First, create a download.xml :
<RemoveMSI All="TRUE" /> This removes all MSI-based Office products (2010, 2013, 2016) before installing 2021. <ExcludeApp ID="Access" /> <ExcludeApp ID="Publisher" /> <ExcludeApp ID="Outlook" /> Excluding Outlook can speed deployment and is common in RDS or shared machines. D. Adding Multiple Languages <Language ID="en-us" /> <Language ID="fr-fr" /> <Language ID="de-de" /> <AddLanguage ID="match-os" Fallback="en-us" /> 6. Common Errors and Solutions | Error | Likely Cause | Fix | |-------|--------------|-----| | 0x80070005 | Permission denied | Run CMD as Administrator. | | 0x80040609 | Invalid channel for product | Change Channel to PerpetualVL2021 (not MonthlyEnterprise ). | | 0x80070002 | File not found | Ensure setup.exe and XML are in same folder; check XML for typos. | | Installation hangs | Conflicting Office MSI leftovers | Use Microsoft SaRA tool to scrub old Office entries. | | PIDKEY not accepted | Wrong key or product ID mismatch | Verify ProPlus2021Volume vs Standard2021Volume . | setup.exe configure. configuration-office2021enterprise.xml
setup.exe /download download.xml Finally, reference that same SourcePath in your configure XML. Add this inside <Add> : First, create a download
Mastering Enterprise Deployments: A Deep Dive into setup.exe /configure configuration-office2021enterprise.xml When rolling out Microsoft Office 2021 Enterprise across hundreds or thousands of machines, manual installation is not an option. The mantra of efficient IT administration is consistency, automation, and control. At the heart of Microsoft’s deployment toolkit for Office 2021 lies a powerful trio: setup.exe , the /configure switch, and an XML configuration file . | | 0x80070002 | File not found | Ensure setup
Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Office* # Or check classic COM objects: New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application A. Local Source Installation Download the installation files once and share them to reduce network load.
<Configuration> <Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2021"> <Product ID="ProPlus2021Volume" PIDKEY="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"> <Language ID="en-us" /> <ExcludeApp ID="OneDrive" /> <ExcludeApp ID="Teams" /> </Product> <Product ID="VisioViewer2021Volume"> <Language ID="en-us" /> </Product> </Add> <Updates Enabled="TRUE" Channel="PerpetualVL2021" /> <Display Level="NONE" AcceptEULA="TRUE" /> <Logging Level="Standard" Path="%temp%\Office2021Log" /> <Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="TRUE" /> <Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="0" /> </Configuration> | Element | Purpose | |---------|---------| | OfficeClientEdition | 64 or 32 . For enterprise, 64-bit is recommended unless legacy 32-bit add-ins are required. | | Channel | PerpetualVL2021 — the long-term servicing channel for volume licensed Office 2021. | | Product ID | ProPlus2021Volume = Office Professional Plus 2021 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher). | | PIDKEY | Your Volume License Key. Can be omitted if using KMS/ADBA activation. | | ExcludeApp | Excludes bloat like Teams or OneDrive (often unwanted in VDI or secure environments). | | Updates Enabled | Set to TRUE and specify the same channel to receive security updates via Microsoft Update. | | Display Level="NONE" | Silent installation — no UI prompts, no user interaction. | | Logging | Writes logs to %temp%\Office2021Log . Crucial for debugging. | | FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN | Forces closed open Office apps during installation. | 4. Running the Deployment Once your XML file is saved in the same folder as setup.exe , open an elevated command prompt or use your deployment system (SCCM, PDQ, Intune).
<Configuration> <Add SourcePath="\\server\share\Office2021" OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2021"> <Product ID="ProPlus2021Volume"> <Language ID="en-us" /> </Product> </Add> </Configuration> Then run: