Installing Office 2000 in a Windows Terminal Server Environment.

First things first, remember to do an rdisk /s before messing with the registry. The Thin Net or any other parties mentioned on this page will not be responsible for any damage you may do to your system from these hints. Be sure and read the MSTerminalServices.org Terms and Conditions so that you fully understand this.

If you dont undertand some of the terms in this document click here to bring up the Office 2000 Glossary.

Citrix has recently posted a document onHow to modify the termsrv.mst file to install Office 2000 on Terminal server-click here.

This is direct from MS and the CITRIX KB

Installing Office 2000 in a Windows Terminal Server Environment

Synopsis:

This document is based on information obtained from the Microsoft Web site. Click the following link for more information: http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2000/two/30t3.htm

Details:

Using Office 2000 with Windows Terminal Server

Microsoft Windows NT Server Version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition provides a thin-client solution in which Windows-based programs are executed on the server and remotely displayed on the client. If your users have computers with limited disk space, memory, or processing speed, you can install Microsoft Office 2000 to run in this environment.

IMPORTANT: You must install Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Service Pack 4 on the Terminal Server computer before installing Office 2000. You can obtain Service Pack 4 from the Microsoft Web site.

With Terminal Server, you install a single copy of Office on the Terminal Server computer. Instead of running Office locally on their hard disks, multiple users can connect to the server and run Office from there.

TOOLBOX: Because of the special requirements for running Office in a Windows Terminal Server environment, you must use the transform provided in the Office Resource Kit to install Office on the Terminal Server computer. Office Setup does not install Office on the Terminal Server computer without this transform. For information about installing TermSrvr.mst, see the Office 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox.

The following is an overview of how you use Office with Terminal Server:

The administrator installs a single copy of Office on the Terminal Server computer. Users install Windows Terminal Client on their computers. Users log on to the Terminal Server computer, start Windows, and run Office from within the Windows session.

The Office applications run on the Terminal Server computer and only the Windows display is transmitted to users' computers.

In the Terminal Server environment, Office 2000 separates application and user data, and uses environmental information supplied by Terminal Server. This arrangement allows multiple Terminal Client users to run from the same Office installation.

To improve performance in the Terminal Server environment, Office optimizes certain functions in the Office applications to reduce the amount of network traffic necessary to update the user's display. For example, in the Terminal Server environment, Office applications display a text-based splash screen, rather than the standard graphics-based screen - the text-based screen is faster to display.

TIP: You can improve the performance of Office in a Terminal Server environment even more by reducing the amount of incidental display information transmitted over the network. For example, select the Office Logo Office Assistant, which uses the least amount of animation, and set application options that eliminate menu or cursor animations. Alternatively, install the Motionless Office Assistant from the Office Resource Kit.

How to Install Office Disk 1 on a Windows Terminal Server

You install Microsoft Office 2000 from Microsoft Office 2000 Disk 1 on a Microsoft Windows Terminal Server computer in much the same way you install Office on a client computer. With some careful planning and a few modifications, Office performs well in the Windows Terminal Server environment.

To run Office 2000 in this environment, follow these steps:

1. Customize the Terminal Server transform (MST file).
2. Install Office on the Terminal Server computer.
3. Set default Office application settings for Windows Terminal Client users.
4. Configure Microsoft Outlook 2000.

Running Office on individual users' computers is different from running it in a Terminal Server environment. When you install Office on a Terminal Server computer, the users who connect to the server are limited to your Office configuration and cannot install or remove features.

In other words, all users running Office from the Terminal Server computer inherit the features you select during installation. If your users need different sets of Office functionality, you might need several Terminal Server computers - one for each unique Office configuration.

Because of the multiuser nature of the Terminal Server computer and users' restricted access to the server, you cannot select the following installation options for any Office features:

• Run from CD or Run from Network
• Run all from CD or Run all from Network
• Installed on First Use

Instead, you must predetermine which Office features your users need and select one of the following installation options for each feature:

• Run from My Computer
• Run all from My Computer
• Not Available

Customizing the Terminal Server Transform

The Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit includes a Windows installer transform that you must use when installing Office on the Terminal Server computer - Setup does not install Office on the Terminal Server computer without the transform. This transform, named TermSrvr.mst, is configured to install all Office features to run from the local computer or not be installed at all.

TOOLBOX: Because of the special requirements for running Office in a Windows Terminal Server environment, you must use the transform provided in the Office Resource Kit to install Office on the Terminal Server computer. Office Setup does not install Office on the Terminal Server computer without this transform. For information about installing TermSrvr.mst, see the Office 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox.

