How-To: Sequencing Office 2007 with SoftGrid

I wish Microsoft would standardize on either SoftGrid or Microsoft Application Virtualization.  Here is a KB on sequencing Office 2007.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;939796

INTRODUCTION

This article describes one method that you can use to successfully sequence a 2007 Microsoft Office program for use with Microsoft SoftGrid. The method that is described in this article is not the only method that is available. Additionally, you may have to modify the information in this article as appropriate for your particular environment.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Obtain background information

• Review the "Best practices to use for sequencing in Microsoft SoftGrid" article. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

932137 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932137/) Best practices to use for sequencing in Microsoft SoftGrid

• Review the product documentation that was included with SoftGrid. This includes the following documents:

• Quick Start Guide

• Sequencer Install Guide

• Sequencer User Guide

• Install the 2007 Office program to become familiar with the functionality of the program.

 

Prepare the environment

1. Use the Microsoft Office Customization Tool to create an .msp file. To obtain the Office Customization Tool in the 2007 Office system, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/8faae8a0-a12c-4f7b-839c-24a66a531bb51033.mspx?mfr=true (http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/8faae8a0-a12c-4f7b-839c-24a66a531bb51033.mspx?mfr=true)

The .msp file must define at least the following settings:

• On the Install location and organization name page, install the 2007 Office suite to Q:\unique eight-character path that you have not used previously\Microsoft Office.

• On the Licensing and user interface page, enter the appropriate license key, and then click to select the I accept the terms of the license agreement check box.

• On the Set feature and installation states page, click Run All From My Computer for each 2007 Office program feature.

• On the Add registry entries page, add the following registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\Preferences "PreventIndexingOutlook"=dword:00000001

Note This registry entry enables the "Classic" Outlook search feature in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

2. If you want to use Microsoft Office Project 2007 together with the 2007 Office program, create an .msp file for Project 2007. This .msp file must define at least the following settings:

• On the Install location and organization name page, install Project 2007 to Q:\unique eight-character path that you have not used previously\Microsoft Office.
Note This is the same path that you specified for the 2007 Office program installation.

• On the Licensing and user interface page, enter the appropriate license key, and then click to select the I accept the terms of the license agreement check box.

• On the Set feature and installation states page, click Run All From My Computer for each Project 2007 feature.

3. If you want to use Microsoft Office Visio 2007 together with the 2007 Office program, create an .msp file for Visio 2007. This .msp file must define at least the following settings:

• On the Install location and organization name page, install Visio 2007 to Q:\unique eight-character path that you have not used previously\Microsoft Office.
Note This is the same path that you specified for the 2007 Office program installation.

• On the Licensing and user interface page, enter the appropriate license key, and then click to select the I accept the terms of the license agreement check box.

• On the Set feature and installation states page, click Run All From My Computer for each Visio 2007 feature.

4. Build the sequencing computer. To do this, use the information from the SoftGrid product documentation. Also, consider the following list of best practices when you create the sequencing workstation:

a. Join the sequencing computer to the domain and allow for Group Policy to be applied to the computer.

b. Log on to the sequencing computer as a member of the local Administrators group. However, do not use the local Administrator account.

c. Do not disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista.

d. Turn off any real-time scanning programs or indexing programs before you start the sequencing operation. This includes the following programs:

• Microsoft Windows Update

• Antivirus programs

• Anti-malware programs such as Windows Defender.

• Indexing programs or search programs such as the Windows Search service

e. To a local folder on the sequencing computer, copy the 2007 Office suite installation program and any other program that is to be sequenced.
Note Use the media package from a volume licensed 2007 Office suite installation for this purpose.

f. Install the SoftGrid Sequencer tool on the computer. When you install this tool, use the default installation options.

 

Perform sequencing

1. Start the SoftGrid Sequencer program.

2. On the File menu, click New Package.

3. Type the appropriate information in the following boxes, and then click Next:

• Suite Name

• Title

• Comments

• Hostname

• Path

Note For more information about the information these boxes can contain, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

932137 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932137/) Best practices to use for sequencing in Microsoft SoftGrid

4. Verify that the appropriate operating systems are selected on the Operating Systems page, and then click Finish.

5. Click Next to start the Installation Wizard.

6. In the Compression Algorithm list, click the appropriate compression algorithm.
Note We recommend that you click Not Compressed in this list.

