@blackholemac we asked Pacifist why they don't offer a pref to offload QuickLook to Suspicious Package, got a nice response, hope it happens!

I have Pacifist. I purchased it when I first started reading this topic. That's how I found that the package that installs MAU and MERP from Lync is called "appsupport" after I saw the receipts in my JSS.

I confirmed the identifier with the "-showChoiceChangesXML" command. Hey, I've been paying attention to your guys' methods.

Thanks for all the tips. :-)

@itupshot so how are you getting the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist onto your computers ?

I have used the -applychoicechangesXML with Office2011 and now trying it with 2016, but the LicenseV2.plist is not getting put into the /Library/Preferences on the computers getting the policy.

If I run the Microsoft_Office_2016_Volume_Installer.pkg directly on a computer, it puts the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist in /Library/Preferences

I am ending up doing what @blackholemac is doing (read his comment on 11/13/15 10:54pm). This is basically the same thing I did for Office2011, but now based on Office2016 VL licensing I grabbed the com.microsoft.office.LicensingV2.plist from a computer that already had it, and am now using that LicensingV2.plist in my Office2016 installation.

my choice changes simply unchecks Outlook and AutoUpdate from installing.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<array>
<dict> <key>attributeSetting</key>
! <integer>0</integer> <key>choiceAttribute</key> <string>selected</string> <key>choiceIdentifier</key> <string>com.microsoft.outlook</string>
</dict>
<dict> <key>attributeSetting</key>
! <integer>0</integer> <key>choiceAttribute</key> <string>selected</string> <key>choiceIdentifier</key> <string>com.microsoft.autoupdate</string>
</dict>
</plist>

@tcandela you're better off using the serialiser.pkg, especially with some upcoming changes.

@tcandela, the issue you're describing with serialization should be fixed in the v15.17 release on Microsoft's Volume License Service Center (VLSC) during the first week of January. Specifically, the license file will install correctly when Office 2016 is deployed silently via command line, which Casper uses.

Don't rely on simply copying the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file from machine to machine. This works today, but Microsoft considers it a bug. It will be fixed around v15.20 (ETA end of Q1 2016). The serializer part of the installer is suppose to gather information specific to the machine and use that to create a unique com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist that will only work on that machine.

For those machines where you've already deployed the licensing file, you'll find a second installer on the VLSC in January called something like "VL Serializer". This is a standalone package you can deploy after the fact to correct the serialization issue.

Right now, I think most folks are deploying the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist the same way you've described. It works. But be prepared to have to use the VL Serializer when it's released on existing machines. Office 2016 will deploy to new Macs correctly licensed starting with v15.17 in January.

@talkingmoose awesome, thanks for the info. There is no rush for me to get 2016 out into the environment here.

I have only did my Office2016 deployment it to a couple test macs, so looks like i'm good to wait for the v15.17 release.

I currently zip up Microsoft_Office_2016_Volume_Installer.pkg and my Office2016choices.xml and put that zipped file in /private/tmp, drag that into composer, and then make 'postinstall' script to do the unzipping and installation, then pkg it up and away I go.

same process for installing the updates, zipping up of the excel/onenote/ppoint/word updaters ......

(1) volume installer, (2) serializer pkg, and (3) suppression script.

Done.

@bentoms I read the information in the page you linked.

little confused, So v15.17 will include the serializer.pkg ?

will v15.17 office2016_installer.pkg run the serializer.pkg ? or will I have to run the serializer.pkg after the installer.pkg?

The 15.17 VL DMG has two PKGs; one is the Serializer.

The full VL v15.17 installer (coming in January) will have a "fixed" serializer package within it to allow you to deploy it without having to do any workarounds for missing license files.

Run the standalone VL Serializer (also coming in January) just for those installations where you copied a com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file from machine to machine. This will fix their license files (make them unique to each machine) before Microsoft fixes its bug that allowed you to copy it in the first place.

@talkingmoose @bentoms

For those cannot wait for the 15.17, what is the recommended way to package and distribute office 2016 15.16?

For now, the simplest way to license a VL edition of Office 2016 is to deploy the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file after running the installer. That will work until v15.20 is released around March 2016 (my ETA not Microsoft's).

However, once January arrives and the VL Serializer is released on the VL portal, you should run it on your Macs before March 2016 to avoid any licensing issues going forward.

@talkingmoose

What if i just built office 2016 15.16 into the image and capture it? then deploy that image?

@talkingmoose

However, once January arrives and the VL Serializer is released on the VL portal, you should run it on your Macs before March 2016 to avoid any licensing issues going forward.

And is this understanding correct once it arrives All i have to do is include both the packages into the install configuration and set to install during t he imaging process?

@pgh, sorry for a long-winded explanation...

Until you get the v15.17 full installer from the VLSC in January, deploy Office 2016 using whatever method works for your environment. The purpose of the VL Serializer will be to correct/rebuild/regenerate the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist that we've been copying from Mac to Mac to work around the installer issue that prevented it from installing in the first place.