What the TermSrvr.mst File Does

The Windows installer transform included in the Office Resource Kit, TermSrvr.mst, is configured to install Office correctly on the Terminal Server computer. Office Setup does not install Office on the Terminal Server computer without this transform.

The primary function of the TermSrvr.mst file is to modify the feature tree so that all Office features are installed to run from the local computer. There are a few exceptions - those features that are not recommended or that do not perform well in the Terminal Server environment are set to not be installed at all.

In addition, the NOUSERNAME property is set so that Setup does not supply a default user name when you install Office on the Terminal Server computer. This setting ensures that users who log on to the Terminal Server computer are asked to provide a user name when they run an Office application for the first time. This property is set internally in the transform - if you examine the transform with the Custom Installation Wizard, you do not see the NOUSERNAME property listed on the Modify Setup Properties panel.

The TermSrvr.mst file also sets a property to increase the amount of registry space allocated for Office on the Terminal Server computer. This setting allows Office to store necessary information in the registry for each Office user. Again, this property is not listed on the Modify Setup Properties panel.

In the TermSrvr.mst file, all Office features are set to one of the following installation states:

Most features are set to Run from My Computer. These are features that work well in the Terminal Server environment.

A few features are set to Not Available. These are features that do not perform well in the Terminal Server environment, typically because they use additional animation that generates excess data traffic between the Terminal Server computer and the Terminal Client computer. Consider leaving these features set to Not Available so that they are not installed.

A few features are set to both Not Available and Hidden. These features do not work under Terminal Server because they rely on capabilities not available in this environment or they require write access to restricted areas of the Terminal Server computer. Leave these features set to Not Available so that they are not installed on the Terminal Server computer.

Some features are set to Run from My Computer and Hidden. These are features that are normally hidden in the Office Setup feature tree, but they have been exposed in the Custom Installation Wizard so that you can choose whether or not you want to install them.

TOOLBOX: A number of Outlook features, normally hidden in the Office Setup feature tree, are exposed in the Terminal Server transform. This arrangement allows you to choose whether or not to install these features. The Office Resource Kit includes an Excel worksheet named OutlFeat.xls that describes these Outlook features. For information about installing OutlFeat.xls, see the Office 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox.

If you want to accept the default Office configuration, you do not need to modify TermSrvr.mst. However, if there are Office features that are not needed by your users, you can improve overall performance and conserve disk space by customizing TermSrvr.mst so that Office Setup does not install these features on the Terminal Server computer.

Installing non-English Versions of Office

The TermSrvr.mst file was created using the Windows installer package (Data1.msi) for the US English version of Office 2000. Some other language versions of Office have additional features that are not present in the US English version and the TermSrvr.mst file does not change the installation states of those features. If any of these additional features are set to Run from Network or Installed on First Use, they do not function correctly on the Terminal Server computer.

To install a non-English version of Office on a Terminal Server computer, use the Office Custom Installation Wizard to make sure that all features in the transform are set to either Run from My Computer or Not Available.

To Customize the Terminal Server Transform

1. Start the Office Custom Installation Wizard.
2. On the Open the MSI File panel, specify the Office MSI file, Data1.msi.
3. On the Open the MST File panel, select Open an existing MST file and enter the file name and path of the TermSrvr.mst file.

4. On the Select the MST File to Save panel, enter the file name and path of the TermSrvr.mst file.

   If you do not want to modify the original MST file, enter a new file name for the wizard to create.

5. On the Set Feature Installation States panel, set unneeded features to Not Available. Make sure that all features you want to install are set to Run from My Computer.
6. If you are installing Outlook, under Microsoft Outlook for Windows\OutlookMessaging, select either OutlookMAPI or OutlookOMI; set one feature to Run from My Computer and the other feature to Not Available.

7. On the Customize Outlook Installation Options panel, select Customize Outlook profile and account information and set Configuration Type to either Corporate or Workgroup Settings or Internet Only Settings.

   This choice must match your choice in Step 5. If you select OutlookMAPI, you must select Corporate or Workgroup Settings; if you select OutlookOMI, you must select Internet Only Settings. Because users are restricted in how they can configure the Terminal Server computer after installation, you must make this selection during installation.

8. On the remainder of the panels, make additional customizations to tailor the Office installation on the Terminal Server computer.

For example, to fully customize how Internet Explorer 5 is installed, click Customize on the Customize IE5 Installation Options panel.

