Creating a Folder in C: Drive

In order to start the process of downloading and installing Microsoft 365 through Office Deployment Tool (ODT), the first procedure begins with creating a specific folder in your computer's C: Drive. This step allows you a dedicated space to facilitate the download and installation process. These are some detailed directives to accomplish it:

Opening Local Disk C

Select the 'This PC' or 'My Computer' from the desktop or access it via the Windows start menu. A window will open with several sections including "Devices and drives". Under this section, you will find your hard drive partitions. Look for 'Local Disk (C:).' This is the computer's main drive in most Windows systems, where all system files are stored.

Creating a New Folder, Naming It ODT

In the second step, you need to create a new folder within your C: Drive. After opening the C: Drive as mentioned above, right-click inside the window. A menu will appear. From the menu, hover your cursor over 'New', which will then extend the options, then click on the 'Folder' option in the cascading menu.

Once you click 'Folder', it will create an untitled folder highlighted for renaming. Type in 'ODT' as the folder name and press 'Enter'. Now, you have a new folder called ODT on your C: drive, which is ready to use for the further procedures of downloading and installing Microsoft 365 through the Office Deployment Tool (ODT).

Downloading and Running the Office Deployment Tool

The Office Deployment Tool (ODT) is integral to the Microsoft 365 installation process. Below, we're going to guide you through the step-by-step process of downloading and running the ODT with meticulous detail.

Downloading the Deployment Tool

First, visit the official Microsoft Download Center. Look for the most recent Microsoft 365 Deployment Tool version and click on the 'Download' button. You will be prompted to select a location to save the executable file. We recommend you save the file in your Downloads folder for easy access later.

Running the Deployment Tool

Open your Downloads folder, which is, by default, located in the Quick Access list on the left side of a Windows Explorer window. Find the Office Deployment Tool (.exe) file that you just downloaded. Double-click it to run the installation. When the User Account Control prompt asks 'Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?', select 'Yes' to approve the installation.

Upon approving the installation, you will be presented with the Microsoft Software License Terms. Read through and understand the terms properly, then click 'Continue' to express your agreement and adherence to the Microsoft Software License Terms.

Extracting Files to the ODT Folder

The installation will then continue, and a 'Browse for Folder' dialog box will appear. This is where you will select the 'ODT' folder you created on your C: Drive in our previous steps. Once you have found and selected this folder, click 'OK.' The installation tool will now extract necessary files into the 'ODT' folder.

The deployment tool is now installed and configured in the 'ODT' folder and you are one step closer to deploying Microsoft 365 on your device. This path will serve as the central hub, specifically curated for your Microsoft 365 execution files, thus simplifying the process and minimizing the chance of errors during the installation and execution process.

Configuring a New Rule File

After creating the ODT folder on the C: drive and successfully downloading the Microsoft 365 Deployment Tool, another significant step to take is configuring a new rule file. This XML file will dictate how the setup program will behave when running the installation process. Here are the detailed steps to create the file using Notepad and saving it to the ODT folder on your computer:

Opening Notepad and Inputting Rules

Begin by launching Notepad, which is pre-installed on all Windows computers. Open the Start menu and type in Notepad to open the app.

Once Notepad is open, enter the following configuration:

'en-us'

The '' tag in the rule denotes the desired language for your Microsoft 365 installation. In this instance, 'en-us' specifies the English language. If you wish to install Office in a different language, replace 'en-us' with the appropriate language ID.

Saving the File as "installOfficeBusRet64.xml" in the ODT Folder

After inputting the rules in Notepad, save the rule file in the ODT folder you created on the local Disk C. Open the 'File' menu on the Notepad document and select 'Save As.' A 'Save As' window pop-up will appear. In the 'Save as type' drop-down menu, ensure that 'All Files (*.*)' is selected.

Navigate to the ODT folder you created in drive C earlier (c:\odt). Specify the file name as 'installOfficeBusRet64.xml' and hit the 'Save' button. By establishing this XML file, you have created a decisive set of instructions controlling how the deployment tool will install Microsoft 365. This process sets the groundwork in the preparation phase to install Microsoft 365 using the Office Deployment Tool.

Downloading and Deploying the Offline Installer Files

After creating and saving your rule file under the name 'installOfficeBusRet64.xml' in the 'ODT' folder on your C: drive, you're now ready to download and deploy your offline installer files for your Microsoft Office 365 installation. Let's walk through this step-by-step process:

Initiating the Office Package Download via Run Dialog Box

In order to start downloading the Office files, go to the Windows Start menu, type 'Run', and select the 'Run' desktop app. A new Run dialog box will appear. Inside the Open box, type the following command: c:\odt\setup.exe /download installOfficeBusRet64.xml, then click 'OK'.

A blank dialog box will appear with 'c:\ODT\setup.exe' in the title bar, and the Office installation files should start downloading to your local 'ODT' folder. While the files are downloading, it may appear as though nothing is happening. However, once the dialog box closes on its own and a new 'Office' folder appears within the 'ODT' directory, know that the installation files have fully downloaded to your computer.

Transferring the ODT Folder to the Desired Machine

If you plan to install the Office Suite on a different machine, you'll need to transfer the complete 'ODT' folder to the target device at this stage. You can do this via a removable USB drive or a shared network folder. It's vital to make sure all files and folders within 'ODT' are transferred to maintain the integrity of the installation process.

Initiating the Deployment of Office Files via Run Dialog Box

Once your files are downloaded or transferred to your target device, you're ready to initiate the deployment of Office files. Open the Run dialog box again, and this time, type the following command: c:\odt\setup.exe /configure installOfficeBusRet64.xml and click 'OK'.

The installation process of the Office package should begin. Note that during this process, you may be prompted by User Account Control. It might ask for permission to allow the application to make changes to your device. Click 'Yes' to approve the installation.

Addressing Potential Error Messages Regarding Pre-existing Office Packages

During installation, some users might face error messages if a different Office version is installed on the machine. In this case, it is typically recommended to uninstall any pre-existing Office installations before attempting to install the new package using the Deployment Tool. Re-run the setup after uninstalling older versions to proceed with your new installation.

By following all the above steps, you should have successfully downloaded and deployed Microsoft 365 using the Office Deployment Tool on your desired device.

Additional Notes

Successful deployment and installation of Microsoft 365 using the Office Deployment Tool is a significant achievement. However, some specifics concerning the activation of Office products and potential language modifications are worth noting.

Requirement for Separate Activation of MS Office Products

Once the installation is complete on your machine, one might assume Office products are ready for immediate use. However, this is not usually the case. Before you can fully utilize your newly installed Office programs, there's an activation process to undertake.

To activate, make sure you are connected to the internet, then open any Office application, such as Word or Excel. You can either open an existing document or create a new one. From there, select 'File,' then 'Account'. The Office software should automatically activate, leveraging the Microsoft account associated with your Office 365 license.

Ensuring the Latest Updates & Upgrades

It is recommended that after activation, you should update your Office suite to the latest version. In the same document, select 'Update Options'; from the drop-down list, select 'Update Now'. If there's no response, close the application and repeat these steps to ensure Office updates from the Account page.

By following the comprehensive guide outlined above, you should completely understand how to install the Office 365 Suite with the Office Deployment Tool, additional insights on the activation process, the potential need for updates, and a guideline to customize its language setting.

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