Configure Microsoft outlook profile using Desktop Central

In an Enterprise whether it is small, medium or large, employees work in different systems for various reasons and when these employees (users) access MS outlook it becomes complicated (for every new system, outlook user configuration has to be defined).  Configuring outlook manually becomes cumbersome and doing it multiple times makes it even more.

Hence a solid solution becomes inevitable. Understanding this Desktop Central has uniquely crafted a script.

Following steps helps you to configure outlook profile for the user onetime and you can relax.

To configure outlook profile perform the following actions:

• Create a prf settings file.
• Import the settings to outlook for users.

Creating a customized profile (.prf file):

Customizing includes:

• Specifying account name
• Incoming mail server
• Outgoing mail server setting
• Specifying Username and Email address.

How to:

To create a PRF file follow the below steps:

Note:

You need to have Microsoft Office installation files.

If you are copying the contents from a CD, you can skip the steps below and copy the contents of the CD directly to the local directory.

Steps to extract the contents of the EXE

1. Select Start>Run
2. Enter %temp%
3. Clear all the unused files and folders
4. Run the ProfessionalPlus.exe

Note:

This will extract the required files into the temp directory before installing them. When the extraction is complete, you will see the installation wizard.

1. Select Start>Run
2. Enter %temp% (You will now find a new folder with the extracted contents of Office 2010).
3. Copy all the extracted contents, with the same directory structure, to the local directory that you created.
4. Exit the installation wizard

Download Office Customization Tool to create PRF files:

1. Download the Office Customization Tool (OCT) from the following URL and install it: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=64B837B6-0AA0-4C07-BC34-BEC3990A7956&displaylang=en

Note:

• You need to download appropriate exe files depending on whether you have 32 bit or 64 bit versions of the office.
• When installing the OCT, you are required to specify the local directory that you have created, as the location to extract the files. Three folders will be extracted from the OCT. They are ADM, Admin, and ADMX.

1. Open a command prompt window.
2. Navigate to the directory where you have copied the installable file.

Invoke setup.exe with the following parameters:

Ex: c:\msofficesetup\setup.exe /admin

Step-2:

To create a new customization file, select the Office suite that needs to be customized, and then click OK.

Step-3:

In the Outlook section, click Outlook Profile.

Step-4:

To specify settings to be included in a .prf file, choose New Profile to create one and specify a profile name.

Step-5:

To add and configure new accounts, click Add accounts under Outlook section, and then click customize additional Outlook profile and account information.

Step-6: Click Add to select the type of account to be added.

For example:

• Select pop3 account and click next.
• Specify account name, Incoming mail server, Outgoing mail server settings and specify username and email address as %USERNAME% and %USERNAME%@domain.com.
• It will automatically expand to corresponding usernames for users.
• Click finish

Step-7:

Click the Export Profile Settings button to create a new .prf file.

Step-8:

Enter a file name and the path to save the file, and then click Save.

Import the settings to outlook for users from Desktop central

Step-1:

Download and rename the attached file to ConfigureOutlook.Vbs

Configure Outlook

Step-2:

Place the Exported PRF file in network share.

Note:

Make sure the network share has ‘everyone’ permission in the same domain

Step-3:

Under user configuration tab in Desktop central, click “custom script” to deploy the vbscript with following parameters

a. Under define configuration section under create Select Local and Upload the ConfigureOutlook.vbs file

Script arguments : < Location of the PRF file in quotes> <profile name>.

Ex: “\\share name\foldername\profile.PRF” profile name

b. Location of the PRF file: Location of PRF file in network share path with PRF filename.

Profile name:

This is the name that you have already created when you made the PRF file and make sure they are the same.

Step-4:  Select the target users to deploy

Deploy the configuration

P.S: If the user logon to any computer, settings will configure automatically.