Office Suite 2003 Upgrade Recommendations

Install an Administrative Share of Office 2003. This places all the files necessary to install Office into a single location, preferably on a server where users have access. Follow Microsoft's recommendations in their Knowledge Base Article ID 826530 (see Related External Links section below). Basically, you'll install Office from a CD using the /A switch for administrative install.

The decision whether to use a Package or a command-line to upgrade Office 2003 really depends on your starting point and goal. Are you standardized on one version of Office (Standard, Professional, Developer, etc)? Do all users have the same Office applications installed (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, etc.)? Are users able to customize their install of Office, and do you want to maintain those customizations?

Packages are an excellent solution if your environment is more standardized and you want a "start fresh". Build the Package on a computer that has a standardized install of Office and follow the prompts. Be sure to run Setup from the Administrative Share and follow the tips in our KB article "Tips for Building an Office Suite Package" (link in Related Articles section below).

Running the native setup as a Command Task through the Deployment Console is an excellent solution if your environment is non-standard and you want to maintain user customizations. Be sure to elevate the Command Task to run as an admin level user if the user does not have enough rights to run the installation. There are methods to push out a completely silent install and run a customized installation by using the MS tools available in the Office 2003 Resource Kit. See the Related External Links section below to find links to additional Microsoft documentation.