- Article
- 13 minutes to read
To configure and perform deployments of Office LTSC 2021, including Project and Visio, for users in your organization, you use the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). The Office Customization Tool (OCT) that you previously used for Windows Installer (MSI) is no longer used.
The installation files for Office LTSC 2021 are available on the Office Content Delivery Network (CDN) on the internet instead of on the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). You can install Office LTSC 2021 directly from the Office CDN. Or, you can download the installation files from the Office CDN to a location on your local network, such as a shared folder, and install Office LTSC 2021 from that location. You can use different methods for different sets of devices in your organization. Whichever method you choose, you use the ODT.
Installing directly from the Office CDN requires the least amount of administrative effort and is recommended. But you might have constraints that prevent you from installing directly from the internet. For example, some devices might not have connectivity to the internet or you may have limited bandwidth to the internet.
The following steps are the basic steps for deploying Office LTSC 2021:
- Download the Office Deployment Tool from the Microsoft Download Center
- Create the configuration.xml file
- Download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files (optional, if not installing directly from the Office CDN)
- Install Office LTSC 2021 by using the Office Deployment Tool
Alternatively, you can use Configuration Manager to deploy Office LTSC 2021 if that's available in your organization.
Whichever way you choose to deploy Office LTSC 2021, we recommend that you remove existing versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021.
The Office Deployment Tool is a free download from the Microsoft Download Center. We recommend that you always download and use the most current version of the ODT.
After you download the Office Deployment Tool, double-click on the officedeploymenttool executable (.exe) file to extract the ODT files. When you're finished, you should have several files: setup.exe and some sample configuration.xml files. For an Office LTSC 2021-specific sample, see Sample configuration.xml file to use with the Office Deployment Tool.
The setup.exe file is the ODT and is a command-line tool that supports downloading and installing Office LTSC 2021. The configuration.xml files are sample files to get you started. You use the configuration.xml file to provide settings for the ODT to use when downloading or installing Office LTSC 2021. The configuration.xml is a simple xml file that can be created and edited in any text editor, such as Notepad. You can name the file anything that you want, as long as it retains the xml file extension.
Create the configuration.xml file
Once you have a copy of the ODT, you need to create a configuration.xml file. You can create multiple configuration.xml files to be used with the ODT. For example, you would create a configuration.xml file to download and install the 64-bit version of Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 in English and a different configuration.xml file to install the 32-bit version of Visio LTSC Professional 2021 in French. When you run the ODT from an elevated command prompt, you specify which configuration.xml file to use.
Tip
Instead of using a text editor to create your configuration.xml file, we recommend that you use the Office Customization Tool (OCT). The OCT provides a web-based interface for making your selections and creating your configuration.xml file to be used with the Office Deployment Tool. For more information, see Overview of the Office Customization Tool. Please note that this is different than the Office Customization Tool that you might have used in the past to install volume licensed versions of Office that used Windows Installer (MSI) as the installation technology.
There are a series of settings in the configuration.xml file that you configure to customize the Office LTSC 2021 download or installation. The following table lists the most common settings to configure in the configuration.xml file.
