Outlook installation in Terminal Services Environment

[Nijel]

Guys and Gals,

We have a Citrix server that users connect to and use an application on it
(an MS Access db). Users' access is restricted by a Group Policy and so they
have almost no rights on the box. However, they need to be able to email from
this application.
I am trying to figure out a way to setup Outlook for them so that it can be
used to email from this app. However, I do not want to put an Outlook icon on
their desktops. So, as such, they can't double-click on it to run a prf file
or a custom installation file. What I am trying to figure out is how to use
an adm to configure it thru a policy.
Is it possible? If so, how? If not, what would be a better solution? Is
there a better solution?
Thank you in advance for all your help!!

[PC]

If it's using MAPI/outlook to send mail, they need a working outlook profile
under their user account. It's be fairly easy if they were sharing an
account. If they're using their own, you will need to use the custom install
wizard/auto generating profile/prf, or roaming profiles.

[Nijel]

I have tried all of that and it just doesn't seem to work. It prompts them to
logon to the Exchange server and, if they logon as themselves or as a generic
account, it just keeps prompting them. Am I doing something wrong? Or maybe
there is a way to do it though a policy?
Thank you for any help on this!

[PC]

First thing I need to know is if they are using a common, or unique users
accounts.

I also need to know if they're using roaming profiles or not.

[Nijel]

We use unique user accounts and they have local profiles and not roaming.
However, since this is a Citrix environment, we could do a folder redirection
to a centralized place.

At this point I got it to work if a user group is in the local
Administrators or Power Users group on the server. However, I would like to
not have it in those groups.

Are there some specific registry keys that this group needs access to in
order to create an Outlook profile?

[PC]

I can tell you that you do not need local admin for this to work.

This requires volume licensing media.
You need to download the office 2003 resource kit. (google it)
You need to create an administrative install of o2k3. There are two
components that need to be installed
Office 2003 web components (OWC11.MSI)
Office 2003 Professional (PRO11.MSI)
Google it, but rougly, msiexec /A d:\pro11.msi wills tart the administrative
install and dump it to a folder of you're choosing. If it doens't work, do
msiexec /I /I d:\pro11.msi
Now you need to start the outlook 2003 custom install wizard. Point it to
the Office 2003 MSI (PRO11.MSI), whever you dumped it.
Create a new mst -- dump it in the same folder
Proceed as you'd like, except:
Enable local installation source, put your key in.
Outlook - customize default profile setting. Select Modify.
Configure an exchange server connection
Username = "=%USERNAME%"
Put your exchange server in the box.
Overright if necessary.
I do not recommend cached exchange mode on a terminal server.
Click export profile settings after you click next a few times, save that
file incase I need it for troubleshooting. You won't use it though.
Go all the way through and finish.
Now put the TS in install mode, and run
c:\office2003\setup.exe TRANSFORMS=c:\offic2003\yourtransform.MST /qb

Reboot.
Delete a user's profile, log in as him, run outlook.

This working is contingent upon:
* User not having an existing outlook profile on the terminal server.
Note: This can be worked around if it's a problem.

If this whole process is not an option, it can still be done but we'll have
to still create the profile, export it, and add a registry key under the
default user to install the PRF on Outlook's first startup. I'd rather see
the windows installer install to be sure the permissions, etc. are correct.

Let me know what happens!

[Nijel]

PC,

The issue with the process you have suggested (even though I have tried it
before) is that a user will have to actually run Outlook. Same goes for using
prf file. User will have to run Outlook at least once.
What I am trying to do though is to eliminate user completely. I want to
have Outlook installed either via policy settings or by giving a user group
access to some registry keys. In fact, Outlook is already installed on the
server. If I add the user group to Power Users, it works just the way I want
it. However, I do not want to have that user group in Power Users on the
server. That is why I hope that there is a way to just give that user group
permissions on some specific registry keys so that Outlook would be
"available" to them.
I hope I make some sense here! :o)

Thank you for working with me, PC!

[PC]

Let's take a step back...

Does it work through terminal services and not Citrix? Are you launching an
app or the whole desktop with Citrix?

If it's just the app, it may have to do with the way Citrix propogates the
registery from the default user hive to the individual user hive -- which
conviently contains the firstrun/importprf line.

Thanks,
Paul

[Nijel]

Paul,

Here's our scenario:

We have a Citrix box. User logs on to a desktop thru Citrix. There is a
group policy that gets applied. So the user has no rights on the desktop
except for 3 icons that are MS Access Db App. They open it and work in it.
They need to be able to email work orders from within it.
There is Outlook installed on the server. yet users do not see an icon or
anything like that. I don't want them to see it either.
I also don't want that user group to be in Administrators or Power Users on
the server.
Hope I answered your questions. Please feel free to ask if you have more.
Again, thank you for your efforts!