TOOLBOX: By default, the Terminal Server transform (TermSrvr.mst) does not install any Office Assistants. However, after running Office Setup you can install the Motionless Office Assistant (Stillogo.acs) included in the Office Resource Kit. This Office Assistant uses no animation, so there is minimal network traffic between the Terminal Server computer and the Terminal Client computer. For information about installing the Motionless Office Assistant, see Terminal Server Tools in the Office 2000 Resource Kit Toolbox.

Installing Office on the Terminal Server Computer

To install Office, run Office Setup on the Terminal Server computer. You can run Setup from a network administrative installation point or from the Office Disk 1. You must specify the Terminal Server transform (TermSrvr.mst) and additional command-line options.

NOTE: Before you install Office on a Terminal Server computer, log on to the server with administrator privileges.

How to Install Office Disk 1 on a Terminal Server Computer

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, click Install, and then click Next.
2. Click Browse.

3. In the root folder of the Office Disk 1, select setup.exe and click OK.

   Setup.exe is added to the command line for installation program box.

4. On the command line, add the following two commands after setup.exe, separated by spaces:

   TRANSFORMS="path\TermSrvr.mst"

   This command identifies the Terminal Server transform for Setup to use during installation. Specify the correct path to the MST file.

   /l* "%WINDIR%\Office 2000 Setup(0001).txt"

   This optional command places the Setup log file in the Windows folder, rather than in the %TEMP% folder so that it is not deleted automatically by Windows.

5. Click Next.
6. In Add/Remove Programs, select All users begin with common application settings, and then click Next to run Office Setup.

IMPORTANT: You must use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel with the All users begin with common application settings option selected. This setting runs Setup in Install mode, which installs Office for all Terminal Client users who connect to the Terminal Server computer. If you run Setup directly from Office Disk 1, Setup runs in Execute mode, which installs Office only for the user running Setup.

Setting Default Office Application Settings

You can use the Profile Wizard to customize the default Office user settings for all users logging on to the Terminal Server computer. For best performance in this environment, consider setting the following options in Office applications.

Microsoft Access 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Remove the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Clear the Provide feedback with sound check box.

Microsoft Excel 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Remove the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Edit tab. Clear the Provide feedback with animation check box.
4. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Clear the Provide feedback with sound check box.

Microsoft FrontPage 2000

On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.

Microsoft Outlook 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Commands tab. Remove the Save as Web Page command from the File menu, and remove the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab. Click Advanced Options and clear the Provide feedback with sound check box.
4. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab. Click E-mail Options and clear the Display a notification message when new mail arrives check box.
5. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab. Click E-mail Options, click Advanced E-mail Options, and clear the Play a sound and Briefly change the mouse cursor check boxes.
6. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab. Click Calendar Options and clear the Use Microsoft Schedule+ as my primary calendar check box.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Remove the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Clear the Provide feedback with sound to screen elements check box.
4. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling and Style tab. Clear the Check spelling as you type check box.
5. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Click Web Options, click the General tab, and clear the Show slide animation while browsing check box.

Microsoft Word 2000

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Set the Menu animations option to None.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Remove the Detect and Repair command from the Help menu.
3. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the General tab. Clear the Provide feedback with animation and Provide feedback with sound check boxes.
4. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling and Grammar tab. Clear the Check grammar as you type check box.
5. After you customize all the application settings you want, run the Profile Wizard and save your settings in an OPS file. Store the OPS file in a folder that is accessible to users running Office from the Terminal Server computer.

To point users to your customized settings:

1. On the Start menu, click Run, and type regedit.exe to open the Windows Registry Editor.

2. Create a new subkey named RunOnce in the following subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version

3. In the RunOnce subkey, create a new entry with a string value and any value name. Set the value of the new entry to the following: path\Proflwiz.exe /r file /q, where path is the fully qualified path to the Profile Wizard and file is the file name and fully qualified path to the OPS file you created.

When users log on to the Terminal Server computer, Windows runs the Profile Wizard using the command line in the RunOnce subkey and restores the settings you saved in the OPS file. This command runs one time for each user the first time the user logs on to the Terminal Server computer.

Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2000

To complete the installation of Outlook 2000, you need to perform two additional steps after running Office Setup

1. Run Outlook 2000 once.
2. Optionally provide write access to a portion of the Windows registry.

Outlook 2000 performs a number of initialization tasks when it runs for the first time on the Terminal Server computer. These tasks complete the Outlook installation and require write access to system areas on the Terminal Server computer.

