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Ryan Schultz edited this page Apr 8, 2025 · 1 revision

Configuration Guide for M365 Apps Deployment Toolkit

This guide explains the XML configuration files used by the M365 Apps Deployment Toolkit and how to customize them for your specific deployment needs.

Understanding XML Configuration Files

The toolkit uses XML configuration files that control how Microsoft 365 Apps are installed. These files are processed by the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) and provide detailed instructions about:

  • Which products to install
  • Which applications to include or exclude
  • Update channels
  • Language settings
  • Installation behaviors
  • And more

Included Configuration Files

The toolkit includes several pre-configured XML files:

File Purpose
config\install-office365.xml Standard Microsoft 365 Apps installation
config\install-visio.xml Microsoft Visio installation
config\install-project.xml Microsoft Project installation
config\uninstall-office365.xml Uninstalls Microsoft 365 Apps
config\uninstall-visio.xml Uninstalls Microsoft Visio
config\uninstall-project.xml Uninstalls Microsoft Project
config\uninstall-consumer.xml Uninstalls consumer versions of Office

Common Configuration Options

Product Selection

The <Product ID> element specifies which Microsoft product to install:

<Product ID="O365BusinessRetail">
  <!-- Configuration for Microsoft 365 Apps for Business -->
</Product>

Common product IDs include:

Product ID Description
O365BusinessRetail Microsoft 365 Apps for Business
O365ProPlusRetail Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise
VisioProRetail Visio Professional
VisioStdRetail Visio Standard
ProjectProRetail Project Professional
ProjectStdRetail Project Standard
ProPlus2021Volume Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021
Standard2021Volume Office LTSC Standard 2021

Update Channels

The Channel attribute in the <Add> element defines which update channel to use:

<Add Channel="MonthlyEnterprise">

Available channels:

Channel Description Update Frequency
Current Current Channel Monthly with new features
MonthlyEnterprise Monthly Enterprise Channel Monthly with new features, but on a more predictable schedule
SemiAnnual Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel New features twice per year (January and July)
SemiAnnualPreview Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) Preview of next Semi-Annual release

Language Selection

The <Language> element specifies which language(s) to install:

<!-- Option 1: Match system language (recommended) -->
<Language ID="MatchOS" />

<!-- Option 2: Specific language -->
<Language ID="en-us" />

<!-- Option 3: Multiple languages -->
<Language ID="en-us" />
<Language ID="fr-fr" />
<Language ID="es-es" />

Excluding Applications

To exclude specific applications from the installation, use the <ExcludeApp> element:

<!-- Core Office Apps - Uncomment to exclude -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Access" />      <!-- Access database tool -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Excel" />       <!-- Excel spreadsheet -->
<ExcludeApp ID="OneNote" />     <!-- OneNote notebook -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Outlook" />     <!-- Outlook email client -->
<ExcludeApp ID="PowerPoint" />  <!-- PowerPoint presentation -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Publisher" />   <!-- Publisher desktop publishing -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Word" />        <!-- Word document editor -->

<!-- Additional Tools - Uncomment to exclude -->
<ExcludeApp ID="OneDrive" />    <!-- OneDrive sync client -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Teams" />       <!-- Microsoft Teams -->
<ExcludeApp ID="Bing" />        <!-- Microsoft Search in Bing -->

Installation Display Level

The Level attribute in the <Display> element controls the user interface during installation:

<!-- No UI (silent installation) -->
<Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />

<!-- Full UI -->
<Display Level="Full" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />

<!-- No UI and suppress error messages -->
<Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" SuppressModal="TRUE" />

Automatic Updates

The <Updates> element controls whether Office receives automatic updates:

<!-- Enable automatic updates (default) -->
<Updates Enabled="TRUE" />

<!-- Disable automatic updates (not recommended) -->
<Updates Enabled="FALSE" />

<!-- Force update by a specific time (UTC timezone) -->
<Updates DeadLine="YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ" />

Advanced Properties

You can set various installation properties with the <Property> element:

<!-- Automatically activate if credentials available -->
<Property Name="AUTOACTIVATE" Value="1" />

<!-- Enable shared computer activation (for RDS/VDI) -->
<Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="1" />

<!-- Pin Office apps to the Windows taskbar -->
<Property Name="PinIconsToTaskbar" Value="TRUE" />

<!-- Force running Office apps to close during installation -->
<Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="TRUE" />

Sample Configuration Files

Standard Microsoft 365 Apps Installation

<Configuration ID="6dbbe3cd-54c5-4e05-9b7f-0123922eb34f">
  <Add Channel="MonthlyEnterprise">
    <Product ID="O365BusinessRetail">
      <Language ID="MatchOS" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Groove" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
  <RemoveMSI />
</Configuration>

Microsoft 365 Apps with Visio and Project

<Configuration>
  <Add Channel="MonthlyEnterprise">
    <Product ID="O365BusinessRetail">
      <Language ID="MatchOS" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Groove" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
    </Product>
    <Product ID="VisioProRetail">
      <Language ID="MatchOS" />
    </Product>
    <Product ID="ProjectProRetail">
      <Language ID="MatchOS" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
  <RemoveMSI />
</Configuration>

Microsoft 365 Apps with Specific Language and No Teams

<Configuration>
  <Add Channel="Current">
    <Product ID="O365BusinessRetail">
      <Language ID="en-us" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Groove" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
      <ExcludeApp ID="Teams" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
  <RemoveMSI />
</Configuration>

Uninstallation Configuration

<Configuration>
  <Remove>
    <Product ID="O365BusinessRetail">
      <Language ID="MatchOS" />
    </Product>
  </Remove>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
</Configuration>

Creating Custom Configurations

To create a custom configuration:

  1. Start with one of the included XML files as a template
  2. Modify the elements described above as needed
  3. Save the file with a descriptive name in the config folder
  4. Reference your custom configuration when running the toolkit:
.\Install-Microsoft365Apps.ps1 -ConfigXMLPath "config\my-custom-config.xml"

Configuration Testing

Before deploying to multiple machines, test your custom configuration:

  1. Run the toolkit with the -DetectOnly parameter to ensure detection works
  2. Test on a single machine to verify the installation is as expected
  3. Check installed applications and update settings after installation

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on Office Deployment Tool configuration options, see:

Best Practices

  1. Keep it simple: Only customize what you need to change
  2. Document your changes: Add comments to your XML files
  3. Maintain version control: Track changes to your configuration files
  4. Test thoroughly: Verify configurations before large-scale deployment
  5. Consider user needs: Balance feature exclusions with user requirements
  6. Plan update channels: Choose update channels based on business needs
  7. Language planning: Consider multilingual environments if needed

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