Series of events:

1. Office 2016 installer has a bug that prevents the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist licensing file from deploying correctly.
2. Mac admins discover they can copy the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file from a working Mac to a non-working Mac to correct the problem.
3. Microsoft corrects the Office 2016 installer to correctly deploy the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file in v15.17 (coming in January to the VLSC).
4. Microsoft discovers our workaround for copying the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist to our Macs and considers this a bug. They announce they will fix this bug come v15.20.
5. To avoid having to completely reinstall Office 2016 just to correct the licensing, Microsoft provides Mac admins a standalone VL Serializer (coming in January to the VLSC) to help us regenerate the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist licensing file where we've already copied it to our Macs.
6. Microsoft releases v15.20 (ETA March 2016). This version will no longer allow copied com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist files to work.

What's the bug that Microsoft is fixing? The serializer part of the installer is suppose to generate a com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file that's unique to the machine by embedding hardware information collected from the machine. That's not happening now, but it will be happening come v15.17 and enforced come v15.20.

@talkingmoose

Thanks for summarizing, it explained alot.

No other method i could find would work some i'm building office2016 into the image, i;m about to capture it with casper composer and will let you know how it goes. I have installed office2016 and done all the updates for office and el capitan updates. As we do not have the serializer until January unless there is something im missing i could not get it to work while installing the .pgk from casper imaging.

Every time i tried installing using casper it would not work i would have the issues discussed in the below link

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=18155

I will not install any Macs with Office 2016 until v15.17.

just to confirm v15.17; will have 2 .pkgs (installer/serializer)

will the v15.17 office2016_installer.pkg run the serializer.pkg ?
OR will I have to run the serializer.pkg after the installer.pkg?

@tcandela, if you wait until v15.17 then you only need run it. You do not need to run the VL Serializer.

The VL Serializer is primarily intended for folks who have copied the com.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist file to Macs to serialize them.

ok, so with v15.17 Office2016_installer.pkg will correctly add the LicenseV2.plist , no need to run the serializer.pkg along with v15.17 installer.pkg, got it thank you.

serializer.pkg is for macs that have a copied LicenseV2.plist.

@tcandela: I'm just catching up again with this discussion as I've been busy with my employer's Office 365 migration, and a few other projects.

I got the Volume Serializer pkg ahead of time from Microsoft as my company had an immediate need to deploy the applications. We're using the Office 15.17 installer already available from the Office 365 web portal. Since we are a Volume Licensing customer, I made a case of getting the serializer ahead of final release. We didn't want to use just the Office 365 installer because it would count as one install per user.

I run them paired in a Self Service policy. As I detailed in my previous posts, my only exclusion in the choices.xml is AutoUpdate. So far, so good.

@itupshot are you finding it necessary to install both the installer.pkg and the serializer.pkg for v15.17 ?

in previous posts it was said that only the installer.pkg in v15.17 will take care of Volume licensing office2016 correctly. No need to run the serializer.pkg

I'm getting really tired of all the mystery and guesswork surrounding the supposed-to-be-straight-forward process of deploying MS Office. Has the Microsoft engineer said if there is going to be official, publicly available documentation to cover the proper and approved methods? If I could point to a MS web page and show my boss how much of a C#!*@& F(#&(@! it is, I can get some relief from the pressure to get this deployed to all our Macs. As of now, all the tricks suggested to get it properly deployed and updated have been found on message boards that don't really hold a lot of authority. Everything I've read here about what is supposed to come in the future is just unverifiable rumor. If MS would step up to the mic and state "here's how it's done", that would be a wonderful thing.

@tcaldana

From a solid source:

"Yes, you only need to run the VL Serializer if you a) need to repair the license b) want to use an Office 365 package for VL. The standard VL suite package has a built-in serializer."

edit: I'm referring to 15.17 release.

I think it's awesome that someone from MS is representing and working with the community. Honestly, I don't see the same level of collaboration from Apple these days.

I had kinda given up on this thread as things had been working for me....BUT...do checkout the MacAdmins Slack page as I have learned a lot and have been helped a lot on this installer.

Some facts I know from Microsoft Sources:

1. The Volume License Serializer is just that...a serialization package which serializes the product the right way. My source has told me that it will both correct the misdeployed .plist AND Volume Serialize a product with no serialization.

2. The same source told me that MS's goal is to move toward a SKU-less download of the MS Office 2016 for Mac package over time. This way, you are not "gated" by the VLSC necessarily, but you do need to have a source to get the serializer.

3. The Volume License Serializer will re-serialize any shipping build (didn't ask about beta builds, but didn't care) properly and set up a proper om.microsoft.office.LicenseV2.plist

4. I can confirm what @talkingmoose said about "fixing the licensing bug" in 15.20.x, but the source says that MS will get the word out to the community heavily AND announce early when they plan to squash the bug.

5. As others have discussed, my "source" gave me the serializer package ahead of time and my workflows have been redesigned around it.

I can try to help more, but my advice is to reach out to your MS reps and discuss this and maybe get early access to the package if desperate. It is my hope that MS will do a Office 2016 for Mac Resource Kit like they have done with previous versions.

hopefully there will be an uninstaller for Office 2016 for mac