Deploying Office without internet can save bandwidth, consistency and simplify rollouts in remote locations. By using the Office Deployment Tool, you can download all files once and push them to target machines without additional downloads.
This guide will walk you through each step – from getting the source files to installing Office in a truly offline scenario.
Prerequisites
Before you start make sure you have:
- Windows admin rights on your deployment workstation
- The most recent release of the Office Deployment Tool (EN) setup program
- A folder with at least 4 GB of free disk space for Office source files
- USB drives or a network share accessible by your target computers
Having these in place will ensure the process runs smoothly and prevents common interruptions.
Step 1: Create the Download XML
The first step is to define what Office components you want. Create a file named download.xml with the following content:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition=”64″ Channel=”Current”>
<Product ID=”O365ProPlusRetail”>
<Language ID=”en-us” />
</Product>
<Add>
<Display Level=”None” AcceptEULA=”TRUE” />
</Configuration>
This will tell the tool to download the 64-bit version of Office 365 ProPlus in US English on the Current channel. Adjust the Channel or Language to fit your environment.
Step 2: Download Office Source Files
Run the following command in an elevated Command Prompt where your setup.exe (from the deployment tool) and download.xml reside:
setup.exe /download download.xml
You won’t see any UI but the tool will create a subfolder named Office with all the required files.
Step 3: Verify the Offline Folder
After the files finish downloading, open the Office directory:
- Check for subfolders like Data, DeliveryOptimization, Office
- Verify the total size matches or is greater than the expected package size (often 3-4 GB)
If any files are missing or the folder size is small, re-run the download command or check network logs for interruptions.
Step 4: Build the Installation XML
Next create a configure.xml file to guide the offline install.
<Configuration>
<Add SourcePath=”\\SERVER\Office” OfficeClientEdition=”64″>
<Product ID=”O365ProPlusRetail”>
<Language ID=”en-us” />
</Product>
<Add>
<Display Level=”None” AcceptEULA=”TRUE” />
</Configuration>
Set SourcePath to your offline network share or USB drive—this guides setup.exe to the installation source
Step 5: Deploy Office Offline
On each target machine copy the setup.exe, configure.xml and Office folder to a local path or mount the network share. Then run:
setup.exe /configure configure.xmlSetup runs silently in the background. Check %temp%\OfficeSetupLogs if you need to troubleshoot.
Troubleshooting
- If SourcePath errors occur, make sure UNC permissions allow read access for the deploying user.
- Incomplete XML will cause immediate failures – validate your XML before running setup.
- A common mistake is to mix up download and configure XML files. Keep them in separate, clearly named folders.
Fix these and you’ll be back on track with your offline deployments.
Final Thoughts
Refresh your offline source every 3-6 months to get the latest patches. By staying organized, you’ll minimize surprises and maintain a reliable, offline-ready Office source.
Offline deployments give you flexibility when connectivity is limited. With the steps above, you’re set to leverage the Office Deployment Tool (EN) in environments where every megabyte counts.
