2015-08-08

Office 2013 Custom Install - Administrative install - Install Options

How to install Office 2013 HUP with selected options
How to install Office 2013 using advanced install or /Admin options
How to install Office 2013 using advanced options instead of the Click-to-Run options
How to install Office 2013 to the D: drive, to a different drive, to an SSD drive
How to uninstall selected options or programs in Office 2013

Issue:
Office 2013 (Home, non-corporate editions, "HUP") editions do not have any options when installing.  You cannot chose which drive to install to; you cannot chose which options to install. You are forced to install all of the office suite, including Powerpoint, Lync, Outlook, Clipart, additional fonts. Using Add-Remove Programs, Change, only allows a repair.  You cannot install or change selected options.

Unclear why Microsoft decided on this installation method. In any case, here is the somewhat painful and stupid solution.


Solution:

1.  Uninstall previous Office 2013

2.  Download Office 2013 Free Trial from Microsoft.com

Download the trial version that matches your disk.  For example, my disk came from an employee office purchase (commonly called "HUP") and was for Office 2013 Home-Professional Edition. As of 2015.08: 
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-office-professional-plus-2013?i=1

or search Microsoft.com for Technet Evaluation Center or search "trial downloads".

Download either the 32-bit or 64-bit version.
I recommend the 32-bit version, even if 64-bit Windows.

Login using your Microsoft.com account.  Likely, you already have the account and this would be the same account you use to login to your Windows 8 or Windows 10 desktop  (the original account, not the Windows 10 PIN).

Before starting the download, you will have to take a short registration survey.  This is minor.  Follow the on-screen prompts.



3.  Burn the downloaded .IMG file to a DVD

a.  Locate the downloaded .img file.  As of 2015.08 "OfficeProfessionalPlus_x86_en-us.img"

b.  With File Explorer, "other-mouse-click" the .img, chose "burn to disk"


4.  From the new DVD, run Setup.exe.  Chose your installation options


5.  For the Registration Code, use the same Microsoft number used with your original Office installation disk.


Other solutions suggested on the Web will not work:

Especially if you are using a HUP install (from your office), these often suggested ideas will not work....
*  From Add-Remove Programs, choose "Change"  (only offers to Repair)
*  setup.exe /admin   (cannot be used with a non-enterprise disks)
*  Office Customization Tool (OCT) (cannot be used with non-enterprise disks)
*  Editing the Config .xml file  (not available with the Home or HUB install)
*  Copying the CD to a local drive, then running Setup /admin  (fails for reasons above)

Every time Microsoft dumbs-down an install, it is frustrating.  I spent about 4 hours reading and trying options before this one was found.

Your comments welcome.

2015-08-05

Windows 10 problem - Partitions are not in the recommended order

Windows 10/11 installation problem: "The partitions on the disk selected for installation are not in the recommended order.  For additional information about installing to GPT disks...."


Symptoms:
You are doing a fresh install, from a Windows 10/11 ISO image, or are installing Windows to an existing hard disk that had a previously-installed operating system.

You have selected the (largest) available partition to install, likely the same partition Windows 7, or 10 was installed.  Other partitions, such as an ESP partition, are ordered earlier in the list. 






2021.11:  Windows 11 Upgrade
----------------------------------------------------
Author's notes: 
Do not use these steps when upgrading (an in-place upgrade) from Windows 10 to Windows 11. 
Backup all data before doing these steps.



Solution 1
(not recommended, but easy)


A.  During the installation, select the previous Windows 7/8 partition and ignore the error.  Windows will install properly, even with the error.  However, this is not recommended, leaving old partitions and wasting disk space.


Solution 2 (recommended)

Older versions of Windows included a basic partition utility, exposed during the installation steps.  With this utility you could delete partitions and consolidate the disk, as well as other functions.  But with Windows 10/11, Microsoft chose to hide the utility - right at the time you needed it most.