To allow Outlook to finish installing:

1. Before any user runs Outlook on the Terminal Server computer, log on to the Terminal Server computer as the administrator.
2. Run Outlook. Outlook completes any remaining installation tasks.
3. Exit Outlook.

By default, users have write access to all portions of the Windows registry on the Terminal Server computer. However, if you have any custom Outlook forms installed on the computer and you have configured the Windows registry on the Terminal Server computer to restrict user access, you need to make sure that users have write access to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID key in the Windows registry.

Outlook registers custom forms the first time they are opened; this requires that the user have write access to this portion of the registry.

To give users write access to the CLSID key

1. Log on to the Terminal Server computer as the administrator.
2. On the Start menu, click Run.
3. Type regedt32.exe and click OK.
4. In the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT window, select CLSID.
5. On the Security menu, click Permissions.
6. In the Registry Key Permissions dialog box, select the Replace Permission on Existing Subkeys check box and then click Add.
7. In the Name box, click Everyone, click Add, and then click OK. If you do not want to give all users this access, you can add specific users or groups of users in the Names box, rather than selecting Everyone.
8. In the Type of Access box, select Special Access and then select the Query Value, Set Value, and Create Subkey check boxes.
9. Click OK and close the Registry Editor.

See Also

Office 2000 Setup contains other options that you may want to take advantage of, such as installing Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and removing previous versions of Office. For more information about Office 2000 Setup, see Office Setup Program.

By using the Office 2000 Custom Installation Wizard, you can modify TermSrvr.mst to further customize your Terminal Server installation. For more information about the Custom Installation Wizard, see Office Custom Installation Wizard.

For more information about the user settings that the Profile Wizard saves and restores, see Profile Wizard. The following is an overview of how you use Office with Terminal Server:

The administrator installs a single copy of Office on the Terminal Server computer. Users install Windows Terminal Client on their computers. Users log on to the Terminal Server computer, start Windows, and run Office from within the Windows session.

Here is some further information from MS Release Notes on installing Office 97 on TSE.

This is from http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/terminalserver/techdetails/moreinfo/ReleaseNotes.asp

MICROSOFT OFFICE 97 AND OFFICE 97 APPLICATIONS

Description of Issues

Office 97 has various application compatibility issues. They include:

• Files that need permissions different from the default.
• Files that need to be moved to the user's home directory.
• Removal of the Find Fast option.

How to Solve After installing Office 97, run the %systemroot%\Application Compatibility Scripts\Install\Office97.cmd script. This will correct the issues listed above.

The installation script will also add the %systemroot%\Application Compatibility Scripts\Logon\Ofc97Usr.Cmd script to UsrLogon.cmd. This script ensures that the needed per-user directories and files have been configured.

Customization

None.

Limitations

• Office 97 Custom Dictionaries. The only per-user custom dictionary is the file Custom.dic created in the \Office97 subdirectory in the user's home directory. The list of custom dictionaries is not private for each user. Any new custom dictionaries that may be created by users will be seen by other users.
• Office 97 Menu Animation. Users should avoid enabling the Menu Animation feature in Office. Enabling this feature can severely affect system performance.
• Access 97 Tools and Wizards. Some Microsoft Access wizards and tools do not support concurrent use, including Combo Box Wizard, List Box Wizard, Lookup Wizard, Option Group Wizard, Database Documenter Wizard, Table Analyzer Wizard, Table Wizard, Field Builder, and Switchboard Manager. Database Documenter is not supported on servers using NTFS and running securely. To use the Documenter database, users must have permission to modify the System.mdw file. To use Database Documenter, users must be granted Write permission on the %systemroot%\System32\System.mdw file.
• Creating Access 97 Workgroups. If you create a new Access Workgroup using Wrkgadm.exe you will need to change the security permissions on the new Workgroup Information File for the groups Administrator and Everyone to Read in order to make Access available to all users. Only administrators can create Workgroup Information Files.
• Adding Users to Access 97 Workgroups. If you want to add users to an Access Workgroup with the Security command on the Tools menu, you must first change permissions on the Workgroup information file to Write (the default Workgroup information file is %systemroot%\System32\System.mdw). Once users have been added, you should change permissions back to Read.
• PowerPoint 97 Conference Presentations. The PowerPoint Presentation Conference command on the Tools menu can be used by only one person on a server. It is not possible for several people on a server to conference among themselves.