Complete a self-service installation of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise

Completed

Users can run self-service installations by signing in to the Microsoft 365 portal and selecting the software installation option. While this approach doesn't require much administrative setup, it does provide for limited control over the deployment (in contrast with managed deployments). For example, administrators can't control where computer users install Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. However, they can disable all self-service installations of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

In a user-driven deployment:

• Office always streams from the Internet to the computer by using Click-to-Run technology. This method doesn't support local source locations.
• Users require a Microsoft 365 account provisioned for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
• Users must have administrative rights to the local computer.
• Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise installs Microsoft 365 updates automatically in the background from the Internet. You can't change this behavior.

The following screenshot from a Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise installation shows the icons of the client applications being installed. A user-driven deployment doesn't require any installation media.

Obstacles to a successful self-service installation of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise

When planning a Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise user self-deployment, it's important to consider the obstacles that often prevent successful installations. These obstacles typically include:

• Lack of information technology (IT) expertise. Deploying Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise using Microsoft Configuration Manager and the Office Deployment Toolkit involves configuring various settings, such as update channels, licensing, and installation options. Users without IT expertise or familiarity with technology may find it challenging to navigate through these settings and choose the appropriate options for their organization. For this reason, Microsoft recommends that organizations enable user self-deployment using the Microsoft 365 portal. This method requires the least amount of administrative setup, but gives organizations less control over the deployment.
• Bandwidth limitations. Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise can be large in size, often several gigabytes. If users have limited bandwidth, it can take a significant amount of time to download these applications, especially if multiple users within an organization are trying to download them simultaneously. This scenario can result in delays and slow down other critical network activities. Limited bandwidth shared among multiple users can also cause network congestion when numerous users attempt to download Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise concurrently. This congestion can lead to slow download speeds, increased latency, and overall degraded network performance. It may also affect other critical applications and services that rely on the network.
• Users without local admin rights. Click-to-Run deployments require that users must have administrative rights to the local computer. Without local admin rights, users can't install software or make system-level changes, preventing them from completing the installation process. After installation, users may need to apply certain configuration settings and compatibility adjustments to ensure optimal performance and integration with other software or systems. Without local admin rights, users can't modify these settings, potentially leading to compatibility issues or suboptimal performance.

Prohibit all users from installing Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise

Microsoft 365 includes a global Office download setting that controls the downloading of mobile and desktop apps for all users. An organization can turn this setting Off to prohibit users from downloading Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Complete the following steps to turn off this setting:

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, select ...Show all in the navigation pane. Select Settings, and then within the group, select Org Settings.
2. In the Org settings window, the Services tab is displayed by default. Scroll down through the list of services and select Microsoft 365 installation options.
3. In the Microsoft 365 app installation options pane that appears, the Feature updates tab is displayed by default. Select the Installation tab that appears next to it.
4. Under the Apps for Windows and mobile devices section is the Office (includes Skype for Business) check box. This option is the global setting that controls the downloading of mobile and desktop apps for all users. The system selects this setting by default, which enables users to download Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Select this check box to clear it. Clearing this check box turns this feature Off, which prohibits users from downloading Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
5. Select Save.
6. Close the Microsoft 365 app installation options pane.