Outlook New User Setup - CMW runs but ...

[Alamosa]

I'm trying to get the Custom Maintenance Wizard to set Outlook profile basics
at first user logon. Office 2003 installations were done from CD files copied
to a shared network location.

Using the wizard I have:
1. ID'd the location of PRO11.MSI.
2. Entered the desired location of a new CMW file.
3. Entered the organizational name.
4. Then skipped all the way to pane 12 of 18 to chose "Modify Profile."
5. I clicked "Configure Exchange Server connection" on pane 13.
6. Filled in "%UserName%" and the name of our Exchange server.
7. No other wizard settings were modified and the CMW was created.

But when I log in to the new account (with newly created mailbox) and run
MaintWiz.exe, the settings are not transferred to the user profile.

"MaintWiz.exe /c \\server\ProfileShare\1stTimeUser\File.CMW /qb-" looks like
it does something. Starting Outlook then appears to install new components.

But the user still ends up having to configure the Exchange server and
mailbox name manually.

What else do I need to configure?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the .prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

 

[Alamosa]

Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Yes, that looks right, except that you should also add the Outlook Address Book to the profile.

You can check the logs in the user's temp folder to see what the installation actually did. Another thing you can do is, before Outlook starts, check to see ImportPRF and the .prf file are in place.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the .prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

 

[Alamosa]

Sue:

I found the MaintWiz log. When I searched the text of the log I couldn't
find any reference to a ".prf" file.

I've searched the profile directory for the new accout (kept on a server).
I've searched the local hard drive. I cannot find any .prf files.

When I open Exchange after running MaintWiz.exe all settings are still blank.

1. Where is the wizard supposed to deposite the .prf file?
2. Does the new account need some minimal install permissions to run
MaintWiz.exe?

Yes, that looks right, except that you should also add the Outlook Address Book to the profile.

You can check the logs in the user's temp folder to see what the installation actually did. Another thing you can do is, before Outlook starts, check to see ImportPRF and the .prf file are in place.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the .prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

I'm trying to get the Custom Maintenance Wizard to set Outlook profile basics
at first user logon. Office 2003 installations were done from CD files copied
to a shared network location.

Using the wizard I have:
1. ID'd the location of PRO11.MSI.
2. Entered the desired location of a new CMW file.
3. Entered the organizational name.
4. Then skipped all the way to pane 12 of 18 to chose "Modify Profile."
5. I clicked "Configure Exchange Server connection" on pane 13.
6. Filled in "%UserName%" and the name of our Exchange server.
7. No other wizard settings were modified and the CMW was created.

But when I log in to the new account (with newly created mailbox) and run
MaintWiz.exe, the settings are not transferred to the user profile.

"MaintWiz.exe /c \\server\ProfileShare\1stTimeUser\File.CMW /qb-" looks like
it does something. Starting Outlook then appears to install new components.

But the user still ends up having to configure the Exchange server and
mailbox name manually.

What else do I need to configure?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The usual behavior is to place the .prf file in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ with the name Custom##.prf where ## is some number. The symptoms sure sound like the PRF file isn't being deployed. Since the .cmw file apparently does contain the .prf file, I'm at a loss to explain that behavior. Are you sure you're deploying the right .cmw file?

Note that Outlook mail profiles are stored in the Windows registry, not as a file in the user's Windows profile directory.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Sue:

I found the MaintWiz log. When I searched the text of the log I couldn't
find any reference to a ".prf" file.

I've searched the profile directory for the new accout (kept on a server).
I've searched the local hard drive. I cannot find any .prf files.

When I open Exchange after running MaintWiz.exe all settings are still blank.

1. Where is the wizard supposed to deposite the .prf file?
2. Does the new account need some minimal install permissions to run
MaintWiz.exe?

Yes, that looks right, except that you should also add the Outlook Address Book to the profile.

You can check the logs in the user's temp folder to see what the installation actually did. Another thing you can do is, before Outlook starts, check to see ImportPRF and the .prf file are in place.

Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

:

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the ..prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

I'm trying to get the Custom Maintenance Wizard to set Outlook profile basics
at first user logon. Office 2003 installations were done from CD files copied
to a shared network location.

Using the wizard I have:
1. ID'd the location of PRO11.MSI.
2. Entered the desired location of a new CMW file.
3. Entered the organizational name.
4. Then skipped all the way to pane 12 of 18 to chose "Modify Profile."
5. I clicked "Configure Exchange Server connection" on pane 13.
6. Filled in "%UserName%" and the name of our Exchange server.
7. No other wizard settings were modified and the CMW was created.

But when I log in to the new account (with newly created mailbox) and run
MaintWiz.exe, the settings are not transferred to the user profile.

"MaintWiz.exe /c \\server\ProfileShare\1stTimeUser\File.CMW /qb-" looks like
it does something. Starting Outlook then appears to install new components.

But the user still ends up having to configure the Exchange server and
mailbox name manually.

What else do I need to configure?

 

[Alamosa]

Sue:

Thank you for the jumpstart with ORK MaintWiz. You just sold another book ...

It wasn't until I increased user permissions that the custom11.prf was
created in ...\Program Files\Microsof Office.

I'm setting up on a Citrix farm but I think I have enough of the basics to
make that transition.

If you'll just verify a couple of things for me, I think I'll be good to go.

1. Apparently, users must have permissions to install software and
permissions to write to the MS Office directory. Logging in as the user, I
was only able to get MaintWiz to work if I used "runas" or increased the
user's permissions. Is it true that software installation and file write
permissions are needed?

2. If the extra permissions are needed, are there other ways to run MainWiz
so I can use group policies to configure Office user profiles?

3. Can I somehow change the location of the "custom11.prf" so users don't
need write perms in the Office directory?

The usual behavior is to place the .prf file in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ with the name Custom##.prf where ## is some number. The symptoms sure sound like the PRF file isn't being deployed. Since the .cmw file apparently does contain the .prf file, I'm at a loss to explain that behavior. Are you sure you're deploying the right .cmw file?

Note that Outlook mail profiles are stored in the Windows registry, not as a file in the user's Windows profile directory.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Sue:

I found the MaintWiz log. When I searched the text of the log I couldn't
find any reference to a ".prf" file.

I've searched the profile directory for the new accout (kept on a server).
I've searched the local hard drive. I cannot find any .prf files.

When I open Exchange after running MaintWiz.exe all settings are still blank.

1. Where is the wizard supposed to deposite the .prf file?
2. Does the new account need some minimal install permissions to run
MaintWiz.exe?

Yes, that looks right, except that you should also add the Outlook Address Book to the profile.

You can check the logs in the user's temp folder to see what the installation actually did. Another thing you can do is, before Outlook starts, check to see ImportPRF and the .prf file are in place.


Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

:

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the ..prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

I'm trying to get the Custom Maintenance Wizard to set Outlook profile basics
at first user logon. Office 2003 installations were done from CD files copied
to a shared network location.

Using the wizard I have:
1. ID'd the location of PRO11.MSI.
2. Entered the desired location of a new CMW file.
3. Entered the organizational name.
4. Then skipped all the way to pane 12 of 18 to chose "Modify Profile."
5. I clicked "Configure Exchange Server connection" on pane 13.
6. Filled in "%UserName%" and the name of our Exchange server.
7. No other wizard settings were modified and the CMW was created.

But when I log in to the new account (with newly created mailbox) and run
MaintWiz.exe, the settings are not transferred to the user profile.

"MaintWiz.exe /c \\server\ProfileShare\1stTimeUser\File.CMW /qb-" looks like
it does something. Starting Outlook then appears to install new components.

But the user still ends up having to configure the Exchange server and
mailbox name manually.

What else do I need to configure?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

CMW puts the .prf file in the Program Files\Microsoft Office folder, but ImportPRF doesn't really care where it is, so ....