7. In the Block Size list, click 32KB, and then click Next.

8. Exit all programs that are not needed, close all windows that are not needed, and then click Begin Monitoring.

9. Install Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 by using the .msp file that you created earlier.

10. Install other 2007 Office programs by using the appropriate .msp files that you created earlier.
Important Install all the following programs to the same package root folder:

• Visio 2007

• Project 2007

• Microsoft Office Communicator 2007

• Microsoft Office Live Meeting

• XPS/PDF add-in

11. Start each program that you installed except Outlook 2007 and Microsoft Office Groove 2007.

12. Verify that each program works correctly. If it is necessary, start each program again.

13. Click Stop Monitoring.

14. When you are prompted, click the package root folder on the Q: drive to which you installed the 2007 Office programs.

15. Accept the default option to add files to the virtual file system (VFS), and then click Finish.

16. Click Next to start the Application Wizard.

17. Customize the shortcuts to be included in the package as appropriate for your environment. When you do this, remove shortcuts that trigger update actions or that are not needed.

18. Click Next.

19. On the Launch Applications page, click each program in turn, and then click Launch.
Important Do not select Outlook 2007 or Groove 2007.

20. Perform the operations in each program as appropriate for the functionality that you want to be included in Feature Block 1. For example, to include the spelling checker functionality, misspell a word, and then check the spelling. Or, to include the Help functionality in Feature Block 1, start Help.
Note By default, the 2007 Office program does not register the following file name extension associations:

• .doc

• .xls

• .ppt

If you want these file name extensions associated with the appropriate 2007 Office program, you must open a .doc file, an .xls file, and a .ppt file as appropriate, and then register the file type with the 2007 Office program.
When you are finished starting programs, click Next.

21. Click Finish to complete the steps in the Application Wizard.

22. On the Virtual Registry tab in the Sequencer, expand the following virtual registry location:

USER\%SFT_SID%\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\UserInfo

Then, delete the following values:

• UserInitials

• UserName

23. If you include the Live Meeting add-ins in the sequencing operation, follow these steps:

a. On the Virtual Registry tab in the Sequencer, expand the following virtual registry location:

USER\%SFT_SID%\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data

Then, delete the Settings value and the Toolbars value.

b. On the Virtual File System tab, expand CSIDL_APPDATA\Microsoft\Templates, and then right-click this entry to clear the virtualized flag. This action lets the 2007 Office Online templates function correctly.

24. If you perform the sequencing operation on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, follow these steps:

a. On the Virtual File System tab, expand the following location:

CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES_COMMON\Microsoft Shared\ink

b. Right-click this entry to clear the virtualized flag. This action lets Tablet PC computers function correctly.

25. Save the package together with an appropriate name.

26. Verify that local interaction is enabled. To do this, modify each .osd package to add the following entry to the <VIRTUALENV> section that appears after the <ENVLIST/> tag.

<POLICIES>
<LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>TRUE</LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>
</POLICIES>

When you enable local interaction, Windows Internet Explorer interaction is improved.

 

Known issues

• The Outlook 2007 Instant Search feature does not function in a SoftGrid environment. The registry key change that is described in this article turns on the Classic form of Outlook search.

• After streaming, the shortcut that is created in the Quick Launch area by Outlook 2007 and the shortcut that is created in the Startup folder for Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 are no longer valid. Therefore, users must manually re-create these shortcuts.

• Items that require interaction with Outlook 2007 from the operating system or from other programs do not function correctly. This includes "mailto:" links and the Start menu shortcut for the default e-mail client.

Regards,

Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

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SoftGrid 4.1 and 4.2 Updates Available for Download Now

Posted today over the SoftGrid Team Blog, you can now get the latest updates for SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 and 4.2 HFRU2 on TechNet.  There are some pretty significant additions and changes in these updates.

I am pleased to announce public availability of SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 and 4.2 HFRU2.

This cumulative update for SoftGrid v4.1 SP1 and v4.2 provides the latest updates to SoftGrid.  In addition to stability improvements, this update contains the following changes:

• The log level of the "Error reading from socket" message is now Debug. Therefore, the message does not appear in the Sft-server.log and the Windows event log at the default log level when you use SoftGrid Virtual Application Servers together with a hardware load balancer. 
• SoftGrid Sequencer now preserves OSD GUIDs when it opens SoftGrid v3.2 sequencings for a package upgrade.
• Intermittent "0xBE" Stop errors that occur at system start on multiprocessor computers have been addressed.

New capabilities

This update provides the following new capabilities:

• SoftGrid now supports deployment of Virtual Application .msi files that are generated by the MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization to SoftGrid clients that are running Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows 2000 Server/Advanced Server and that have Terminal Services enabled.
• SoftGrid 4.2 HFRU2 now supports Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Please Note:  The 4.1 SP1 KB article incorrectly identifies Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) as a new capability of 4.1 SP1 HFRU2.  We’re in the process of changing the article now so you should see it updated soon.

SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 HFRU2 Bits: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938497

SoftGrid 4.2 HFRU2 Bits: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941408

Regards,
Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

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Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization Labs

J.C. over on the SoftGrid Team blog posed a list of SoftGrid virtual labs.  If you are new to the technology, need a refresher or just want to pick up on some stuff you might not already know this list covers quite a few different areas of the entire SoftGrid process from sequencing to troubleshooting. 

I would also recommend subscribing to their RSS feed if you don’t currently. 

Are you new to Microsoft Application Virtualization (aka SoftGrid) and looking for a quick and easy way to ramp up your skills? If so then these virtual labs are a great place to start. In as little as an hour or two you can use these to evaluate and test many of the features and concepts through a series of guided, hands-on exercises. Sure you can read the guides and manuals and all that stuff (you do read all those, right?) but if you’re anything like me there’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty. Plus a little practice now using these labs can save you a ton of time troubleshooting mistakes down the road. Check them out:

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TechNet Virtual Lab: SoftGrid Application Virtualization- Sequencing (basics)

After completing this lab, you will be better able to publish an application in the SoftGrid environment, stream and test the application, and perform an active upgrade of the application.

For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366074&culture=en-US

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TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft SoftGrid Virtual Application Advanced Sequencing

In this lab, you will walk-through performing a Virtual File System (VFS) installation of an application as well as a sequencing of a web-based plug-in. Before working on this lab, you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the SoftGrid environment.

For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032345999&culture=en-US

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TechNet Virtual Lab: Using Microsoft SoftGrid Sequencer to Package and Install an Application and Implement an Updated Package using Active Upgrade

After completion of this lab, you will be more familiar with performing a standard sequence of an application, publishing the application to test in the SoftGrid system, and also performing an active upgrade to the application. Before working on this lab, you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the SoftGrid environment.

For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032346000&culture=en-US

======

TechNet Virtual Lab: SoftGrid Application Virtualization- Publishing

After completing this lab, you will be better able to publish an application in the SoftGrid environment, stream and test the application, and perform an active upgrade of the application.

For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032366076&culture=en-US

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TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft SoftGrid General Troubleshooting

In this lab, you will learn how to troubleshoot sequenced applications using common utilities. After completing this lab you will be able to create a package troubleshooting environment, use File Monitor to repair a package that is missing file(s), and use Process Monitor to add registry keys.

For more information see http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032367800&culture=en-US

======

J.C. Hornbeck | Manageability Knowledge Engineer

Regards,
Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

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SoftGrid Sequencing Guidelines

Microsoft has released a Best Practices guide for Application Virtualization or SoftGrid v.4.2 app sequencing that was compiled from the MCS group.  Here are some of the highlights in the first two sections followed be the TOC’s.  There is far too much information to be effectively summarized here.  Great work!

Get your pdf copy here and your xps copy here.

Highlights of the Sequencer setup recommendations

• Sequence on a machine that is the oldest OS that the sequenced app will run on.
• If Office is part of your base image, install it on your Sequencer.
• Create an ODBC DSN setting as part of your Sequencer’s base images.  This will keep you from virtualizing all the ODBC DSN registry keys in the event the app you are sequencing creates any ODBC settings.
• Create a fake printer as part of your Sequencer’s base image.
• Everyone knows to create the Q drive on a separate partition right???  Everyone nod Yes..
• Put your %TEMP% directories and scratch directories on different physical drives for better performance while sequencing an app.
• Make sure you turn off all those auto start programs on your sequencer box.  Like your AV client, Adobe speed launcher, and search programs, Explorer, anti-spyware programs.

Highlights of recommendations for sequencing

• Know the app you are going to sequence.  Know if there are dependencies on other apps, know the install process, know if there are post install processes you have to complete. 
• Document all the above (commonly called a recipe) so someone else can do this or so you remember what to do when you finally get back to sequencing the app.
• Put relevant comments about the sequencer into the comments filed, your name, date, OS, SP, apps as part of the base sequencer image.
• Yes, you still need to use the 8.3 directory names.
• Configure and test the sequenced app during the Install phase.  If you make changes to the preferences as part of your normal install of the app, do it when you sequence the app as well.  And make sure the app runs as normal before you seal it, get rid of any registration dialogs or other annoying things the app does the first couple of times it runs.
• Don’t stop the monitor until all apps have been installed. 

