For IT professionals tasked with deploying Office Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) 2021, including essential applications like Project and Visio, within an organization, the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) stands out as the pivotal instrument. This command-line tool replaces the older Office Customization Tool (OCT) previously used for Windows Installer (MSI) based deployments, offering a modern and flexible approach to managing Office installations.
The core installation files for Office LTSC 2021 are hosted on the Office Content Delivery Network (CDN), a shift from the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). This means you can execute installations directly from the internet-based Office CDN, or alternatively, download these files to a local network location, such as a shared folder, for deployment within environments with restricted internet access. The Office Deployment Tool is indispensable regardless of the chosen deployment method.
Opting for direct installation from the Office CDN generally minimizes administrative overhead and is often the recommended approach. However, practical limitations such as devices without consistent internet access or bandwidth constraints might necessitate downloading installation files to a local network share.
The fundamental steps for deploying Office LTSC 2021 involve leveraging the Office Deployment Tool to customize and execute the installation process.
For organizations utilizing Microsoft Configuration Manager, an alternative and often more integrated approach is available to deploy Office LTSC 2021 using Configuration Manager, streamlining deployment management within existing infrastructure.
Regardless of the chosen deployment strategy, a best practice is to remove any pre-existing Office versions before proceeding with the installation of Office LTSC 2021. This ensures a clean and conflict-free installation process.
Acquiring the Office Deployment Tool: Your First Cara Tool Step
The essential Office Deployment Tool (ODT), your primary “cara tool” for deployment, is readily available for download at no cost from the Microsoft Download Center. To ensure optimal performance and access to the latest features, it’s always recommended to download and utilize the most recent version of the ODT.
To begin, navigate to the Microsoft Download Center and download the Office Deployment Tool. Once downloaded, execute the officedeploymenttool executable (.exe) file. This action extracts the necessary ODT files, which include setup.exe and a sample configuration.xml file.
The setup.exe file is the core of the ODT – a command-line driven tool. The configuration.xml file serves as a template to guide you in setting up your deployment. This XML file allows you to define specific settings for downloading or installing Office and can be created and modified using any standard text editor like Notepad. You have the flexibility to name this file as needed, ensuring it retains the .xml extension.
For a tailored example specifically for Office LTSC 2021, refer to the sample configuration.xml file provided later in this guide.
Crafting Your Configuration.xml: Tailoring Your Cara Tool Deployment
Once you have the Office Deployment Tool, the next crucial step in leveraging your “cara tool” is creating a configuration.xml file. The ODT’s power lies in its ability to use multiple configuration files, offering flexibility for diverse deployment scenarios. For example, you might create one configuration.xml to download and install the 64-bit English version of Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021, and another to deploy the 32-bit French version of Visio LTSC Professional 2021. When executing the ODT from the command line, you specify which configuration file to apply.
Tip:
- For an easier and more intuitive approach to creating your
configuration.xmlfile, utilize the Office Customization Tool (OCT) instead of manual text editing. - The web-based Office Customization Tool simplifies the creation and customization process, enabling you to easily select desired settings for use with the Office Deployment Tool through a user-friendly interface. Further details can be found in the Overview of the Office Customization Tool.
- It’s important to note that this web-based OCT is distinct from the legacy Office Customization Tool used for volume licensed versions of Office that relied on Windows Installer (MSI) technology. This modern OCT is designed for Click-to-Run deployments used by Office LTSC 2021 and Microsoft 365 Apps.
