Automate Outlook Schedule?

[Poseiden951]

Hello everyone,

Followed this guide from Officeformachelp and it went fine. The problem occurs when I try to package the schedule.
http://www.officeformachelp.com/outlook/exchange/setup-script/

To begin, I grabbed everything in

/HDD/Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity

and

/Library/Company/Outlooksetupscript

and put it in Composer and selected FUT and FEU in Casper Admin. The good news, everything seems to install fine. Bad news, it doesn't load properly and I get this error:

How do I package this properly?

[jhbush · Accepted solution]

@Poseiden951 I actually use a package installer for this. I hope the screenshot helps.

[Poseiden951]

Thank you @jhbush1973! Worked flawlessly and with a pkg!

[bpavlov]

I would recommend you do not package up Office this way. The installer works as is with very little modification needed. Rich has this documented in two posts:
Repackaging installer packages with Packages:
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/re-packaging-installer-packages-with-packages/

Creating an up-to-date installer:
https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/creating-an-office-2011-sp-4-14-4-1-installer/

While I haven't looked at the OutlookSetupScript in detail, from previous experience at another job that did use it, you did not need to have the Outlook database/identity/profile created beforehand which means you shouldn't have to package that folder up. Do with this information what you will.

Paging @talkingmoose who can perhaps provide some more advice on his the OutlookSetup script.

[talkingmoose]

The Outlook Exchange Setup script isn't about packaging the Microsoft Office Installer package. It's about running a script to configure Outlook for an Exchange account the first time Outlook is launched for each user.

I'm hoping to have ready a new method for running the script for Outlook 2016 for Mac that's far easier to maintain. If possible I'll retrofit it for Outlook 2011. Just waiting for Microsoft to get some more Office 2016 Preview releases fleshed out to know how the final product will behave.

If anyone ever needs assistance with the script, just let me know. Of course, others may beat me to it! :-)

[perrycj]

@talkingmoose Will Office 2016 have exchange support though? I thought they were going office 365 only basically meaning Outlook 2011 would be the last client on Mac, from Microsoft, that would support exchange accounts/environments. Is that correct?

[talkingmoose]

@perrycj

Office 365's mail service is Exchange Online and Outlook 2016 for Mac definitely supports Exchange. Outlook 2016 for Mac supports both hosted Exchange (Office 365) as well as on-premesis (self-hosted) Exchange. This version of Outlook is even more Exchange centric than prior versions.

The Outlook 2016 for Mac client for Office 365 is the same client you'll find in Microsoft's Office 2016 for Mac preview. It has higher requirements, such as Exchange 2010 but still supports IMAP and POP.

Side note: For anyone attending PSU MacAdmins in July, I'll be presenting Administering Office 2016 for Mac. This version of Office for Mac is (administratively) very different from earlier versions.

[perrycj]

@talkingmoose Well awesome! Glad you were able to give me correct info.

[lsmc08]

@talkingmoose I appreciate your help in the past.

I'm not sure how quickly my office here will upgrade (pending testing, etc.) to Outlook 2016, but I'd be happy to test as much as I can when you have the script, process ready.

Regards.

[jhbush]

@talkingmoose are you ready to have folks kick the tires on your setup script for 2016? I'v been using it for awhile and so far it's going well.

[talkingmoose]

I'd love to have folks test when it's ready! Had very little interest last time.

I'll be sure to post in JAMF Nation. You guys rock!

[wmateo]

@talkingmoose have you had this script done for 2016? I didnt find on officeformachelp