#192665 - 2009-03-01 09:29 PM
Office compatibility
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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My client has Office 2003 as their Word, Excel, etc source and are now getting donated documents created in Office 2007 suites.
Microsoft have issued a compatibilty package that assists.
[url] http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...&displayLang=en [/url]
My questions:
Is there a KiX solution to check if the workstation already has the compatibility pack installed AND
If not run the .EXE (hopefully silently) to install it.
Michael
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#192667 - 2009-03-01 09:58 PM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Lonkero]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Wow, thanks for the prompt response.
Now to the second part of the question:
If it hasn't been installed, how to install it (silently) for the user?
Regards, Michael
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#192671 - 2009-03-01 11:41 PM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Lonkero]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Nice one with the options. I'll experiment with /quiet and /passive which are listed as options.
In the meantime the Uninstall registry key was unhelpful.
Seems there's a mixture of {xxxx.xxx.etc} identifiers and some English Names. It's probably one of the identifiers <sob>
If I go the the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, the Compatibility Pack is plain English nominated.
Looks like I need to go on the MSFT site to see if there is a marker for the already installed software.
That is, unless someone on the KiX board can throw light on the matter.
Regards, Michael
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#192674 - 2009-03-02 02:10 AM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Lonkero]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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I'll go back and have a "mummy" look.
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#192681 - 2009-03-03 06:06 AM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Ashpoint]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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A great thanks to the KiX community for their assistance during my reading of the various forums. In this instance, particularly to Lonkero.
I'm proposing to roll out the following module within my login code:
; ************************************************* Office Compatibility ************************
; Office Compatibility Update by Michael Rychter 03 March 2009
If NOT KeyExist("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{90120000-0020-0409-0000-0000000FF1CE}")
$Ms = "We need to update your workstation to enable you to read and process"+@CRLF
$Ms = $ms + "files created in Office 2007. Your login will be delayed a few moments"+@CRLF
$Ms = $ms + "while the installation is done."+@CRLF + @CrLf
$Ms = $ms + "You will only see this message once and you should be aware"+@CRLF
$Ms = $ms + "that this is not a virus nor anything to be frightened of."+@CRLF + @CrLf
$Ms = $ms + "If you are concerned, then phone Fred Nurk on 02 9412 6900"+@CRLF + @CrLf
$Ms = $ms + "Please now press your <Enter> key..."+@CRLF + @CrLf
MESSAGEBOX($ms, "My Domain", 0,60)
Shell '"'+%COMSPEC%+'" /C "X:\Office2007Compatibility\FileFormatConverters.exe /QUIET"'
ENDIF
As usual, I would appreciate any additional comments.
Best regards, Michael
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#192687 - 2009-03-03 01:39 PM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Lonkero]
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Glenn Barnas
KiX Supporter
Registered: 2003-01-28
Posts: 4396
Loc: New Jersey
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I agree with the /passiv argument - it provides the progress bar only so the user can tell it's working. /Quiet installs are really only appropriate for those done when nobody is logged in. With Passiv, the user can guage the pain they should expect, decide whether to get a cup of coffee, or just wait for it to all be over. Also, if it takes so long that a call to the help desk is needed, the technician can gauge what is happening and where it might have hung up.
For those reading this and not familiar with MessageBox, it is critical to use a timeout in any login script process that prompts for input. If this account were used to perform an unattended install of some kind and ran the script, the process would hang forever rather than just be delayed for a minute if a timeout was not used.
Finally, I'm guessing this is a fairly tiny environment where everybody has local admin rights to their PC so they can install software during login. This is generally not a good practice if any level of security is desired. We've had several discussions on how to trigger admin priveleged installs via the login script that run outside of the user process. (ie - don't rely on elevating the user process with runas or runnas, but spawn an independent login process via the task scheduler.) This will be the focus of an upcoming Script Vault article. The general concept is- Login script detects the need for software or some admin-level task. Users generaly have read access to make this determination, but not the write access to make the change.
- Login script writes a file to a server requesting the specific update, usually to @WKSTA.ini using a WriteProfileString command. Fast & direct.
- Server finds the file, reads the entry & deletes the file. The server then copies a small batch file to the PC and creates a scheduled task to run the batch file. The batch file performs any task needed to prep and run the install command, including mapping any drives. There is no defined time to run this task, however. The task is created with a user account that has local PC admin rights, such as "Domain\SW-Installer".
- The server triggers the task to run "right now"
Depending on the frequency that the server checks for new files (5-10 seconds), the installation will run in a separate process under local admin rights, and will start even before the typical login script has completed. This provides a fast, reliable, and secure install method.
Glenn
_________________________
Actually I am a Rocket Scientist!
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#192690 - 2009-03-03 06:36 PM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Glenn Barnas]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Wow, great comments.
Glenn, what's the information about "an upcoming Script Vault article"
I had never heard of the /passive switch, so back to the reading glasses.
Michael
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#192694 - 2009-03-03 09:37 PM
Re: Office compatibility
[Re: Lonkero]
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Ashpoint
Starting to like KiXtart
Registered: 1999-08-27
Posts: 192
Loc: Sydney, NSW, Australia
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I must be behind in my Alzheimer tablets.
My mind was focused on the MessageBox command and wondered if the /PASSIVE switch was for that!!
I'm Ok now!
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