Configuration | configuration.xml setting | Additional information |
---|---|---|
Where to download the Office installation files to and where to install Office from For example, \\server\share (a shared folder on your local network). | SourcePath | If you don’t specify a SourcePath when using the ODT to install Office, the ODT looks for the installation files in the folder it’s located in. If it doesn’t find the Office installation files there, it goes to the Office CDN to get the installation files. We recommend that you install Office directly from the Office CDN, if internet connectivity and network bandwidth make that possible. |
Which products to download or install For example, Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021. | Product ID | Valid values include the following: - ProPlus2021Volume -Standard2021Volume - ProjectPro2021Volume - ProjectStd2021Volume - VisioPro2021Volume - VisioStd2021Volume For a list of Product IDs for other volume licensed Office products, such as Access LTSC 2021, see Product IDs that are supported by the Office Deployment Tool for Click-to-Run. If you have a Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA), review this information. |
Use Key Management Service (KMS) to activate Office LTSC 2021 | PIDKEY | Enter the Generic Volume License Key (GVLK) for KMS activation. |
Use Multiple Activation (MAK) to activate Office LTSC 2021 | PIDKEY | Enter the product key for MAK activation. |
Which languages to download or install For example, English (en-us) and French (fr-fr). | Language ID | You can install multiple languages at the same time you’re Installing Office LTSC 2021, or you can install them later. For more information, see Deploy languages for Office LTSC 2021. |
Which proofing tools to install | Product ID | The Product ID is "ProofingTools" and is used in combination with the Language ID. For more information, see Deploy languages for Office LTSC 2021. |
Which edition of Office LTSC 2021 to download or install. For example, the 64-bit version. | OfficeClientEdition | Valid xml values are "32" and "64." All Office products on the device must be of the same architecture. You can’t have both 32-bit and 64-bit Office products installed on the same device. We recommend 64-bit on devices that have 4 GB or more of memory. But you should assess application compatibility and other factors that might require you to use the 32-bit version. For more information, see Choose between the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Office. |
Which apps to install For example, all apps except Publisher. | ExcludeApp | By default, all apps included in Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 are installed. For example, to not install Publisher, you can include the following line in your configuration.xml: <ExcludeApp ID="Publisher" /> For more information, see ExcludeApp element. |
Where to get security and quality updates from. For example, directly from the Office CDN on the internet. | UpdatePath | The default is to get updates directly from the Office CDN on the internet. This is recommended and requires the least amount of administrative effort. But if you need to update devices that don’t have connectivity to the internet, you can specify that Office gets updates, for example, from a shared folder on your local network. But this means that you must download the updates from the Office CDN and copy them to the shared folder. For more information, see Update Office LTSC 2021. |
Which update channel to install from and get updates from | Channel | Office uses the concept of update channels to determine which updates an installed version of Office receives. For more information, see Update channel for Office LTSC 2021. |
Whether to remove previous Windows Installer (MSI) versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021 | RemoveMSI | This is recommended. For more information, see Remove existing versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021. |
Tip
More information about these configuration.xml settings is available here: Configuration options for the Office Deployment Tool. Keep in mind that not all the information in that article applies to Office LTSC 2021. For example, the settings related to shared computer activation, such as SharedComputerLicensing and SCLCacheOverride, don’t apply to Office LTSC 2021.
The following is a sample configuration.xml file that can be used to either download or install the 64-bit version of Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 in English using a shared folder on your local network and activate by using MAK. If you’re using this configuration.xml to install Office LTSC 2021, previous Windows Installer (MSI) versions of Office are removed as part of the installation process. Also, even though it’s not specified in the configuration.xml file, updates are automatically enabled and are configured to come directly from the Office CDN, because those are the default settings.
<Configuration> <Add SourcePath="\\Server\Share" OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="PerpetualVL2021"> <Product ID="ProPlus2021Volume" PIDKEY="#####-#####-#####-#####-#####" > <Language ID="en-us" /> </Product> <Product ID="ProofingTools"> <Language ID="de-de" /> <Language ID="es-es" /> </Product> </Add> <RemoveMSI /> <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" /> </Configuration>
For the PIDKEY, replace #####-#####-#####-#####-##### with your MAK client activation key.
Remove existing versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021
We recommend that you uninstall any previous versions of Office before installing Office LTSC 2021. To help you uninstall versions of Office that use Windows Installer (MSI) as the installation technology, you can use the Office Deployment Tool and specify the RemoveMSI element in your configuration.xml file.
There are several ways that you can use the RemoveMSI element when installing Office LTSC 2021.
- Uninstall all Office products on the device.
- Identify any existing language resources, like language packs, and install the same languages.
- Keep some Office products and uninstall all other Office products on the device.
RemoveMSI can be used to uninstall 2007, 2010, 2013, or 2016 versions of Office, Visio, or Project that were installed using Windows Installer (MSI).
For more information about using RemoveMSI, see Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps. Even though this article is about Microsoft 365 Apps, most of the information also applies to Office LTSC 2021.
To uninstall 2019 versions of Office, Visio, or Project from the device, use the Remove element. You use the Remove element because 2019 versions of Office, Visio, and Project are installed by using Click-to-Run, not Windows Installer (MSI).
Download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files
Once you have a copy of the ODT and have created your configuration.xml file, you can download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files to your local network. To do that, open an elevated command prompt, go to the folder where you saved the ODT and the configuration.xml file, and type this command:
setup /download configuration.xml
If you've saved the configuration.xml file with a different name, use that name in the command.
It will look as if nothing is happening, but the download is happening in the background. Once the download is complete, you're returned to a command prompt.
