How do I relocate Office 2007 MSOCache?

[Bob]

In the Office 2003 Resource Kit, there is a tool called LIStool.exe (Local
Installation Source Tool), that can be used to relocate the 500MB of
installation source to another drive (or delete it if so desired).

Office 2007 does not seem to have such a tool. Instead, it forces the
MSOCache upon my C-Drive which in turn makes for larger WIM image files.

How can I relocate the Office 2007 MSOCache to a different partition on the
same machine or better yet onto a network share where all the workstations
can access a single copy?

Office 2003 developers understood this, I don't see why the Office 2007
developers didn't.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Bob,

The Office 2003 Local Install Source (LIS) stored in the MSOCache folder was an optional installation/maintenance choice. For
Office 2007 the design changed to make it mandatory and the installation of Office is basically done from the LIS once it's on the
local drive without needing to rely on a CD or a network installation point for completion.

The location of the 2007 LIS is the same drive as the MS Office 2007 Program files.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924616
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/8295626a-4570-4b7f-91e3-717fe6b81f961033.mspx

===========
In the Office 2003 Resource Kit, there is a tool called LIStool.exe (Local
Installation Source Tool), that can be used to relocate the 500MB of
installation source to another drive (or delete it if so desired).

Office 2007 does not seem to have such a tool. Instead, it forces the
MSOCache upon my C-Drive which in turn makes for larger WIM image files.

How can I relocate the Office 2007 MSOCache to a different partition on the
same machine or better yet onto a network share where all the workstations
can access a single copy?

Office 2003 developers understood this, I don't see why the Office 2007
developers didn't.

---
Bob >>

--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Emily Lin]

Hi Bob,

Once the Office 2007 local installation source is created, its location on the user's computer is fixed. There is not such a tool to move
the Office 2007 MSOCache folder.

If you really need to release more disk space on C:\, please uninstall Office 2007. And then reinstall Office 2007 on other drive during
the Office 2007 setup.

In addition, the MSOCache must be on the local computer. We cannot create the MSOCache on a network share where all workstations
can access a single copy. It is a new designed feature in Office 2007.

For detail information, you can refer to the webpages which Bob described:

Thanks for your understanding.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924616
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/8295626a-4570-4b7f-91e3-717fe6b81f961033.mspx

If anything is unclear or if you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Emily Lin

Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
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--------------------

 

[Bob]

Okay all,

Thanks for the explaination. It soounds as though I could delete it, but
Office will only recreate it next time if finds a valid source. I'd rather
find the registry keys that point to it and redirect it to a different
location though.

Thanks!

Bob.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Bob,

In Vista, can you relocate MSOCache with a symlink:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/fs/symbolic_links.asp

http://blogs.msdn.com/junfeng/archive/2006/04/15/576568.aspx

Our is that just asking for trouble?

JB

 

[Emily Lin]

Hi Bob,

The fixed Office 2007 MSOCache location is a new by design feature. I cannot find the registry keys to redirect the MSOCache to
another location. It is not recommended to relocate the MSOCache.

If anything is unclear or if you have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Emily Lin,
Microsoft Online Partner Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

======================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader
so that others may learn and benefit from this issue.
======================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
======================================================

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

 

[Eric Draken]

Easy.

First, move (delete the source afterwards) the c:\MSOcache to a new drive (in my case, a USB HDD on S

Second, go here to get a file from the Windows Server 2003 resource kit:

http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd

Install the tools.

Open a cmd prompt and then type this:

linkd.exe MSOcache S:\MSOcache

It should exit saying 'link created' and happily c:\msocache will symbollically link to S:\mso cache (or whatever you chose). Works like a charm.

The rest of you gave up too easily.

A Womand Told Me
http://www.awomantoldme.com

 

[Mr.Cheek]

Linkd did not work for me but i found the registry keys associating the
source installation files.

1. copy the entire msocache folder to the drive u want it to be on.

2. search "local machine" in the registry for "msocache" and/or
"installsource"

3. It will be plainly labelled. shows which office product and its
source installation folder

4. just change the drive letter in the key. in my case i copied
msocache from c: to e:\msocache.

