AppVolumes 2.10 and Office 2010

[rimvydukas]

Hi,

Can anyone provide me with exact steps how to package Office 2010 into AppStack? I installed office 2010 during provision process, set KMS server (without launching any office program), activated office and finished provisioning. Problem is that when I assign this appstack to user and when user tries to start any office app, user gets nice Office reconfiguration message and office complaint about license. I've tried to activate office manually from this user workstation. And activation complained about that it can't find product key. Maybe there is some kind of bug in AppVolumes 2.10 and Office 2010 combination? Thanks.

[Lakshman]

Please try the below steps.

1. In the Office 2010 setup, edit the config.xml file located in the ProPlus.WW folder

2. Add the below lines to the bottom of the file above </ Configuration>

<Setting Id="KMSSERVICENAME" Value="kmsserver.domain.com"/>

<Setting Id="AUTO_ACTIVATE" Value="1"/>

2. Replace kmsserver.domain.com with your KMS server name.

3. Provision a new AppStack and run Office 2010 setup file

4. Click Customize for the type of installation, click Microsoft Office > Run all from My Computer. Click Install Now

5. Do not launch any office components and complete the provision process

6. Test the AppStack

[rimvydukas]

Hi,

Are you sure that these instructions are for my situation? I thought that these instructions are for Office which I want virtualize with ThinApp. Even your support gives different instructions (which don't work too:)). But I tried to do what you said. Result is the same - office reconfiguration on app start and complaint about license.

What is interesting, when I tried to issue the following command:

ospp.vbs /dstatus

the output was very nice

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

---Processing--------------------------

---------------------------------------

ERROR CODE: 0x80070426

ERROR DESCRIPTION: Run the following: cscript ospp.vbs /ddescr:0x80070426

ERROR CODE: 0x

ERROR DESCRIPTION: Run the following: cscript ospp.vbs /ddescr:0x

---------------------------------------

---------------------------------------

---Exiting-----------------------------

I even tried to run ospp.vbs /act on this linked clone. And on activation I've got another nice message:

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

---Processing--------------------------

---------------------------------------

<No installed product keys detected>

---------------------------------------

---------------------------------------

---Exiting-----------------------------

So I think that because I don't have product key I have problems. On machine, on which I provisioned office these two commands ran without any single error.

It seems to me that AppVolumes 2.10 has problems with Office 2010:(

[Lakshman]

These instructions are to tell Office where to look for the KMS server details when launching them. As you are already working with support, please work with them and i hope they can provide a solution.

[whibr]

Lakshman, I am observing this same behavior with Office 2013 64-bit edition. After AppStack provisioning, I assign to a user and when that user logs into their vm and launches Word, the configuration window pops opens and will run for several minutes.  Do you recommend using your steps to resolve this for Office 2013 as well?  thanks.

[rimvydukas]

Yes, I'm working with your support on this but because your support gets worse year after year I posted my question there, maybe someone will help me in more efficient way than paid support.

So in general. I tried you suggestion. Nothing has changed and I have a problem. I've tried other instructions:

----------

1. Provision all appropriate Office applications into a fresh AppStack.

2. Do not open any Microsoft Office applications during the provisioning process.

3. Launch a Command prompt as Administrator. Go to the location of the version of office: For office 2010. change directory to c:\Program files\Microsoft office\Office14. Output of the command must be that the setting has been made successfully.

For Office 2010: run command cscript ospp.vbs /sethst:kmsserver.yourKMSserver.com

4. Run command cscript ospp.vbs /act

Note: Output of the command must be that Office is activated successfully.

----------

This solution didn't help too. Please explain, how is office able to activate, when it does not have Office software protection service installed (when appstack is assigned to user). And I showed earlier - even ospp.vbs throws errors when I want to activate assigned office manualy.

[Ray_handels]

If you have reconfigure issues and a "tampererd with the database" error when a user starts up an Office application you have multiple KMS records in either more than one appstack or in an appstack and in the golden image.

If you look at the golden image. Could it be that you allready have the OfficeSoftwareProtectionService inthere? If so, this is your issue. Make sure no Office information is available in the golden image if you are to create an Office Appstack.

Quickest way is to see if the service "OfficeSoftwareProtection Platform" is in golden image or the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform exists or the folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform exists.

If any of these 3 is true you have Office licensing info in your golden image.

[rimvydukas]

Ray,

Thank you for your valuable suggestions but...:)

I have office reconfiguration and "Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product error". You were somewhat right, my golden image may have several KMS records but I'm not sure about this. Golden image had MS Office 2010 in the past, but I uninstalled office, made new snapshot and recomposed all of the linked clones. I double checked and there is no Office software protection service running, there is no folder you mentioned BUT... there is registry entry you mentioned. Is it safe to delete this entry because golden image has office uninstalled?

[Ray_handels]

Yes it is safe to remove this setting. Better yet, my guess is that this is the issue you are seeing. The problem is that KMS database (and activation) is done in this registry key. Windows now sees 2 databases and says they are corrupted.