If you want to check that the files are downloading, go to the location you specified for your SourcePath in the configuration.xml file. You should see a folder named “Office” with a subfolder named “Data.” There will also be a folder named with the version number of the download. For example, 16.0.14332.20099. Which files you see and the names of the files depend on whether you're downloading the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office and which languages you're downloading.
Here are some additional details about downloading Office LTSC 2021 installation files:
- You must download the 32-bit and 64-bit versions separately.
- All volume licensed Office products – such as Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021, Visio LTSC Professional 2021, and Project Professional 2021 – are included in the same download, regardless of which products you specify in the configuration.xml file. This helps you save disk space on your local network. The core files for these products are in the stream.x86.x-none.dat or stream.x64.x-none.dat file, depending if it’s the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Office.
Once you have a copy of the ODT and have created your configuration.xml file (and downloaded the Office LTSC 2021 installation files to your local network, if necessary), you can install Office LTSC 2021. To do that, open an elevated command prompt, go to the folder where you saved the ODT and the configuration.xml file, and type the following command:
setup /configure configuration.xml
If you've saved the configuration.xml file with a different name, use that name in the command.
Once the installation is complete, you're returned to a command prompt and you can go open the Office LTSC 2021 programs you’ve installed.
Note
Office LTSC 2021 is installed on the system drive, which is usually the C:\ drive. The installation location can't be changed.
Install Office LTSC 2021 by using Configuration Manager
You can also use Microsoft Configuration Manager (current branch) to deploy Office LTSC 2021. The Office 365 Client Installation wizard steps you through the process and builds the configuration.xml file for you. You’ll see an entry for Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 in the wizard. On that same page, you can also select to deploy Project and Visio. To get to the wizard, in the Configuration Manager console, navigate to Software Library > Overview > Office 365 Client Management.
Deploy languages for Office LTSC 2021
You can use the ODT and the configuration.xml file to deploy Office LTSC 2021, including Project and Visio, in multiple languages. For more information, see Language element.
You can also just install proofing tools by specifying the Product ID as "ProofingTools" in your configuration.xml file along with the appropriate Language IDs. Proofing tools packages are much smaller than full language packs. Consider deploying proofing tools in cases where users work with documents in multiple languages but don’t need the Office product UI in all those languages. The proofing tools can be installed at the same time you’re installing Office LTSC 2021, or you can install them later. They can also be installed whether or not the language pack for a given language is installed.
If you're upgrading from a Windows Installer (MSI) version of Office, you can get Click-to-Run versions of the same language resources – for example, language packs, language interface packs, or proofing tools – installed when you deploy Office LTSC 2021. For more information, see Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps. Even though this article is about Microsoft 365 Apps, most of the information also applies to Office LTSC 2021.
Microsoft Teams in Office LTSC 2021
Office LTSC 2021 includes the Teams client app. To complete the installation of the Teams client app after installing Office LTSC 2021, either restart the device or sign out and then sign in again.
After Teams is installed, it's automatically updated approximately every two weeks with new features and quality updates. This update process for Teams is different than the update process for the other Office apps, such as Word and Excel. For more information, see Teams update process.
If you don’t want the Teams client app included when you deploy Office LTSC 2021, you can use either of these methods:
- The ExcludeApp element in your configuration xml file.
- The “Don't install Microsoft Teams with new installations or updates of Office” policy setting if you’re using Group Policy. You can find this policy setting under Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine)\Updates in the Group Policy Management tool.
Skype for Business in Office LTSC 2021
Skype for Business won’t be included, by default, in the installation of Office LTSC 2021 when you use either of the following methods to deploy Office LTSC 2021:
- The Office Deployment Tool with a configuration.xml file created by using the Office Customization Tool and you don’t change the default settings under the Apps section.
- The Office 365 Client Installation wizard in Microsoft Configuration Manager (current branch) and you don’t change the default settings under the Apps section.
For either method, you can adjust the settings in the UI so that Skype for Business is installed with Office LTSC 2021.
Related articles
- Overview of Office LTSC 2021
- Update Office LTSC 2021
- Overview of volume activation of Office
FAQs
How do I deploy Office 2021 Ltsc? ›
Download the Office Deployment Tool from the Microsoft Download Center. Create the configuration.xml file. Download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files (optional, if not installing directly from the Office CDN) Install Office LTSC 2021 by using the Office Deployment Tool.
