Sequencing Excel 2003 in 30 easy steps
Introduction: The goal of this document is to demonstrate one particular way that Microsoft Excel can
be sequenced using Microsoft SoftGrid 4.2. It's not the only way, or the best way, it's just one way that
seems to work well for me. I have not fully tested every single Excel related function within this package
so it's possible there could be issues although I've yet to come across any. Before you begin your own
Excel 2003 or Office 2003 sequencing project I would highly recommend that you read this document
fully along with KB931914 - Problems that you may experience when you try to use Microsoft SoftGrid
to sequence Microsoft Office on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, or
Windows Server 2003.
Disclaimer: This document assumes that the reader is already well versed with Sequencing Best
Practices and is experienced in using the SoftGrid admin console, managing virtualized applications and
publishing them to users. If not, those areas may be a better place to start. I will also repeat that this
recipe has not been fully tested so if you use this guide you will need to ensure that it fulfills the
requirements of your particular environment. That means it's up to you to test it before rolling it out.
Now with all that out of the way, on with the sequence!
1. Start your clean sequencing machine or VM and install the SoftGrid Sequencer. Before starting the
Sequencer we'll need to make a quick registry edit on our Sequencer box. Fire up Regedit and go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer. Once there add these
values:


DisableRollback - DWORD - Value=1
MaxPatchCacheSize - DWORD - Value = 0
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
2. Exit Regedit and start the Sequencer:
3. Before we get started we should set an exclusion. On the Tools menu, click Options. Next click the
Exclusion Items tab and select New. In the Exclude Path box, type %Csidl_Windows%\Debug and set the
Mapping Type to VFS then click OK. You don't necessarily have to do this but it won't hurt and may in
fact save you some pain down the road. See KB931914 for more details :
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
4. Now that we have that set we can begin building our package. Select the New Package... icon, or
select File from the menu bar and select New Package...
5. When the New Package wizard starts it will ask you whether you would like some assistance. Always
says Yes:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
6. That will start the Package Configuration Wizard. Select Next:
7. Fill out your Package Information and click Next:
I usually use the install
folder as my suite name.
Give it whatever title you
want.
Put in some descriptive
comments so that when
you look at this package
a year from now you'll
have some idea of how it
was done.
Set the protocol, specify
the name of your server
(or use the variable, just
be sure it's defined on
the client) and enter the
path. In this case the
path really represents
the folder in the
Content share that will
contain your sequenced
app.
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
8. Add the supported Operating Systems and click Finish. I usually just add everything:
9. Clicking finish in step 6 will start the Installation Wizard. Click Next to continue:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
10. For Sequencing Parameters leave all the defaults and click Next:
11. Now we're finally ready to begin capturing the package. Make sure you have your source files handy
(I always copy them locally) and click Begin Monitoring... Once you click this the Sequencer will
minimize itself to the System Tray when it's ready for you to start the installation.
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
12. Start the Office 2003 installation by running SETUP.EXE. When you start the setup program, the first
screen you see is the screen to enter your user information. Enter your information and click Next:
13. On the Type of Installation screen select Custom Install and set the path to something like
Q:\Excel2K7, then click Next:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
14. De-select all applications except for Excel 2003 and check Choose advanced customization of
applications, then click Next:
15. On the Advanced Customization page, set everything except for Excel 2003 to Not Available. For
Microsoft Office Excel, set it to Run all from My Computer. If you don't need any of the Office Share
Features or the Office Tools you should be OK disabling them :
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
16. Clicking Next brings you to the screen below. Go ahead and click Install:
17. Check the latest news headlines on MSNBC while Excel installs:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
18. When the installation is complete, navigate to the install directory (in our case Q:\Excel2K3) and
launch Excel. Check a few functions and make sure they work. No need to go crazy here. When you're
satisfied, maximize the Sequencer and select Stop Monitoring:
19. It will then prompt for you to specify the primary directory the product was installed to:
Here
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
20. Watch the Sequencer build the package. When complete click Next:
21. On the Additional Files to Map to the VFS screen, leave the defaults and click Finish:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
22. Now the Application Wizard begins. Click Next to continue:
23. On the Configure Applications screen delete any icons you don't want. I got rid of everything except
Excel itself. To remove an icon simply right click it and select Remove. Note that you're not removing
the application, just the icon. That should leave something like this:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
Click Next.
24. If you want to create Feature Block 1, aka FB1 (and you probably do) then launch Excel now. When
it's done it should look like this.
Click Next.
25. The Sequencer will now build FB1 and the rest of the package:
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation
26. Click Finish to complete the steps in the Application Wizard.
27. Select the Virtual Registry tab in the Sequencer and expand the following virtual registry location:
USER\%SFT_SID%\Software\Microsoft\Office\Common\UserInfo
Delete the following values if they exist:




CompanyName
UserInfo
UserInitials
UserName
CompanyName and UserName
can be seen here. The other two
have already been removed.
28. Save the package with an appropriate name to a new folder named Excel2K3.
29. Copy your new Excel2K3 folder to your \Content shared folder.
30. Once it's in the \Content share simply import it on the server and publish it to your clients.
That's it, Excel 2003 sequenced in 30 easy steps.
J.C. Hornbeck | Manageability Knowledge Engineer
Sequencing Excel 2003
J.C. Hornbeck - Microsoft Corporation