Office 14.4.1 Update killing Volume License

[pbetancourth]

Is anyone else running into this issue? I have tried both to apply this update during imaging, Self Service and policy push and all three result in Office losing it's key. I updated via Microsoft Update and had no issues.

[rtrouton]

I've also run into that and have written a post on my findings:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/creating-an-office-2011-sp-4-14-4-1-installer/

[#3]

Just saw this on a few test Macs, otherwise the .mpkg deploys fine without caching.

[ImAMacGuy]

I've upgraded maybe 10 so far through self service w/o issue. I opened the installer and modified the all quit package (outlined elsewhere on the site, I don't have the specific links handy). Anyway, it's worked fine for the last several times a patch was released for office.

[alexjdale]

This is not the first time this has happened. We saw this a couple years ago and I opened a case with Microsoft and had to explain the scenario several times before they seemed to get it.

This only happened when the update was applied before the first launch and setup of Office 2011 (during deployment, basically). I don't think they were testing that scenario and assumed everyone who updated Office did so after first launch (consumer-oriented approach).

[jhbush]

@jwojda kinda off topic, but are you seeing the modification to the all quit script actually work on this update?

[rtrouton]

@jhbush1973, modifiying the all_quit script is working for me. What are you seeing?

For those interested:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/removing-the-office-2011-installers-application-quit-fun...

[lsmc08]

@jwojda, Thank you for your post here.

When you get a chance, please provide details on how you "modified the all quit package".

Thank you.

[jhbush]

@rtrouton I downloaded the update again along with applying your modifications. The patch worked on the test machine as expected this time. There was a comment on your blog about another user where the modification did not hold.

[talkingmoose · Accepted solution]

Saw this myself during a JumpStart. Reported to Microsoft. Included shaming comments.

We worked around the issue by packaging /Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.office.licensing.plist file and pushing it after installing Office 2011 and applying the update.

[Josh_S]

Successfully been able to install on 10.9.2 systems without any licensing issues, using my Microsoft Office Install Wrapper and without anyone logged in (brand new system):
https://github.com/jschripsema/Public_Scripts/tree/master/Microsoft%20Office%20Install%20Wrapper

I still have to use a package to fix the permissions of a couple Lync 14.0.8 installation files, which I have included a dmg for in that GitHub project. I have, however, noticed these licensing issues when installing the exact same package onto a 10.8.5 system.

[gregneagle]

This seems to be a recurrence of the problem documented here:
http://blog.michael.kuron-germany.de/2012/10/fixing-microsoft-office-2011-sp2-volume-licensing/

talkingmoose: You might want to forward that link to your Microsoft contacts as well.

[talkingmoose]

Thanks @gregneagle. I've added that link to my report to Microsoft.

I wouldn't be surprised their response will be to check the VLSC in a few days for a full installer of 14.4.1.

[tnielsen]

Same issue, talkingmoose has the easiest solution it seems.

[clifhirtle]

Anybody still using the older modified choices.xml route to circumvent the allquit.pkg run? Preferred this route as I could just use off the shelf MS installers with a custom /usr/sbin/installer script to suppress the allquit.pkg package from firing.

https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/creating-an-updated-office-2011-sp-2-installer/

No love on that approach for me in 14.4.1 - browsers/applications still screaming "I quit" when asked to run.

[ImAMacGuy]

i came across the issue finally, I don't see it when I upgrade, but when I did the deployment as part of the build then it's broken :( Weird thing is, our office site says "this product does not require a product key"

[cstout]

I use the method that @talkingmoose mentioned without any issues. I bundled the installer with the licensing.plist and it works great.

[maiksanftenberg]

I have the same problem as @clifhirtle.
I followed Rich's method the complete way. It still have the quit function.
Did any body has a suggestion on that?

[pcrandom]

Has anyone tested the 14.4.2 update to see if Microsoft resolved the issue?

[scottb]

This is the general list below:

This update provides the latest fixes for Office for Mac 2011. These include the following:
Improves activation in Office for Mac 2011
This update fixes an issue in which product activation is always required after you restart a computer that uses an Apple Fusion Drive. After you install this update, product activation may be requested one more time.
Improves functionality in Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2011
This update fixes an issue that causes the Undo button to become unavailable when you save a PowerPoint presentation to a local drive.
Improves functionality in PowerPoint for Mac 2011 This update fixes an issue that causes inserted link data for YouTube videos to be lost after you save the presentation.

[pcrandom]

Prompting for the license key due to the missing list may be different from activating the product. The former affected any system if Office hadn't been launched before being updated, but the latter apparently only affected fusion drives (I hadn't seen it; no fusion drives in my environment).

[scottb]

I haven't seen either one, but that was the list. I have no way to verify either issue.

[pcrandom]

Just tested on a system with a fresh install of Office 2011 SP3 and it does not prompt for a product key after updating to 14.4.2 like it did when updating to 14.4.1.