How do I activate Office Ltsc Standard 2021? ›How to activate Office LTSC by using a product key. Open a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, and then select File. Select Account > Change Product Key. Type the product key in the text box, and then select Activate Office.
Can I install Office 365 on Windows Ltsc? ›Office 2021 for Windows and Office LTSC for Windows are installed using the Click-to-Run installation technology instead of Windows Installer (MSI). Click-to-Run is used to install Office 2019 volume products and has been available with most Microsoft 365 products since Office 2010.
How do I install Office with deployment tool? ›- Step 1: Create the configuration file. ...
- Step 2: Run the ODT executable in download mode. ...
- Step 3: Validate that the files have been downloaded.
Essentially, Office 2021 and Office LTSC are the same. Office LTSC stands for Office Long Term Servicing Channel. For most Microsoft applications, LTSC means that the product will be supported by Microsoft for longer with, for example, security updates.
How to install Office LTSC? ›- Download the Office Deployment Tool from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Configure/Create your 'configuration. xml' file.
- Download the Office LTSC 2021 installation files (optional step)
- Install Office LTSC 2021 by using the Office Deployment Tool.
The main difference between Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC 2021 is the fact that 365 is subscription-based, and Office LTSC 2021 is a one-time purchase of a perpetual license. You can use Office 2021 LTSC on Mc (besides the applications Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Access)
How do I activate preloaded Office 2021? ›You activate Microsoft 365 by signing in with a Microsoftaccount. If we detect your Microsoft account, we'll show it on this screen. After you sign in, your product is added to your Microsoft account, so that you can reinstall it later, or manage your new subscription, without a product key.
How do I enable Windows Store on Ltsc? ›Step 1: Visit the Github page for LTSC Microsoft Store Installer or LTBS Microsoft Store installer page depending upon your requirement and download the code. Step 2: Extract the code archive and look for Add-Store. cmd. Step 3: Turn on the Developer mode in the system from settings.
Is Office Ltsc better than Office 365? ›Unlike Office LTSC, Office 365 is subscription-based. You'll pay an annual fee to use the software, but you'll also have access to features like OneDrive cloud storage, instant updates, and collaboration features.
Can you update Office Ltsc? ›
Check for updates for Office LTSC 2021
Instead of waiting for the scheduled task to run to check for updates, you can manually check for updates. To do that, open any Office app, such as Word, and go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
But the missing Windows features will free up extra hard drive space and PC system resources to help your PC run even more efficiently. If you do decide you want to throw caution to the wind and install this version of Windows anyways, remember that once you install LTSC, you cannot upgrade to a non-LTSC version.
How to install Office via XML? ›To install it, you simply need to modify your command line a bit. If your command prompt is still open, simply enter setup.exe /configure "C:\ODT\configuration. xml" and it will install Office 365 Pro plus for you.
Is Office Deployment Tool free? ›- [Instructor] Microsoft provides a free tool called the Office Deployment Tool and you can use it to perform customized office deployments.
What is MS Office Deployment Tool? ›The Office Deployment Tool (ODT) is a command-line tool that you can use to download and deploy Click-to-Run versions of Office, such as Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, to your client computers.
What is Office LTSC stand for? ›Microsoft Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) Professional Plus 2021 is a perpetually licensed version of Microsoft Office that allows users install a collection of software developed by Microsoft for productivity, collaboration, cloud storage, and more.
What version is Office LTSC 2021? ›The major version of Office LTSC 2021 is 16.0, which is the same major version as volume licensed versions of Office 2019 (and Office 2016).
What does Microsoft Office Ltsc stand for? ›As with previous versions, Office 2021 offers the LTSC, or Long Term Servicing Channel, option. Office LTSC 2021 is the latest standalone version available through a volume licensing agreement.
Is Microsoft Ltsc free? ›Do NOT buy Office LTSC if you have Microsoft 365 like Microsoft 365 Family (formerly Home), Microsoft 365 Personal or an enterprise plan. In other words, you pay for Office as an annual fee.
Is Windows 10 enterprise the same as Ltsc? ›Windows 10 Enterprise N LTSC 2021 includes the same functionality as Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, except that it does not include certain media related technologies (e.g., Windows Media Player, Camera, Music, Movies & TV) or the Skype app.
How long will Windows 10 Ltsc be supported? ›
The Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 edition (version 21H2) does not have extended support. It will reach end of servicing on 2027-01-12. Only Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) will have support until 2032-01-13.
