How to Install Microsoft Open License Products on a Server using the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center

With Office 2019, Microsoft has changed how Volume Licensing customers can download and install all Office suites and individual applications, including Visio and Project. Unlike previous editions of Office obtained through Volume Licensing, Office 2019 products can't be downloaded directly through the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).

If you've already requested an Office 2019 product through DirectDeals and received an email from the VLSC notifying you that your license agreement is ready to be accepted, you can use these instructions to obtain your product. 

Windows Download and Installation Instructions for Office 2019

Beginning with Office 2019, all Office products for Windows available through Volume Licensing use Click-to-Run technology instead of the traditional Windows Installer technology. To deploy volume licensed versions of Office 2019 products for users in your organization, you'll use the Office Deployment Tool (ODT).

You'll need a broadband Internet connection with download speeds of at least 20 Mbps to download Office 2019 products. Note that Office 2019 products require Windows 10 and will not run on older versions of Windows.

Step One: Register at the VLSC and Accept Your Software Agreement

If you haven't already, register at the VLSC and accept your software license agreement for the Office 2019 products, you requested by completing only steps one and two in our VLSC quick-start guide.

Step Two: Get Your Office 2019 Product Key from the VLSC

1. Sign in to the VLSC.
2. Select the Downloads and Keys tab.
3. Find your Office 2019 product in the list and click its Key link.
4. In the table beneath the product's name, find your product key in the column labeled Key. The Type column for this key should say MAK, not KMS.  NOTE:  Office suites have separate setup keys for online functionality like web apps. These keys are not the same as the MAK product keys and cannot be used for volume activation of desktop products. VLSC.
5. Copy the product's individual key from this table and paste it into a program like Notepad or click Export all keys: CSV just above the list of products to download a list of keys comma-separated-values format (which can be opened with Excel). This list contains all Volume License keys associated with agreements in your VLSC profile.

Step Three: Download the Office Deployment Tool (ODT)

1. Download the Office Deployment Tool from Microsoft.
2. When the download is finished, open it, check the box to accept the Microsoft license terms, and click Continue.
3. You will be asked to choose a folder to store the extracted setup files. Navigate to the root level of your computer's hard drive (C:) and click Make New Folder. Then, name the folder "OfficeSetup" and continue with the extraction process. Note that these instructions won't work if you choose a different folder name or location.
4. When you are finished, your new "OfficeSetup" folder should have a file named "setup" and some sample "configuration" files. Delete the configuration files. You only need to keep the setup file.

Step Four: Download and Prepare the Configuration File

Using Microsoft's Office Customization Tool, create the configuration file that you need, save the file to the "OfficeSetup" folder you created, and follow the instructions below to add the product key that you obtained from the VLSC in step two to the configuration file.

1. Right-click the configuration file and select Edit to open the file in Notepad.
2. Look for the following string of text in the configuration file:
   PIDKEY="#####-#####-#####-#####-#####"
   
3. In this string, replace #####-#####-#####-#####-##### with your MAK client activation key by copying and pasting the key from wherever you saved it. You should leave the quotation marks before and after the key.
4. Please save the file and close it.
5. Then, right-click the configuration file, select Rename, and change the filename to be "configuration."  Note:  If the configuration file you downloaded has a name that ends with ".xml," that means your Windows installation has been set to display file extensions. If this is the case, make sure to keep ".xml" in your filename by renaming it as "configuration.xml" instead of "configuration."  The use of Microsoft's Office Customization Tool to create your own configuration files may require the knowledge of advanced IT understanding and experience.

Step Five: Download and Install Your Product

Note:  All earlier versions of Office will be uninstalled when you install Office 2019 products, so be sure to save and quit any running office applications.

1. Navigate to your "OfficeSetup" folder in File Explorer.
2. You'll need to perform the next steps using the Command Prompt, a text-based command-line interface that runs within Windows.
   1. To open the Command Prompt and click the address bar in the File Explorer window that you opened.
   2. With the address bar selected, type cmd and press Enter.
   3. Type the following into the Command Prompt that you opened.
      setup/download configuration.xml.  Note: It will look as if nothing is happening, but your product will be downloading in the background. The download will be a large file and might take a while to finish. Once the download is complete, you will be returned to the Command Prompt.
   4. When the download has finished, you're ready to install the product. Type the following into the Command Prompt.  setup/configure configuration.xml.  Note: If you see an error that says you still have previous Office versions installed on your computer, you'll need to uninstall those programs and type the above command again manually.
   5. When your installation is complete, you'll be returned to the Command Prompt. Close the Command Prompt and return to the desktop. Your Office 2019 product will be installed and ready to use.
      If you need to install a different Office product, delete the "configuration.xml" file from the "OfficeSetup" folder and follow these instructions again, beginning at Step Four: Download and Prepare the Configuration File.
   6. If you need to customize your installation or need more detailed instructions, you can refer to Microsoft's Office 2019 deployment guide for IT professionals.

DirectDeals was established in 1999 to make available the licenses of the latest software to the users. It helps in incorporating the most effective IT solutions in your organization to transform your business processes. Right from its establishment, the one prime objective of Direct Deals has been to liquidate excess electronic inventories. Presently, the company has more than 5 million contented clients who trust and appreciate its transparency in business transactions and processes.