Fortunately, there is an easy, albeit geeky solution.  A hidden DOS utility can delete the disk's partitions during Windows 10/11 Setup. 

Obvious caution:  This will erase all partitions, destroying all data, files and partitions.


1. Start the Windows 10/11 install ("Install Now").

Typically choose "I do not have a product key" (which is the normal choice for all Windows 10 non-Enterprise upgrades/installs).

After accepting the license agreement, choose "Advanced Installation".

2.  At the Windows 10/11 "Setup Partition Screen" (where it shows the C: drive),

Press Shift-F10
This opens a DOS prompt

3.  Type this command:  "diskpart"  (no quotes)

4.  Type "List Disk".

Note which disk is your largest.  This is likely the one where your existing operating system is installed.  For most, DISK 0 is the disk you care about.  


If you have SD card slots, they will also show in the list; ignore them.
DVD drives may appear as "no media" or with a size (4G?); also ignore.

5.  Type "Select Disk=0"  to activate your disk.

6.  Type "List Partition"  (singular, not "partitions")

-- You could compare the following list with the Windows Setup screen and my disk looks like this illustration.  In this case, some of the partitions were from Windows 8. When Windows 10 upgraded, it adds its own new partitions rather than risk damaging the older ones.  The space occupied by these is negligible but would be wasted:



7.  Type "Clean"

One command does it all.  There is no warning. It will run for a few seconds.  
Results: "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk."

8.  Type "List Partition"  (singular)

- expected results: "There are no partitions on this disk to show"

9.  Type "exit", closing DiskPart
10. Type "exit", closing the command window


This returns to the already-in-progress Windows 10 setup, where the old partitions still show.
Continue with these steps:

11.  Click "Refresh"  

-Note:  Drive 0 shows all as "un-allocated space" - all on one partition.

12.  Click "*new",  then "Apply," accepting the recommended disk size. 

(Special note: If you are installing a new SSD drive *and* are cloning an existing Windows disk, look at this article, which recommends holding back 10% of the disk partition for an Over Provision partition.  See this keyliner article:  Crucial 500GB MX300 Enable Over Provision Partition.  If you are re-installing Windows from scratch, continue with this article.)

13.  At the prompt, "To ensure Windows features work correctly, Windows might create additional partitions."  Click OK

Continue with your Windows install


Benefits of the recommended solution

By cleaning the drive, all partitions are cleared, freeing the space.  Vendor recovery images that will never be used, prior versions of Windows utility partitions (now obsolete), and other vendor utilities are all combined into the main drive.  The gained disk space results in a simpler partition table with less overhead.  As Windows installs, it will build its own partitions, and these will be in the recommended order for all eternity.

Drawback to the recommended solution

Most PC's come with a hidden partition containing an emergency recovery image, which can restore the PC to a factory image.  The steps above destroy that partition.  My experience is these partitions seldom work, or you need to spin them to a DVD before using.  Few bothered. 

In Windows 10 and 11, recovery disks are not useful.  Instead, download Microsoft's Windows installation ISO (The Windows "Media Creation Tool" - you are probably running that install right now).  The rebuild will work because the PC has already registered with Microsoft and it will automatically recover and re-license itself.  

Once rebuilt, return to your motherboard vendor's support page (Dell, Lenovo, Asus, etc.) and download the most current drivers.  This is better than an already obsolete recovery partition.  In other words, you no longer need HP's or Dell's recovery disk.

-end

During your original Windows Install, before attempting these steps:  If you get a 0x000000 error, it means you trashed your UEFI disk-encryption. 

To recover, I went into the motherboards BIOS.  In the BIOS, use a menu/feature to wipe the drive and start over.  Not all BIOSs have this ability.  

On a second machine, I had the chance to play with this again.  This time I let Windows do an "in-place" upgrade -- which is not a clean install.  Once Windows 11 installed, I then used "Reset this PC" to do a fresh re-install.  This preserved the UEFI, but meant installing Windows 11 twice, once for the in-place upgrade and a second for the clean-install.  This extra step only took a few extra minutes. 

