Windows - Software Lifecycle - Install M365 Apps

What the M365 Apps Installer does

This Automox Worklet™ installs Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows endpoints using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). The Worklet dynamically generates an XML configuration file based on your specified parameters, then executes the ODT setup to download and install Office applications from Microsoft CDN.

The Worklet supports multiple configuration options including update channel selection (Current, MonthlyEnterprise, Deferred, InsiderFast), application exclusions (such as Teams, OneDrive, or Groove), architecture choice (32-bit or 64-bit), and installation visibility (silent or with progress bar). The installation language automatically matches the operating system language with EN-US as fallback.

To work around potential context issues, the Worklet creates a scheduled task to run the ODT installer, monitors completion, and removes the task when finished. This approach handles scenarios where direct execution might fail due to permission constraints.

Why automate Microsoft 365 Apps deployment

Microsoft 365 Apps represent a core productivity suite that most organizations require on every endpoint. Manual deployment using traditional methods requires significant IT resources and leads to inconsistent configurations across your fleet.

Automating M365 deployment through this Worklet standardizes your Office configuration. You define the update channel, excluded applications, and architecture once, then deploy consistently to all targeted endpoints. This approach prevents configuration drift and simplifies troubleshooting.

The Worklet respects existing Office update policies. If your organization has Group Policy settings for Office update channels, the Worklet detects these and uses the policy-defined channel instead of overriding it, maintaining compliance with your existing management infrastructure.

How M365 Apps installation works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet checks the registry path SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\Configuration for the VersionToReport value. If this value exists, Microsoft 365 Apps are already installed and the endpoint is marked compliant. The check adapts to 32-bit or 64-bit registry views based on system architecture.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet generates an XML configuration file with your specified parameters, creates a scheduled task to run setup.exe with the /configure argument, monitors task completion, removes the scheduled task, and verifies installation by checking for VersionToReport in the registry.

M365 Apps installation requirements

• Windows 8.1 or later

• PowerShell 3.0 or later

• Office Deployment Tool (setup.exe) uploaded as Worklet payload - download from https://aka.ms/ODT and extract before uploading

• Network connectivity to Microsoft Office CDN

• Configure required parameters: channel, excludeApps, visibility, and bitness

• Valid Microsoft 365 license for activation

Expected Microsoft 365 state after installation

After successful remediation, Microsoft 365 Apps appear in the Windows Programs list and Start menu. The installed applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and others based on your exclusion list) are ready for user activation and use. You can verify this change through the Automox Activity Log or by checking the endpoint configuration directly.

The Worklet outputs the installed version number in the Activity Log. Installation logs are available at %WINDIR%\Temp for troubleshooting if needed. Subsequent Worklet runs detect the existing VersionToReport registry value and exit without action.

How to validate install m365 apps changes

1. Run this Worklet on a pilot Windows endpoint and review evaluation output for install m365 apps.

2. Confirm Automox activity logs show successful completion and exit code 0.

3. Verify endpoint state using checks aligned to evaluation script logic, such as EN-US, Get-ItemProperty, Write-Output.

4. Validate remediation effects from script operations such as EN-US, Split-Path, Write-Output, then rerun evaluation for compliance.