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Microsoft/Office 365 Deployment (Terminal Server)

DISCLAIMER: The information in this guide is provided "as is" without any guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness, or of the results obtained from the use of this information. The author assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content. It is meant for general information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. The author is not responsible for any damages caused by the use of this information. By using this guide, you agree to hold the author harmless from any and all claims, damages, or expenses that may arise from your use of the information.

Introduction

If you use Remote Desktop Services (RDS) to provide shared computers to users in your organization, you can install Microsoft 365 Apps on those computers. But, you have to use the Office Deployment Tool and enable shared computer activation to do the installation.

The following are two common RDS scenarios:

  • Install Microsoft 365 Apps on an RDS server.

  • Install Microsoft 365 Apps on a shared virtual machine.

Requirements

  • One of the following plans:
    • A Microsoft 365 (or Office 365) plan that includes Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
    • A Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan that includes Microsoft 365 Apps for business.
    • For the Project and Visio desktop apps, a subscription plan that includes those products.
  • The Office Deployment Tool (ODT), which is available on the Microsoft Download Center.
  • A separate user account for each user who signs in to the shared computer.
  • An eligible license assigned to each user account.
  • A version of Windows listed in the Microsoft 365 plans for business, education, and government system requirements.
  • Reliable connectivity between the shared computer and the internet.
  • A functional Terminal Server (Session Host)

NOTE:
- The ability to enable shared computer activation is a Microsoft 365 Business Premium entitlement and not a feature of Microsoft 365 Apps for business in general.
- The reliable internet connectivity is required because the shared computer must be able to contact the Office Licensing Service on the internet to obtain a license for each user who uses the Microsoft 365 Apps on the computer and then activate Microsoft 365 Apps. Internet connectivity is also needed to renew the license, which occurs every few days.

SOURCE: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-apps/deploy/deploy-microsoft-365-apps-remote-desktop-services

Installation/Configuration

  1. Download the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) to the server.
  2. Run the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) executable file with administrative privileges and extract the files to C:\Office365Deployment - If the directory does not exist, create it.
  3. Create a configuration file using https://config.office.com and copy it to: C:\Office365Deployment\config.xml.

    Below is an example of the contents of a Microsoft Office 365 configuration file (.xml) used for deployment.


    <Configuration ID="282fd738-3f56-4858-b9a4-7eb3c19c8e6d">
  <Info Description="Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise Terminal Server Deployment" />
  <Add OfficeClientEdition="32" Channel="SemiAnnual">
    <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail">
      <Language ID="en-us" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Groove" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Bing" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="1" />
  <Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="FALSE" />
  <Property Name="DeviceBasedLicensing" Value="0" />
  <Property Name="SCLCacheOverride" Value="0" />
  <Updates Enabled="TRUE" />
  <RemoveMSI />
  <AppSettings>
    <Setup Name="Company" Value="Company Name" />
    <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>
  4. Launch (Run as administrator) the Command Prompt and navigate to C:\Office365Deployment:
    cd c:\Office365Deployment
  5. Download Office:
    setup.exe /download config.xml

    This will create an "Office" subfolder within the directory, containing the files needed to install Office.


  6. Install Office:
    setup.exe /configure config.xml

Post Installation/Configuration

Uninstall

Create a Configuration XML File for Uninstallation:

  1. Open a text editor like Notepad.
  2. Create a new XML file with the following configuration, adjusting the ProductId to match the version of Office installed (for example, O365ProPlusRetaill for Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise):

    <Configuration>
    <Remove>
        <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail">
            <Language ID="en-us" />
        </Product>
    </Remove>
    <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="True" />
</Configuration>
  3. Save this file in the same folder where the Office Deployment Tool was extracted, with a name like uninstall.xml.

Run the Office Deployment Tool with the Uninstall Configuration:

  1. Open a Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Navigate to the folder where the Office Deployment Tool and the uninstall.xml files reside.
  3. Run the following command:

    setup.exe /configure uninstall.xml
  4. Wait for the process to complete. Verify that Microsoft 365 has been removed by checking the installed programs in the system settings.

Sources

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