Automated Outlook setup for AD users

[FastGM3]

Does anyone have a script that configures Outlook 2011 for an AD user after they log into a Mac for the first time? Is it possible? Our windows boxes do this.

TIA,
Chuck

[donmontalvo]

William Smith, you're wanted in ER

http://www.officeformachelp.com/2010/11/exchange-setup-script-updated-for-outlook-2011/

[FastGM3]

Sweet! Looks great, Thank you.

[j99mac]

I am tryed the script Outlook for Mac Exchange Setup 4.0.1 to configure outlook with a policy and with self service and both times it did not run the script witch is made with applescript. What have others done to get a Outlook script to run.

[talkingmoose]

Hi Jade!

The script was originally written to be called from within Outlook for Mac via a schedule. It has to run per user on each Mac. If you check the Third Party Products tab on JAMF Nation and look at the Office 2011 offerings, you'll find an Outlook setup script written by Nick Amundsen with JAMF for use with policies. It's based on the same script you've already found.

The first script comes with a deployment guide in PDF format. It covers how the script works and how to create a template Microsoft User Data folder you can deploy using Casper.

If you want to help users configure Outlook using Self Service then you want Nick's script. If you want a user to launch Outlook and have Outlook configure itself then you want the second script.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[znilsson]

I tried using Nick's script, but when I copy/pasted it from the setupOutlook.scpt file, it errored out when I tried to run it, with errors like this:

Script result: /Library/Application Support/JAMF/tmp/Configure Outlook: line 84: property: command not found /Library/Application Support/JAMF/tmp/Configure Outlook: line 85: --: command not found

I tried to drag it into Casper Admin and Admin didn't recognize it as a valid script format. It's entirely possible I'm missing something really obvious here, but I can't seem to get the script to run. Or more accurately I can't get Casper to recognize it as a valid script. Any advice here?

[ImAMacGuy]

you have to put it in a particular location (don't recall off the top of my head), then office picks it up; it's not a script for Casper to push. I can confirm it's working in 10.7-10.9.x

[znilsson]

Oh, I thought the script from MS was intended to be run inside Office, but the one Nick wrote was specifically intended to be run from Casper. See talkingmoose's post above.

[GaToRAiD]

You have to put it in the user preference folder. If one does not exist, then create it. Put it under the shared for any user who logs in will get the settings.

[wmateo]

@talkingmoose I am new to scripting, but I catch on quick. would you please explain steps needed on how can I place this on my image, where each user who launches Outlook will get that same Automated "Zero touch" configuration as PCs have?

[talkingmoose]

@wmateo

I'll point you to my latest version of the script on GitHub:
https://github.com/talkingmoose/Outlook-Exchange-Setup/tree/4.5

I never updated the PDF document for the Entourage import I added, but it does explain how everything works.

In a nutshell, Outlook for Mac only supports AppleScript and AppleScript only works when Outlook is running. The script itself is pretty straight-forward in what it does: It configures an Exchange account in Outlook. But how do we launch the script at first launch?
1. On a setup machine, you'll edit the script with your Exchange settings and place the script in a user-accessible area. I suggest /Library/CompanyName/Scripts to give all users read-only access.
1. You'll open Outlook on a setup machine and start a new identity.
1. You'll add a schedule to this new identity that launches the script the next time Outlook opens.
1. You'll then quit Outlook and copy this new identity to your workstations along with the script. Put the script in the same /Library/CompanyName/Scripts location. Put the identity in the User Template folder for all new users.
1. Going forward, the first time a newly created user logs in to his newly imaged computer, he gets the pre-set Outlook identity.
1. The user launches Outlook and the startup schedule launches the script to configure his account based on Active Directory settings. This assumes your Mac is bound to Active Directory. If you're not binding your Macs, you can still use the script but you may have to add some prompts to ask users to fill in their names and email addresses.
1. The script deletes the schedule to prevent the script from running again.

I've made a request to the new Outlook for Mac product manager to enable the AutoConfigDB.xml file in Outlook for Exchange setups. Currently, it only allows automated POP and IMAP setups. If they're able to do this then my whole script will become a dodo (and I've love that). We'll see how that goes.

[johnklimeck]

talkingmoose,

What's up, will this work with Outlook 2016 Mac (Office 365), or is there some updated / newer way.

thx,

john k

[talkingmoose]

@johnklimeck, I've got v5 ready to go.

Instructions: https://github.com/talkingmoose/Outlook-Exchange-Setup-5/wiki

Download: https://github.com/talkingmoose/Outlook-Exchange-Setup-5/archive/master.zip

Feedback is greatly appreciated. :-D

[mpittcasd]

@talkingmoose this looks awesome. I'm about to test out v5, but we're still on 2011 right now. Will the latest script work with that or should I look for an older version?

Thanks!

[talkingmoose]

@AdamBritt, the AppleScript itself may work with Outlook 2011, but the rest of the components are written against Outlook 2016's new preference file locations. Would be nice to retrofit it at some point, but... bigger fish right now.

[mpittcasd]

I've finally gotten some time to try testing out your package with Office 2016. I've got it at the point where if I run the AppleScript within the editor it will add my Exchange account, but after using the Package For Deployment script and then uploading that package in Casper Admin and then running the policy via Self Service I get nothing. I read through everything on the Wiki part of the readme and don't think I missed anything, but I'm lost again.

No worries if you're too busy right now, everything you do already is extremely helpful for people like me who get thrown into managing Macs without any experience. I don't very often have new Mac users so I'm just doing a while I'm in there test to have in ready for future use.