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How Do I Install Visio with Office Deployment Tool?

Published in Office Deployment Tool Visio Install 5 mins read

To install Visio using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT), you primarily need two things: the ODT itself and a configuration file that specifies exactly what you want to install.

Here's a breakdown of the process:

Understanding the Office Deployment Tool

The Office Deployment Tool (ODT) is a command-line tool that you can use to download and deploy Microsoft 365 Apps, Visio, and Project to your client computers. Using the ODT provides more control over an Office installation compared to simply clicking through the user interface of an installer.

The ODT uses a configuration file, typically named configuration.xml, to define download and installation options. This file tells the ODT which products to install (like Visio), which language to use, and other settings.

Steps to Install Visio Using ODT

The installation process involves downloading the ODT, creating your configuration file, downloading the Visio installation files, and finally running the ODT to perform the installation.

Step 1: Download the Office Deployment Tool

The first step is to get the tool itself. You must download the Office Deployment Tool from the Microsoft Download Center. Search for "Office Deployment Tool" on the Microsoft Download Center website.

  1. Go to the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Search for and download the "Office Deployment Tool".
  3. Run the downloaded executable to extract the ODT files (setup.exe and sample configuration files) to a folder on your computer.

Step 2: Create Your Configuration File (configuration.xml)

This is the crucial step where you define that you want to install Visio. The ODT reads this file to understand your deployment preferences. Create a configuration.xml file to use with the Office Deployment Tool to install the subscription version of Visio.

While you can manually create this XML file in a text editor, we recommend using the Office Customization Tool in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center to create the configuration file. This web-based tool simplifies the process by providing a user-friendly interface to select your desired products (like Visio Professional 2021, Visio Standard 2021, or Visio subscriptions like Visio Plan 2), languages, and installation settings, then generates the XML file for you.

Key Elements in the Configuration File:

  • <Configuration>: The root element.
  • <Add>: Defines the products to download or install.
    • SourcePath: (Optional) Specifies where the installation files are located if you've already downloaded them.
    • OfficeClientEdition: Specifies 32-bit or 64-bit architecture.
    • Channel: Specifies the update channel (e.g., Current, MonthlyEnterprise, SemiAnnualEnterprise).
  • <Product ID="...">: Specifies the product you want to install.
    • Use appropriate IDs like VisioProRetail (for Visio Professional 2021), VisioStdRetail (for Visio Standard 2021), or VisioProPlusRetail (often used for subscription versions like Visio Plan 2).
    • <Language ID="...">: Specifies the installation language (e.g., en-us).

Example configuration.xml for Visio Plan 2 (64-bit, English):

<Configuration>
  <Add OfficeClientEdition="64" Channel="Current">
    <Product ID="VisioProPlusRetail">
      <Language ID="en-us" />
    </Product>
  </Add>
  <!-- Optional: Display level, updates, etc. -->
  <Display Level="None" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
  <Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="TRUE"/>
  <Property Name="SharedComputerLicensing" Value="0"/>
</Configuration>

Save this file (e.g., visio_install.xml) in the same folder where you extracted the ODT files.

Step 3: Download the Visio Installation Files (Optional but Recommended)

It's often best practice to download the installation files once and then use them to install on multiple machines. This step uses the configuration file to download the specified Visio product files.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Navigate to the folder where you saved the ODT files and your configuration.xml.
  3. Run the download command:
    setup.exe /download visio_install.xml

    Replace visio_install.xml with the name of your configuration file. The ODT will download the necessary files into a subfolder named "Office" within your ODT directory.

Step 4: Install Visio

Once you have the configuration file ready (and optionally, the source files downloaded), you can run the install command.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (if not already open).
  2. Navigate to the ODT folder.
  3. Run the configure command:
    setup.exe /configure visio_install.xml

    Again, replace visio_install.xml with your configuration file name.

The ODT will now read the configuration file and proceed with the installation of Visio based on your settings. If you downloaded the files in Step 3, it will use those; otherwise, it will download them during this step.

Summary Table

Step Action Command (Example) Notes
1. Get ODT Download from Microsoft Download Center & extract. N/A Essential tool.
2. Create configuration.xml Define Visio product, language, architecture, etc. Use Office Customization Tool recommended. N/A Tells ODT what and how to install.
3. Download Files (Optional) Use ODT to download installation sources defined in the XML. setup.exe /download visio.xml Creates local installation source.
4. Install Visio Use ODT and the XML file to perform the installation. setup.exe /configure visio.xml Installs Visio onto the machine.

By following these steps, utilizing the ODT and a correctly configured XML file (ideally created with the Office Customization Tool), you can deploy Visio efficiently and with greater control.

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