After a bajillion websites and posts, I finally figured out a pretty good way to deploy this program large scale. It's not ideal, because the MSI can't run directly, but by running the setup as I detail, it installs silently and without user interaction. No registration screens, no updating nags, nada. Just installation.

Much of this process is taken from http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41979 but modified slightly to cover the current version (3.3).

This process uses command line switches to set a number of options. YMMV on what you want to include for your deployments.

Step 1: Get the software

OpenOffice requires Java (I believe it is packaged with 6 update 27). If you want, you can install Java separately but it is required before installing OO. It does not currently work properly with Java 7.

• Link to version 3.3 (with Java): http://sourceforge.net/projects/openofficeorg.mirror/files/stable/3.3.0/OOo_3.3.0_Win_x86_install-wJRE_en-US.exe
• Link to version 3.3 (without Java): http://sourceforge.net/projects/openofficeorg.mirror/files/stable/3.3.0/OOo_3.3.0_Win_x86_install_en-US.exe

Step 2: Extract the install files

Run the downloaded installer and it will ask for a location to save the installation files.

Download the "Disable Registration Wizard" extension here: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/w/images/f/f3/DisableFirstStartWzd_ooo33.oxt

Step 3: Modify the Extension Control Files

This will set the default save format to Microsoft Office compatibility mode.

1. Install OOo3.3 manually on a test workstation.
2. Browse to "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\Basis\share\registry\modules\org\openoffice\Setup" (or on a x64, C:\Program Files (x86))
3. Open "writer.xcu", use Find (Menu Edit > Find) to locate the word "ooSetupFactoryDefaultFilter" (no quotes). Between the following <value> tags, type in "MS Word 97" (no quotes, cAsE sensitive). There are 5 occurrances of this value to replace.
4. Open "calc.xcu", use Find (Menu Edit > Find) to locate the word "ooSetupFactoryDefaultFilter" (no quotes). Between the following <value> tags, type in "MS Excel 97" (no quotes, cAsE sensitive)
5. Open "impress.xcu", use Find (Menu Edit > Find) to locate the word "ooSetupFactoryDefaultFilter" (no quotes). Between the following <value> tags, type in "MS PowerPoint 97" (no quotes, cAsE sensitive)

 Step 4: Create folder structure

From your network installation share, create the following folders:

• Config
• Extension
• OOo

Since I was installing Java separately, I have left out the steps to cover the Java installation step. If you need to install Java with this program, see the post referenced at the top of this post.

In the Config folder, place the 3 modified XCU files from step 3.

1. In the Extensions folder, place the downloaded Disable Registration Wizard file (DisableFirstStartWzd_ooo33.oxt)
2. In the OOo folder, copy the extracted installation files from step 2 (3 folders, 10 files total)

Also in this folder, open notepad and create a file called Setup.cmd. My setup is detailed below with the options that I want for my installation.

@echo off

Title OpenOffice.org Installation

REM Setting variable

Set setupdir=%CD%

Set ooodir="%setupdir%\ooo"

Set extdir="%setupdir%\extension"

Set cnfdir="%setupdir%\config"

if exist "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3" set OOoprog="C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3"

if exist "C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3" set OOoprog="C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3"

Set configdir=%OOoprog%\Basis\share\registry

REM INSTALLING OPENOFFICE.org

Echo Installing OpenOffice

CD %ooodir%

for %%f in (*.exe) do "%%f" /qn SELECT_WORD=0 SELECT_EXCEL=0 SELECT_POWERPOINT=0 ADDLOCAL=ALL REMOVE=gm_Oooimprovement,gm_o_Quickstart,gm_o_Testtool,gm_o_Xsltfiltersamples,gm_o_Javafilter,gm_o_jf_Palm,gm_o_jf_Palm_Aportisdoc,gm_o_jf_Pocketpc,gm_o_jf_Pocketpc_Pocket_Word,gm_o_jf_Pocketpc_Pocket_Excel,gm_o_Activexcontrol,gm_o_Binfilter,gm_o_Onlineupdate,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Fr,gm_r_Extension_Dictionary_Es

cls

REM INSTALLING OPENOFFICE.org EXTENSIONS

Echo Installing OpenOffice Extension

CD %extdir%

for %%f in (*.oxt) do echo yes | %OOoprog%\program\unopkg add -f -s --shared %CD%\%%f

cls

REM COPY MODIFIED XCD FILES  ***  if exist

Echo Copy OpenOffice Configuration files

CD %cnfdir%

for %%f in (*.xcd) do copy /Y %cd%\"%%f" %configdir%

cls

This will run the setup with options to NOT set OOo as the default program to open files with, and removes the Improvement, Quickstart, Testtool, XSL Filters, Java Filters, Palm/PocketPC options, ActiveX options, Bin filters, Online Update, and French and Spanish dictionaries.

After the installation, it will disable the registration wizard, and will copy in the modified XCU files so that the default save method is for MS Office compatibility.

The program MUST be run with administrative privileges or it will fail.

In our environment, we are deploying this with MDT to new machines, and it handles CMD files just fine. You may decide to push this out via a GPO logon script, but in my environment this is only being done with new installations.

 I’ve spent a lot of time researching this so am fairly familiar with the steps involved in this guide. If you have any questions, please ask!