Hi eveyrone,

Question about unattended Office 2003 install.

I have an MST which works great when I plug in the Product Key... but...
I need to install Office 2003 without a product key, so that when the use first launches any office program, it then asks for the product key.

I cannot seem to find an answer anywhere on the forum, or using google, or searching microsoft.com. The answer is not in the Unattended CD/DVD guide from msfn (which is awesome, just lacking this particular answer).

Any ideas?

Hello duomenox

I think I know a solution to your problem.

If you do created your mst by following the guide here, you will notice that your serial number is not stored in the mst file. It is embeded with the administrative installation you created. Try running the original installation file with your mst instead of the admin installation files.

You are free to use this proven method.


Use the original CD (can be VLK or retail), or an admin-install point and install o2k3 normally with key. Then use a registry tweak, or REG.EXE (command-line) to delete this registry key:That is where all info about your o2k3 installation's registration is stored. If you delete that, your o2k3 apps will ask for a key at first-run (but the key you used to initially install office will already be filled-in for you).

If you need more info, do not hesitate to ask!

Yeah, I am restricted to the OEM CD that is sent with Dell PC's (and it is office basic edition) so the registry hack will most likely bemy best solution.

I tried using the following lines

setup.exe /jm basic11n.msi /t mstfile.mst

but I was getting an error about the edition not supporting MST files. Which was strange becuase I could install using the MST and inserting the key previously

The only question I would have is concerning the first run after I delete the key... do you know how I might be able to clear the key from the install screen? Is it stored in the registry again (possibly) or maybe in a config file in the office directory?

Just curious to konw if anyone figured that one out again. Not to big of a deal because I can use a Key that will not activate. but I need to protect this CD from ambitous employees taking it home...

Thanks again for your help, it has saved me tons of time!

I just tried it in my "lab" is it is clearing out the product key. So thanks for your ideas, it REALLY helped!

MST and admin-install point for slip-streaming won't work on OEM version.
So the following commands is what you'd need in your batch-files for automating it.the first line installs office silently with the specified key, and second line installs SP1, and third line clears key.



The clear-key.reg has to be made from notepad, copy/paste the below into it:These steps should work fine .....

Got it!

Everything is working, the transform files are also working, but only if you add them to the command line (not from the setup.ini)

That was the final command line I used.

Again, thanks for all your help, this saved me lots of reserach time!

well it didn't work for me.

Setup.exe PIDKEY=(25-digit key) TRANSFORMS=MSTFile.MST /qb-

and deleting the registry key "registration"


i still have the serial key used shown in gray at the first begin of the soft... where is stored this number ???

please help
thanks

up

Don't use the ( ) when entering your serial number.

Hi ,,,,

If you ask how to do serial try this
Open office cd in the ( FILES\SETUP ) you well find ( setup.ini ) open this file
under [Options] ad this:

[Options]
; The option section is used for specifying individual Installer Properties.
;USERNAME=Customer
PIDKEY=11111111111111111111111
;COMPANYNAME=my company

This worked perfectly for me, although I made the schoolboy error of putting the dashes into the product code the first time I wrote the batch file!!
Having fixed that issue, the installer works perfectly, although as I'm on OEM media, I seem to be unable to slipstream the service packs in.

What could be the reason that let you need such a thing

To save your clients having to go through the process from scratch. Once they enter the key, they are up and running.

What a good idea