and deployments. You can track the progress of the Office 2021 installation and ensure that it’s successfully deployed to the intended devices.

Conclusion

Deploying Microsoft Office 2021 via an XML configuration file using Microsoft Intune streamlines the process of installing the productivity suite across your organization’s devices. By customizing the XML configuration file and following the outlined steps, you can ensure that Office 2021 is installed with the desired settings and options, tailored to your organization’s requirements. Microsoft Intune’s management capabilities make it a powerful tool for centrally managing software installations, updates, and configurations across your device fleet.

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