5. use f3 to find the next office product that contains "msocache" in
the key and repeat until u have reassigned the source installation
folder for all ur installed office products.

This was done on XP machine with Office 2007 products. Pretty sure it
can be done using a network drive as the path as well tho i havent
tested.. common sense says just use the network path in the registry
key instead of local drive if u want to try this..

Good luck

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

While you may be able to 'move' the Office 2007 Local Installation Source (LIS)' \MSOCache folder via the registry, you may want to
keep in mind that it's not a Microsoft supported/recommended change.

The Office 2007 LIS was designed to be on the same drive as the installed Office 2007 product to reduce the number of times that
installing an update or repairing a product, or changing the configuration would fail for needing access to the installation source
location or original CD, and could not get to that because the CD wasn't available or the network drive had been disconnected or
mapped differently or when a drive was added that rearranged the drive letters on the computer.

It's also possible that running a repair or setup change or addition may reset the registry entries and/or recreate the default
\MSOCache folder when runing a repair or update.

====================

Linkd did not work for me but i found the registry keys associating the
source installation files.

1. copy the entire msocache folder to the drive u want it to be on.

2. search "local machine" in the registry for "msocache" and/or
"installsource"

3. It will be plainly labelled. shows which office product and its
source installation folder

4. just change the drive letter in the key. in my case i copied
msocache from c: to e:\msocache.

5. use f3 to find the next office product that contains "msocache" in
the key and repeat until u have reassigned the source installation
folder for all ur installed office products.

This was done on XP machine with Office 2007 products. Pretty sure it
can be done using a network drive as the path as well tho i havent
tested.. common sense says just use the network path in the registry
key instead of local drive if u want to try this..

Good luck


--
Mr.Cheek >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Mr.Cheek]

Well since seeing your post i decided to test adding features via "Add
Remove Programs". Hadnt tested it cuz i was sure redirecting all the
registry entries associated with "*Msocache*" would give it nowhere
else to turn. It works great.

Just search My Computer for "*msocache*" and edit all entries where it
occurs.

The first group of keys is in *HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*
here there will be 2 entries for each office product you have
installed.
Edit the path for all the keys containing "*msocache*" using -Find Next
(F3)- to quickly go to the next key containing our seach string.

when you have searched and edited all entries in *_CLASSES_ROOT* -F3-
will take you to *HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE*
Here is where u edit the "*installsource*" key for each office product
you have installed. Again just change the path assigned to the key.

Once you've changed all the entries with "msocache" in its key, Office
has no where else to reference from. the registry is its only
reference.

I'll test it with a mapped drive and a network mount if i get a chance
this week.

 

[hjacobson]

We are researching means to make small the footprint of MS Office -
Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook - to deploy in public schools' OLPC
computers or the new crop of netbooks. My testbed, if you will, is an
ASUS eeePC 4G Surf with an SD card for a 2nd drive.

Permit me to give a short chronology:
(1) We slimmed down Office 2007 to the barest of bones. It still
occupied about 1 GB - 25% - of the eeePC 4GB SSD.

(2) We tried instead OpenOffice 3 beta. OO3 occupied only 375 MB.
Better, but our kids liked neither the interface nor the imperfect
correspondance rendering and saving documents.

(3) So we went back to Office 2007. We realized it was the MSOcache
which made the Office 2007 installation so much larger than OpenOffice.
If we could move the MSOcache to an inexpensive SD 2nd drive we could
better control costs (rather than being forced to use, say, an eeePC
8G).

Mr. Cheek's solution -works.- Period. I've not seen evidence it
doesn't. The registry entries exist. They permit change to the location
of the MSOcache. Applying the SP1 Office update in the changed
environment was error-free .......

*I find patronizing to my professionalism* the reasons presented by
Emily Lin and Bob Buckland for locking the location of the MSOcache.
Their reasons translate to:

(1) We designed it that way *For Your Own Good*. (Seriously, did
customers clamor for fewer configuration options?)

(2) We decided you no longer need to rely on a pesky CD or a network
drive to save storage or lack thereof. Instead we intend to *waste your
local storage* because, if you do move MSOcache, we will create
duplicate local copies of substantial size wherever we find components
of Office 2007.