What you could do is export the .prf file from CMW and put it on a network drive.

Then use CMW or a login script to set the values for ImportPRF, FirstRun and First-Run. ImportPRF, of course, needs to point to the location where the PRF is stored. (You could also use a login script or CMW to copy the PRF file to the user's folders.) The white paper at http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?assetid=HA011403051033&QueryID=2El7ryMQt&respos=4 explains these reg values.

Thank you for the jumpstart with ORK MaintWiz. You just sold another book ...

The book that you'll probably really find interesting is the one that will be out in the fall -- "Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003."
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Sue:

It wasn't until I increased user permissions that the custom11.prf was
created in ...\Program Files\Microsof Office.

I'm setting up on a Citrix farm but I think I have enough of the basics to
make that transition.

If you'll just verify a couple of things for me, I think I'll be good to go.

1. Apparently, users must have permissions to install software and
permissions to write to the MS Office directory. Logging in as the user, I
was only able to get MaintWiz to work if I used "runas" or increased the
user's permissions. Is it true that software installation and file write
permissions are needed?

2. If the extra permissions are needed, are there other ways to run MainWiz
so I can use group policies to configure Office user profiles?

3. Can I somehow change the location of the "custom11.prf" so users don't
need write perms in the Office directory?

The usual behavior is to place the .prf file in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ with the name Custom##.prf where ## is some number. The symptoms sure sound like the PRF file isn't being deployed. Since the .cmw file apparently does contain the .prf file, I'm at a loss to explain that behavior. Are you sure you're deploying the right .cmw file?

Note that Outlook mail profiles are stored in the Windows registry, not as a file in the user's Windows profile directory.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Sue:

I found the MaintWiz log. When I searched the text of the log I couldn't
find any reference to a ".prf" file.

I've searched the profile directory for the new accout (kept on a server).
I've searched the local hard drive. I cannot find any .prf files.

When I open Exchange after running MaintWiz.exe all settings are still blank.

1. Where is the wizard supposed to deposite the .prf file?
2. Does the new account need some minimal install permissions to run
MaintWiz.exe?


:

Yes, that looks right, except that you should also add the Outlook Address Book to the profile.

You can check the logs in the user's temp folder to see what the installation actually did. Another thing you can do is, before Outlook starts, check to see ImportPRF and the .prf file are in place.

Yes, I see both those.

I assume this is the ImportPRF reg value you were talking about:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Setup\ImportPRF =
(REG_SZ)[INSTALLLOCATION]custom11.prf

Questions:
1. Do I have the basic CMW file creation steps right?
2. I have tried running MaintWiz.exe with group policies and from command
line when logged on as the new user. Then I start Outlook. Is this correct?
3. Any other ideas?

Thanks.
-gt

:

If you use the CMW viewer to view the .cmw file, do you see the ...prf file in it along with the ImportPRF registry value? Note that the new settings won't take effect until the first time the user starts Outlook.

I'm trying to get the Custom Maintenance Wizard to set Outlook profile basics
at first user logon. Office 2003 installations were done from CD files copied
to a shared network location.

Using the wizard I have:
1. ID'd the location of PRO11.MSI.
2. Entered the desired location of a new CMW file.
3. Entered the organizational name.
4. Then skipped all the way to pane 12 of 18 to chose "Modify Profile."
5. I clicked "Configure Exchange Server connection" on pane 13.
6. Filled in "%UserName%" and the name of our Exchange server.
7. No other wizard settings were modified and the CMW was created.

But when I log in to the new account (with newly created mailbox) and run
MaintWiz.exe, the settings are not transferred to the user profile.

"MaintWiz.exe /c \\server\ProfileShare\1stTimeUser\File.CMW /qb-" looks like
it does something. Starting Outlook then appears to install new components.

But the user still ends up having to configure the Exchange server and
mailbox name manually.

What else do I need to configure?