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Import an Office 2010 Setup customization file

 

Applies to: Office 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2012-01-27

Banner stating end of support date for Office 2010 with link to more info

In Microsoft Office 2010, you can import an Office Customization Tool (OCT) Setup customization file (.msp file). This is a new feature in Office 2010.

To learn how to import an OCT .msp file in Office 2010, follow the instructions that are provided in this article.

In this article:

  • Overview

  • Import a Setup customization file

  • Import languages to an existing installation

This article also includes a video that demonstrates how to import a Setup customization file.

Overview

In Office 2010, two architecture-specific versions of the Office Customization Tool are available: one for 32-bit Office 2010 and one for 64-bit Office 2010. The 64-bit version of the OCT supports 64-bit client editions of Office 2010, and provides the same user interface, capabilities, and configurable settings as the 32-bit version.

You start the OCT by running the setup.exe /admin command at the command prompt from the root of the network installation point that contains the Office 2010 source files. (For more information, see Create a network installation point for Office 2010.) For example, run the following command line to start the OCT: \\server\share\Office14\setup.exe /admin. You use the same command to run the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the OCT. For instance, if you want to run the 32-bit OCT, run the setup.exe /admin command line from the x86 (32-bit) folder as shown in the following example: \\server\share\Office14\x86\setup.exe /admin. To run the 64-bit OCT, run the setup.exe /admin command line from the x64 (64-bit) folder.

The OCT supports the importing of Setup customization files (.msp files):

  • 32-bit .msp files can be imported into the 64-bit OCT, and then they can be used to customize 64-bit Office 2010 products.

  • 64-bit .msp files can be imported into the 32-bit OCT, and then they can be used to customize 32-bit Office 2010 products.

Note

Importing customization .msp files is intended for equivalent cross-architecture products only. You can import a 32-bit Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 customization .msp file into the 64-bit version of the OCT for a 64-bit Office Professional Plus 2010 .msp file. However, you cannot import a 32-bit Microsoft Word 2010 stand-alone customization .msp file into the 64-bit OCT for a 64-bit Office Professional Plus 2010 .msp file; doing so is prevented and displays an error message. For information about how to use the OCT to create a Setup customization file and about all the areas that you can configure with the OCT, see Office Customization Tool in Office 2010.
You cannot import 2007 Microsoft Office system Setup customization files (.msp files) into the Office 2010 OCT.

The Import feature can also be used when you have created an initial Setup customization file (.msp file) for an Office 2010 product (for example, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010) and you later want to modify the installation to add language packs. In such cases, you first add the language packs to the network installation point that contains the Office product source files. Then, you run the OCT from the root of the network installation point and create a new Setup customization file for the same product, and import the original customization .msp file that you created previously for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010. For more information, see To import an .msp file to add languages to an existing installation.

Import a Setup customization file

Use the following procedure to import a Setup customization file (.msp file).

To import a Setup customization file

  1. Start the OCT by typing setup.exe /admin at the command prompt from the root of the network installation point that contains the Office 2010 source files. For example:

    \\server\share\Office14\setup.exe /admin

  2. To import a customization .msp file, in the OCT, on the File menu, click Import.

  3. In the Open dialog box, select the .msp file that you want to convert, and then click Open to start the conversion.

  4. On the File menu, click Save As. Specify a unique name for the file and save the file in the Updates folder of the network installation point for the platform for which you imported the customization .msp file (either 32-bit or 64-bit). For example, if you imported a 32-bit customization .msp file for customizing a 64-bit installation of Office 2010, you would save the file in the Updates folder of the network installation point for 64-bit Office 2010.

  5. Click Save.

Office Customization Tool Import feature 

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Play video Watch a video that demonstrates how to use the OCT import feature (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=203128).

Download video For an optimal viewing experience, download the "Office 2010 client: Office Customization Tool import feature" video (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=203128).

Right-click the link, and then click Save Target As to download a copy. Clicking the link will open a .wmv file in the default video viewer for full-resolution viewing.

Import languages to an existing installation

If you create a Setup customization file (.msp file) to customize the Office 2010 installation and later decide to add languages, you can use the Import option in the OCT to apply the language changes. Use the following procedure to import languages to an existing installation. This procedure uses Office Professional Plus 2010 as an example.

To import a customization .msp file to add languages to an existing installation

  1. Add the language packs that you want to use to the network installation point that contains the Office Professional Plus 2010 source files. For more information, see Create a network installation point for Office 2010.

  2. Run the OCT by typing setup.exe /admin at the command-line prompt from the root of the network installation point that contains the Office Professional Plus 2010 source files. For example:

    \\server\share\Office14\setup.exe /admin

  3. In the Select Product dialog box, click Create a new Setup customization file for the following product and then choose the same product for which you previously customized installation options, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 in this example.

  4. To import the original customization .msp file that you created previously for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, on the File menu, click Import.

  5. In the Open dialog box, select the .msp file that you want to update.

  6. On the File menu, click Save As. Specify a unique name for the .msp file, and then click Save.

    Note

    The Updates folder supports only one Setup customization .msp file. Therefore, if you import a Setup customization .msp file to add languages to an existing installation, we recommend that you replace your previous customization .msp file (the original .msp file) with the new customization .msp file that contains the language packs information.

  7. Deploy and apply the updated Setup customization file .msp to users' computers.

    To apply the Setup customization (.msp) file to existing installations, you must apply the .msp file directly to the user's computer. Users can apply the Setup customization .msp file by double-clicking the .msp file, or by running the msiexec command with the /p option as shown in the following example (using custom.msp): msiexec.exe /p \\server\share\custom.msp.

    For more information about Windows Installer commands, see Windows Installer Command-Line Options (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=162945).

    You can also use a deployment management program, such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, to deploy Setup customization files.