To be honest, if possible, I would suggest recreating the golden image if removal of the regisry doesn't work.

We had the exact same issue though with Office in the golden image. What happened is that KMS settings were added to the Appstacks.

We eventually added the following rule to all appstacks and never saw that error again.

exclude_registry=\REGISTRY\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform

One thing. Please DO NOT do this with the Office Appstack if you create one. Otherwise activation won't work.

[rimvydukas]

Ray, thank you so much for your help. So what I've did.

1. Removed this registry entry, made snapshot, recomposed client.

2. Created Appstack one more time, provisioned office 2010 on clean machine, set kms host and activated office without starting any office app. Finished provisioning.

3. Logged on recomposed linked clone and double checked for this registry entry. No entries att all.

4. Assigned app stack and saw that registry entry appeared, even with my kms host in it.

BUT... When I tried to start Word - the same reconfiguration message:(

Could you share the steps you made while preparing office AppStack? Thanks.

[Ray_handels]

We've installed Office in our golden image because everyone uses the application.

As said. It could well be that there are still some configuration files in the golden image that are in the way.

Is Office the only appstack that is being attached when logging in? If not, please try that.

If it is indeed the only appstack being attached, what do you get when you type in cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus?? Does it say the security database has been tampered with?

Is it possible to create a Basic W7 machine with just View agent and appvolumes agent on it? Check and see if it still reconfigures the Word when starting up.

[rimvydukas]

Office is not the only one appstack. I attach few more appstacks which have firefox, chrome and so on. As regarding /dstatus look at the top of the thread:) I have different errors while issuing this command.

So from all of this I think that I have only one option left - to recreate golden image:(

[rimvydukas]

And one more thing, when I assign office appstack I can see an errors on the client about office software protection service failures when starting:/

[rimvydukas]

And one more update:)

So when I assigned office appstack and started word for the first time I encountered reconfiguration message and error about license.

Started word for the second time. Reconfiguration message again but now office said that it was reconfigured.

Went to command prompt and activated office with ospp.vbs /act.

Was able to start office without any problems.

Some kind of nonsense:)

[Ray_handels]

What happened when you assigned only the Office Appstack? Did you still get the reconfigure message? If so, then yes, i would suggest recreating golden image.

If the issue only occurs with multiple appstacks attached one of the other appstacks might just have the officesoftwareprotectionplatform keys or service in it. This could also cause this odd behaviour.

[rimvydukas]

I doubt that other appstack have registry entry because they were provisioned on completely clean machine without any traces of office. From all of this I see that I have only one option left - recreate golden image:(

[Ray_handels]

One thing to try though. You said there you were able to activate the application right? No errors when executing ospp.vbs /act.

That would mean that there is only 1 database which is located in the Office 2010 Appstack. Otherwise you would get all kinds of funcky errors.

But the service did not start, Am i right?

If you look at the golden image, do you happen to see a service called officesoftwareprotectionservice? If so, remove it using sc delete.

You could also try and remove all OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform references in the HKLM of the golden image. Question is what takes longer, removing those keys or recreating the image.

[rimvydukas]

Ray,

RECREATED the image without any traces of Office, assigned Office appStack and guess what - the same reconfiguration message:/ I'm staring to think that maybe there was a bug introduced in AppVolumes 2.10:) To be honest I'm little tired from this Office 2010:)

Some notes. It seems that when appstack is assigned, appvolumes agent recreates registry entry. And it seems that it recreates protection service. You said to remove the service on provision. I was not able to find such info in appvolumes docs.

As for service it was able to start later:)

[Ray_handels]

So you have a clean golden image and only the office Appstack has been assigned and you still get a reconfigure message?? Strange.

What i meant with the OfficeSoftwareProtectionService is that you only need to have it once. The service is used to activate Office when starting up the application. It should NOT be in the golden image if you are to create an appsatck for office and not in any other appstack (hence the reason you can't use multiple appstacks with multiple office applications like Project or Visio).

Normally if an Appstack is attached, during attachment the specific services are being created and started during logon.

Even then so. The service needs to be started when starting up any Office applications.

Very interested to find out what caused this error.

Did you create the packaging machine based on the golden image?? You could give that a try with the new golden image. But tbh it should already be working by now.

[rimvydukas]

Ok, lets clarify. You said that the service is needed only once. But as I know - office needs to reactivate from time to time. How will office reactivate then if there will be no service?

To be clear my last outcome is the following:

1. Recreated golden image without any traces of office and assigned only office appstack for a user who logs on onto this machine.

2. User logged on. I saw that registry entry and service were created. Service was created in manual mode.

3. First word start. Got reconfiguration message. Got UAC prompt. Confirmed. Office complained about license after some time and closed. Checked for a service - it was started.

4. Ran word for the second time - the same result.

I have no further clues except that we have a bug somewhere:(