Profile Wizard

Using the Profile Wizard with the Office Custom Installation Wizard

Although you can run Profile Wizard by itself to capture and restore user profile settings, it is a much more powerful tool when you use it in combination with the Office Custom Installation Wizard.

The Office Custom Installation Wizard helps you customize the Microsoft Office 2000 Setup program. When you customize the Office 2000 installation to include a default user profile, you save a step in your deployment process by distributing the profile during installation.

You have two choices for using the Profile Wizard and the Office Custom Installation Wizard together. Whichever method you choose, the Office Custom Installation Wizard uses the profile that you specify to modify how Office is installed.

Including an OPS file in the Custom Installation Wizard

When you add an Office profile settings (OPS) file to the Custom Installation Wizard, the OPS file is included in the Windows installer transform (MST file). This offers a couple of advantages:

• With the OPS file included in the MST file, you have only one file to keep track of.
• Because the profile is part of the customized Setup, users can install from any administrative installation point.

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Setting the Profile Wizard to run after Office installation

When you add the Profile Wizard to the list of applications to run at the end of the Office installation, your OPS file is independent of your MST file. This option offers a number of advantages:

• You can update the OPS file without having to create a new MST file.
• If the OPS file is stored in a central place, users can install Office 2000 from any administrative installation point.

However, running the Profile Wizard separately has some limitations. If the OPS file is stored in an administrative installation point, the administrative installation point must be replicated around the network.

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See also

For more information about using the Office Custom Installation Wizard to add an OPS file or the Profile Wizard to your installation, see How to Preset User Options in an OPS File.