How much does Ltsc cost? ›General Information | |
---|---|
Category | PC OS software |
Description | Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC Value - License - 1 license - ESD |
Manufacturer | HP, Inc. |
MSRP | $110.00 |
The enterprise versions are best suited for, you guessed it, enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses. Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) is an enterprise Windows solution for devices that don't need to be updated for years to come.
Can you buy Microsoft Office for lifetime? ›Forget about subscription or license renewals. Renewable licenses are for the birds, especially in the current economic climate. Head into the new year with an affordable lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac or Windows 2021, available now for $40.
How can I activate Office without product key 2021? ›Step 1: Go to www.office.com/setup or Microsoft365.com/setup. Step 2: Sign in with your Microsoft account, or create one if you don't have one. Be sure to remember this account so that you can install or reinstall Office later, without a product key.
Can Office 2021 work without activation? ›To fully use Office, you must activate Office. If you do not activate the product after you install it, the Office programs can be started only in reduced-functionality mode.
Does Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC have Microsoft Store? ›Like the previous LTSC, Microsoft did not add the app store feature to latest Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021. If you still want to use it, try the following method.
What is not included in Windows 10 LTSC? ›With the LTSC servicing model, customers can delay receiving feature updates and instead only receive monthly quality updates on devices. Features from Windows 10 that could be updated with new functionality, including Cortana, Edge, and all in-box Universal Windows apps, are also not included.
Can I upgrade Windows 10 Ltsc to enterprise? ›You can upgrade from Windows 10 LTSC to Windows 10 General Availability Channel if you upgrade to the same or a newer build version. For example, Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB can be upgraded to Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607 or later. Upgrade is supported using the in-place upgrade process (using Windows setup).
Does Ltsc have edge? ›Microsoft Edge kiosk mode is available for LTSC releases starting in Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC. Microsoft Edge kiosk mode offers two lockdown experiences of the browser so organizations can create, manage, and provide the best experience for their customers.
Will there be a Windows 11 enterprise Ltsc? ›
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC version will be released in the mid-2023 timeframe. Windows 11 IoT Enterprise will have only one release per year.
What is Ltsc Professional Plus? ›Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 gives you the tools to get work done with updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, and Teams. Windows.
What is the difference between LTSC and semi annual? ›The Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) provides a longer term option focusing on stability, whereas the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) provided more frequent releases enabling customers to take advantage of innovation more quickly.
What is the difference between LTSC and LTSC N? ›The N is for regions like some places in Europe where some things are banned, for example, the N versions don't ship with Windows Media Player. You don't want an N version. LTSC means that you get feature updates at a much slower rate compared to the normal channel.
How to deploy Office 2021 using SCCM? ›- Open the SCCM console.
- Go to Software Library / Application Management / Applications.
- Right-click the Office 2021 application and choose Create Deployment Type.
- On the General tab of the Create Deployment Type Wizard, in the Type list, select Script Installer, choose Next.
- Download and install the Office Deployment Tool. Download the Office Deployment Tool from the Microsoft Download Center. ...
- Run the Office Deployment Tool in Download Mode. ...
- Run the Office Deployment Tool in configure mode. ...
- Once Office has been installed, you can open and use the included programs.
You activate Microsoft 365 by signing in with a Microsoftaccount. If we detect your Microsoft account, we'll show it on this screen. After you sign in, your product is added to your Microsoft account, so that you can reinstall it later, or manage your new subscription, without a product key.
How do I install Office 2021 ISO? ›To install Office 2021, access your Downloads folder to locate the downloaded ISO file and right-click on the ISO file and select the option mount from the contextual menu. See the screenshot below. This will mount the file as a virtual device and allow you to access it like a pen drive.
What is Office LTSC Standard 2021? ›Microsoft Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) Professional Plus 2021 is a perpetually licensed version of Microsoft Office that allows users install a collection of software developed by Microsoft for productivity, collaboration, cloud storage, and more. Microsoft supports each LTSC release for five years.
What is the latest version of Office 2021 LTSC? ›The major version of Office LTSC 2021 is 16.0, which is the same major version as volume licensed versions of Office 2019 (and Office 2016).
What is the standard product ID for Office 2021 LTSC? ›
The vaild product IDs of Office LTSC 2021 include the following: Standard2021Volume. ProjectPro2021Volume.