Within the configuration.xml file, a range of settings can be configured to customize your Office LTSC 2021 deployment. The table below outlines the most frequently used settings:
| Configuration | configuration.xml setting |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
Installation Source and Path: Define where to download Office installation files and from where to install Office. For example, \\server\share (a shared folder on your local network). |
SourcePath |
If SourcePath is not specified during installation, the ODT will search for installation files in its own directory. If not found, it will default to the Office CDN. Installing directly from the Office CDN is generally recommended for ease of administration, provided internet connectivity and bandwidth are sufficient. |
| Product Selection: Specify which Office products to download or install. For example, Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021. | Product ID |
Valid Product IDs include: ProPlus2021Volume, Standard2021Volume, ProjectPro2021Volume, ProjectStd2021Volume, VisioPro2021Volume, VisioStd2021Volume. For a comprehensive list of Product IDs for other volume licensed Office products, such as Access LTSC 2021, refer to List of Product IDs supported by the Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run. For Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) users, please review this specific information. |
| KMS Activation: Utilize Key Management Service (KMS) for Office LTSC 2021 activation. | PIDKEY |
Enter the Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) designated for KMS activation. |
| MAK Activation: Employ Multiple Activation Key (MAK) for Office LTSC 2021 activation. | PIDKEY |
Input your specific product key for MAK activation. |
Language Deployment: Choose which languages to download or install. For instance, English (en-us) and French (fr-fr). |
Language ID |
Multiple languages can be installed concurrently with Office LTSC 2021, or added subsequently. For detailed guidance, see Deploy languages for Office LTSC 2021. |
| Proofing Tools: Install specific proofing tools. | Product ID |
Set Product ID to “ProofingTools” in conjunction with the desired Language ID. More information is available in Deploy languages for Office LTSC 2021. |
| Office Edition: Define the Office LTSC 2021 edition to download or install, such as the 64-bit version. | OfficeClientEdition |
Acceptable values are “32” and “64”. Maintain consistent architecture across all Office products on a device; mixing 32-bit and 64-bit versions is not supported. 64-bit is recommended for devices with 4 GB or more of RAM. However, application compatibility and other factors may necessitate the 32-bit version. Refer to Choose between 64-bit or 32-bit versions of Office for further guidance. |
| Application Exclusion: Selectively install apps, for example, all apps except Publisher. | ExcludeApp |
By default, all applications within Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 are installed. To exclude specific apps like Publisher, include the relevant <ExcludeApp> line in your configuration.xml. For more details, see ExcludeApp element. |
| Update Path: Specify the source for security and quality updates, such as directly from the Office CDN. | UpdatePath |
The default and recommended setting is to receive updates directly from the Office CDN, minimizing administrative efforts. For devices without internet access, updates can be sourced from a local shared folder. This requires manual download of updates from the Office CDN each month and distribution to the shared folder. For further information, consult Update Office LTSC 2021. |
| Update Channel: Designate the update channel for installation and updates. | Channel |
Office uses update channels to manage the types and frequency of updates received by installed versions of Office. More details are available at Update channel for Office LTSC 2021. |
| MSI Removal: Choose to remove previous Windows Installer (MSI) versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021. | RemoveMSI |
This is generally recommended. For more information, see Remove existing versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021. |
Tip:
Comprehensive details about these configuration.xml settings are available here: Configuration options for the Office Deployment Tool. Note that some information in that article may not be applicable to Office LTSC 2021. For instance, settings related to shared computer activation like SharedComputerLicensing and SCLCacheOverride are not relevant to Office LTSC 2021.
Sample Configuration.xml: A Practical Cara Tool Template
The following sample configuration.xml file serves as a starting point to download or install the 64-bit English version of Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 from a local network share and activate it using MAK. If used for installation, it automatically removes any existing Windows Installer (MSI) versions of Office. Although not explicitly defined, updates are enabled by default and configured to be sourced directly from the Office CDN.
<configuration>
<add channel="PerpetualVL2021" officeclientedition="64" sourcepath="\ServerShare">
<product id="ProPlus2021Volume" pidkey="#####-#####-#####-#####-#####" >
<language id="en-us" />
</product>
<removemsi all="True" />
</add>
<updates enabled="TRUE" />
<display level="none" acceptEULA="TRUE" />
</configuration>Replace #####-#####-#####-#####-##### with your actual MAK client activation key.
Pre-Installation Cleanup: Removing Existing Office Versions with Your Cara Tool
It’s highly advisable to uninstall any prior Office versions before installing Office LTSC 2021 to prevent potential conflicts and ensure a smooth deployment. The ODT, as your versatile “cara tool,” facilitates the removal of Office versions installed using Windows Installer (MSI) technology via the RemoveMSI element in your configuration.xml file.
The RemoveMSI element offers several removal options when deploying Office LTSC 2021:
- Complete Removal: Uninstall all Office products present on the device.
- Language Resource Preservation: Identify and retain existing language resources (like language packs) and install the same languages in the new deployment.
- Selective Product Retention: Keep specific Office products while removing all others from the device.
RemoveMSI is compatible with uninstalling 2007, 2010, 2013, or 2016 versions of Office, Visio, or Project that were installed using Windows Installer (MSI).
For in-depth information on utilizing RemoveMSI, consult Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps. While this article primarily discusses Microsoft 365 Apps, the core principles and functionalities of RemoveMSI largely apply to Office LTSC 2021.
To remove 2019 versions of Office, Visio, or Project, which are Click-to-Run based, use the Remove element instead.
Downloading Office LTSC 2021 Installation Files: Preparing Your Cara Tool Kit
Once you have the ODT and your customized configuration.xml file, you can proceed to download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files to your local network. To initiate the download, open an elevated command prompt, navigate to the directory where you saved the ODT and configuration.xml file, and execute the following command:
setup /download configuration.xmlIf you named your configuration.xml file differently, replace configuration.xml with your file name in the command.
The download process runs silently in the background. Upon completion, the command prompt will reappear.
To verify the download progress, navigate to the SourcePath location specified in your configuration.xml file. You should observe an “Office” folder containing a “Data” subfolder. Within “Data,” a further subfolder named with the download version number, such as 16.0.14332.20481, will be present. The specific files and their names will vary based on whether you are downloading the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office and the selected languages.
Key points regarding Office LTSC 2021 installation file downloads:
- 32-bit and 64-bit versions must be downloaded separately.
- All volume licensed Office products are included in a single download, irrespective of the specific products defined in your
configuration.xmlfile. For example, downloading Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 will also include Visio LTSC Professional 2021 and Project Professional 2021 in the download package. This comprehensive download approach is designed to optimize disk space on your local network. The core files for these products reside in thestream.x86.x-none.datorstream.x64.x-none.datfile, depending on the Office architecture.
Installing Office LTSC 2021 with the Office Deployment Tool: Deploying Your Cara Tool Effectively
With the ODT, your configuration.xml file, and (if needed) the downloaded Office LTSC 2021 installation files ready, you can now install Office LTSC 2021. Open an elevated command prompt, navigate to the folder containing the ODT and configuration.xml file, and execute this command:
setup /configure configuration.xmlAgain, if your configuration.xml file has a different name, use that name in the command.
Once the installation is complete, the command prompt will reappear, and the installed Office LTSC 2021 applications will be ready for use.
Note:
Office LTSC 2021 is installed on the system drive, typically the C: drive. The installation path cannot be customized.
Leveraging Configuration Manager for Office LTSC 2021 Deployment: An Enterprise Cara Tool
For organizations utilizing Microsoft Configuration Manager (current branch), deploying Office LTSC 2021 can be further streamlined. The Office 365 Client Installation wizard within Configuration Manager guides you through the deployment process and automatically generates the configuration.xml file. The wizard specifically includes an entry for “Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021”, and also allows for the selection and deployment of Project and Visio on the same page. Access the wizard within the Configuration Manager console by navigating to Software Library > Overview > Office 365 Client Management.
Deploying Multiple Languages: Expanding Your Cara Tool’s Reach
The ODT and configuration.xml file are also instrumental in deploying Office LTSC 2021, including Project and Visio, in multiple languages. For detailed instructions, refer to the Language element documentation.
Furthermore, you can install proofing tools independently by setting the Product ID to “ProofingTools” in your configuration.xml file, along with the relevant Language IDs. Proofing tools packages are significantly smaller than full language packs, making them ideal for scenarios where users work with multilingual documents but do not require the Office UI in all those languages. Proofing tools can be installed concurrently with Office LTSC 2021 or added at a later stage, irrespective of whether the full language pack for a language is installed.
When upgrading from a Windows Installer (MSI) version of Office, you can seamlessly migrate to Click-to-Run versions of the same language resources (language packs, language interface packs, or proofing tools) during the Office LTSC 2021 deployment. Consult Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps for more information, noting its applicability to Office LTSC 2021.
Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business in Office LTSC 2021: Understanding Application Inclusion
Office LTSC 2021 does not include the Teams client application by default. However, if Teams was previously installed with Office LTSC 2021, it will continue to receive automatic updates approximately every two weeks, delivering new features and quality improvements. The Teams update mechanism is distinct from that of other Office applications like Word and Excel. More information is available at Teams update process.
Skype for Business is also not included by default in Office LTSC 2021 installations when using either:
- The Office Deployment Tool with a
configuration.xmlfile created via the Office Customization Tool without modifying default settings in the Apps section. - The Office 365 Client Installation wizard in Configuration Manager (current branch) without altering default settings in the Apps section.
For both deployment methods, you can adjust settings within the UI to ensure Skype for Business is included in the Office LTSC 2021 installation.