(3) If you are compelled, foolishly, to find a means around our design,
well, *-it is not recommended-* and gives us another excuse to not
provide support to you.

Ah, well. We could use Office 2003 and the existing tools for moving
MSOcache .......... Reasons reminiscent to using XP not Vista on these
small OLPC/netbook machines.

Thank you, Microsoft, for listening.

Harry

 

[hjacobson]

The Office 2007 LIS was designed to be on the same drive as th
installed Office 2007 product to reduce the number of times tha
installing an update or repairing a product, or changing th
configuration would fail for needing access to the installation sourc
location or original CD, and could not get to that because the C
wasn't available or the network drive had been disconnected or mappe
differently or when a drive was added that rearranged the drive letter
on the computer.

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

*I find patronizing to my professionalism....*

That I, of the great un-washed world-wide network administrator group
must be saved from my own presumed stupidity or presumed lack o
foresight to plan for absent CDs, network drives, or extra driv
installations by limiting installation options, by locking the locatio
of the MSOcache.

Dare I suggest this design decision - to limit choice - was less nobl
on Microsoft's part and more business driven. Of no consequence t
global corporations with deep pockets but with serious impact t
deployment of slimmed down OLPC/netbook machines.

Harr

 

[Mr.Cheek]

Yeah i know it works.. (no wonder i havent posted any reply on edittin
for network paths). this MSOcache problem seemed so elusive when i ra
into the same desire to move it from c: for space on internet forums
they all said.. "It can't be done". pfft cornered that ******* in th
registry and "told him where to put it" PUN Intended!! lo

you might also want to consider that they did not know how to move th
msocache themselves. lo

tutt tutt microsoft but it's starting to seem alot like we pay you t
test your software and not the other way around

 

[hjacobson]

I installed Office 2007 with SP1 to the D: drive. The folder D:\MSOCach
was created and populated accordingly. The SP1 Office 2007 .msp updat
was placed into C:\Windows\Installer by the Office 2007 installation.

I invoked Microsoft Update (MU). MU, ignoring or unaware of th
installed Office 2007 SP1 update, downloaded and installed again. Mayb
it tracks MU updates only; I don't know.

But I digress. The MU caused creation of C:\MSOCache, duplicating file
in D:\MSOCache. 1/2 GB of redundant files in all to handle a redundan
update. What sloppy, piggy coding.

But I digress again. 'Junction
(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx
"supports directory symbolic links, where a directory serves as
symbolic link to another directory on the computer" per Mar
Russinovich.

As there is adequate space on D: to handle the sloppy, piggy activit
and the C: drive is only 4 GB, I moved the contents of the folder
C:\MSOCache and C:\Windows\Installer (about 1 GB total) to D:\MSOCach
and D:\Windows\Installer. Deleting the empty folders, I replace
C:\MSOCache and C:\Windows\Installer with symbolic links, i.e.
"junction C:\MSOCache D:\MSOCache" and "junction C:\Windows\Installe
D:\Windows\Installer".

The system - small C:, large D: - *-works.-* Installs of new app
create files in D:\Windows\Installer. The folders of C:\MSOCache ar
simply present alongside their twins in D:\MSOCache. I have not (yet
run across conflicts.

However, you know the refrain: "This is not supported by Microsoft." A
some point likely I will be reminded that I -*accomodated*- Microsoft'
sloppy, piggy -*fragile*- architecture in an -*unsanctioned*- manner.

Harr

 

[hjacobson]

..... Installs of new apps create files in D:\Windows\Installer ...... I
have not (yet) run across conflicts.
Oops. Wrong.

I've come across an instance where the symbolic link was removed,
replaced with the folder C:\WINDOWS\Installer, then populated with an
installation database .msi file.

Maybe this has to do with a Group Policy against folder redirection.
Maybe it's hardwired in the Microsoft Installer accompanying XP SP3. I
don't yet know.

I'll report what I find.

Harry

 

[hjacobson]

My stuff becoming more than Office related, I've moved it to th
Customize XP forum http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=99264