Here is the rest of the TOC so you can see what else this guide includes.

Gauging Applications for Sequencing…………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Sequencing Limitations …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
Sample Sequencing ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
Package Configuration……………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Application Wizard …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
Saving the Package …………………………………………………………………………………………. 25
Application Package Upgrade………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
Compression of the SFT …………………………………………………………………………………………. 27
Advanced OSD Scripting ………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Advanced Sequencing Techniques …………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Sequencing Applications That Cannot Install to Q:\ …………………………………………………….. 34
Sequencing Web Based Applications ……………………………………………………………………….. 35
Sequencing for an OS other than the one required by the application. ………………………….. 35
Sequencing applications that require access to local devices and or resources ……………… 36
Sequencer Log Files ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36
Finding Additional Information …………………………………………………………………………………………… 36
Error Codes and the Microsoft Knowledge Base ………………………………………………………… 36
SoftGrid Team Blog ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
SoftGrid Product Documentation ……………………………………………………………………………… 37
SoftGrid Related Technical Discussion Forums and Web Sites ……………………………………. 37

Related links:

App-V version 4.5 from the Connect site.

What’s New in 4.5

SMS and SoftGrid together

Webcasts

App-V on TechNet

Regards,
Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

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Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator

Use this new version of the WVHA to determine if your hardware is ready to migrate to Vista and determine if you can migrate to Server 2008.  It can also help you assess if you can virtualize servers by migrating them to Virtual Server or Server 2008’s Hyper-V and if you can safely migrate your applications into the virtualization world as well using Microsoft Application Virtualization.

You can download Server 2008 RC1 with Hyper-V here.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Overview

Introduction

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator (MAP) is the expanded version of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment solution accelerator (WVHA). This new version of the network-wide assessment tool gives you not only the original capability of hardware inventory and assessment for desktops, but also expanded features including server migration recommendation with Windows Server 2008, virtualization workload placements for server consolidation with Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2, and application virtualization recommendations with Microsoft Application Virtualization.

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool is based on agent-less infrastructure scanning technology that makes it easier to set up the inventory without the requirement of installing any software agents on each machine being inventoried. In addition, this tool can generate localized desktop readiness reports in North American English, German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Beta Now!

Features Overview

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator performs three key functions, including hardware and device inventory, compatibility analysis, and readiness reporting.

Figure 1. Three Main Functions of Microsoft Assessment and Planning

Secure and Agentless Inventory

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool provides secure, agent-less and network-wide inventory for up to 100,000 computers. It collects and organizes system resource and device information from a single networked computer. Assessment tools often require users to first deploy software agents on all computers to be inventoried but this tool does not.

It is capable of discovering and assessing computers and devices on a network that supports Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and those that run on the following operating systems:

• Windows Vista
• Windows XP® Professional
• Windows Server 2003™ or Windows Server 2003 R2
• Windows 2000 Professional or Windows 2000 Server
• Non-Windows (SNMP-enabled)

Comprehensive Hardware and Device Compatibility Analysis

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning provides detailed analysis on hardware and device compatibility for migration to Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office.  Specifically, this tool analyzes each machine’s readiness for the migration by looking at the specific hardware and device compatibility requirements that Microsoft published.

For customers interested in server consolidation and virtualization technologies such as Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2, this tool helps gather performance metrics and generate server consolidation recommendation reports that identify the best candidates for server virtualization. It also provides assessment reports for SoftGrid.

In-Depth Readiness Reporting

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool generates custom reports containing both high-level and detailed assessment results for migration to many products. The results are provided in both Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word formats:

• Hardware assessment and upgrade recommendations for migration to Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office
• Server consolidation and workload placement recommendations using Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2
• Application virtualization candidate recommendation report for Microsoft Application Virtualization
• Inventory of Non-Windows or heterogeneous environment

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning tool can generate desktop readiness reports in seven languages including North American English, German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Source.

Regards,
Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

no comments yet.

Download The Microsoft Application Virtualization Guide

More info Here, or download directly here.

Related Downloads:

Microsoft Application Virtualization Platform v. 4.5 sign in with your LiveID and sign up for the Beta.

MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization

Overview

This trial guide walks you through a step by step creation of a Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 system including the Sequencing of two applications. Once you have completed these setup steps, you will be able to test the benefits of Microsoft Application Virtualization in your own environment.

Regards,
Anthony

Anthony Clendenen | Solutions Engineer | 1E

http://configmgr.com

© Anthony Clendenen

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