Why Offline Installation Isn’t as Straightforward Anymore

One of my colleagues asked for my help to install Microsoft 365. It took me a good half hour just to find the offline installer. Two years ago, I was able to download it through my 365 account, which provided an offline installer. Now, the option is gone, and it took me some time to figure out that I needed to use the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) to install it offline.

Over the past few years, Microsoft has been steadily shifting users toward its cloud-based 365 experience, making it harder for us to access offline installation options. The good news is that there's still a reliable workaround: the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). It lets you create a custom installation package using a configuration.xml file, making offline deployment possible, though admittedly more complicated than it used to be.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following:

1. Administrative privileges on the target machines.
2. Download the Office Deployment Tool (ODT) from the Microsoft Download Center.
3. A Microsoft 365 account (or you can choose to... cough... let's just say there's a way to make it work without one, but I definitely didn't tell you that 🏴‍☠️).
4. Network connectivity (initially) to download Office files or access a local source.

Step 1: Download and Extract the Office Deployment Tool

1. Download the ODT executable (setup.exe) from the Microsoft Download Center.
2. Create a dedicated folder and extract the contents of the downloaded file into it.

Step 2: Create a Configuration.xml File

The configuration.xml file defines the installation settings. For offline deployments, use the Office Customization Tool to generate a tailored configuration.xml file. That's the simplest approach. However, if you prefer to configure it manually, you can use Google to find detailed configuration options. Below is a sample configuration for offline use:

<Configuration>
  <Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="MonthlyEnterprise">
    <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail">
      <Language ID="en-us" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
  <Property Name="AUTOACTIVATE" Value="1" />
  <Logging Level="Standard" Path="C:\ODT\Logs" />
</Configuration>

Key Attributes Explained:

• OfficeClientEdition: Specifies the architecture (32 or 64-bit).
• Channel: Defines the update channel (e.g., MonthlyEnterprise for stability).
• Product ID: Use O365ProPlusRetail for Microsoft 365 Enterprise.
• Language ID: Sets the installation language (e.g., en-us).
• Display Level: Controls the UI (None for silent installation).
• AcceptEULA: Automatically accepts the license agreement.
• AUTOACTIVATE: Automatically activates the product if the device is licensed.

Save this file as configuration.xml in the same folder as setup.exe.

Step 3: Run the Office Deployment Tool

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the ODT folder. Execute the following command to start the installation:

setup.exe /configure configuration.xml

Additional Flags:

• /download: Downloads Office files without installing (essential for offline deployments).
• /customize: Applies changes to an existing installation.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

1. Once the installation completes, open any Office application (e.g., Word or Excel).
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 Enterprise account to verify activation.
3. Enjoy your offline Office experience! just like the good old' Office 2016.