During the second install, and as expected, I was prompted:  "A configuration change was requested to clear this computer's TPM.  This was expected.  Press F12 to clear the TPM and continue.

Finally, I am sure the steps in this article would work with a Windows 11 re-install (once Win 11 is properly installed at least one-time).


Related Articles:
keyliner:   Crucial 500GB MX300 Enable Over Provision Partition
keyliner: Erasing all partitions after a Clone and Formatting
keyliner: Best Virus scanner

Related links:
Microsoft.com Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/



Windows 10: Unsupported video configuration detected

Windows 10 error - Unsupported video configuration detected.  Action is required.  This computer has an add-in graphics card, but the monitor cable is plugged into the integrated video connector...

Issue:
You connected the monitor to the onboard video port, bypassing a third-party video card (e.g. NVidia, etc.), and began the Windows 10 install.  You did this in order to see the BIOS setup screens to change the boot order.  See Keyliner article:  Black or Hung BIOS Setup Screen XPS 8700

Solution:
1.  Power off the computer, as instructed on the error

2.  Chose one of these options or the other:

a.  Physically remove the third-party video card and keep the Display Port or Onboard Video
b.  Or disconnect the onboard video cable and only use the third-party video card

Middle of a Windows 10 Install?

If you were in the middle of a Windows 10 installation, boot the computer.  At the "Press any key to boot from CD" -- do nothing... wait.  Allow the computer to boot from the hard drive and the Windows install will continue from before the error.

If you allow Windows 10 to finish the install using the onboard video, wait for a finished desktop to appear.  Then, power-down the computer and re-install the third-party video.  Detatch the onboard video cable.  Reboot.  Then install the (NVidia or third-party video drivers).  If found this to be difficult and frustrating process.  Unfortunately, I did not record the exact steps.


Black or hung BIOS Setup Menu on Dell XPS 8700

How To article: Entering BIOS Setup on a Dell XPS 8700, and other Dell models.
Screen black when booting, cannot find the BIOS setup menu
F2 / F12 BIOS setup menu not visible when booting
PC Hangs if F2 pressed

You are likely trying to change the BIOS boot order, moving the CD/DVD (ODD) or USB to the first boot position.

Symptoms:
Pressing F2 to enter BIOS setup does not appear to work
Pressing F12 to enter the Boot Order menu does not appear to work
Computer seems to hang after F2 is pressed; no screen activity
You have a DVI-attatched monitor, connected to a third-party video card (NVidia, and possibly other brands)

Issue:
I believe the monitor enters into a power-save mode and does not display video signals, or the monitor does not respond to the hardware / bios splash screens.  This appears to be a bug in the hardware and is because of a third-party video card (NVidia?).

Solution:
I could not find a good solution for this problem, but did find a workaround.
Physically remove the third party video card.  Use the motherboard's onboard Video instead.  With the XPS 8700, this means using the Display Port video port. Hopefully, you have a Display Port-capable monitor...

If you have a DVI port built into the system, continue with that setup, just be sure you are using the on-board port.

Steps:

1.  Open the PC and remove the external third-party video card.   (Don't forget the video card has a plastic catch at the end of the card slot, which must be released to remove the card.)

2.  Plug a Display Port cable (looks similar to an HDMI cable, but different) into the computer and monitor.  Or, if you have DVI/VGA, plug the monitor into the system's built-in port.

3.  Cold-boot the computer, pressing F2 at the hardware banner screen.  This will get you into the BIOS setup screens.


After making your BIOS changes, return the video card to the system, and disconnect the Display Port cable.  If you continue installing or booting into Windows 10, you will get this message if both the Onboard and third-party video ports are active at the same time:

Windows 10 error - Unsupported video configuration detected.  Action is required.  This computer has an add-in graphics card, but the monitor cable is plugged into the integrated video connector...