Office and FSLogix Apps Rule Editor

This article explains the process to take a VM with Office installed. Offload the Office folder to a network location and use the VM as a template for all other machines in the host pool. By offloading the Office install footprint folder the following benefits are achieved:

• Reduce requirements for C: disk size 
• When snapshot and/or backup is performed those are smaller and from there cheaper to store
• Easier to update images using an automated pipeline 
• One instance of office per host and potentially WVD deployment 

 

 

Prerequisites

 

This covers the prerequisites for the manual process. Later we can automate.

• VM running Windows
• Copy of Office
• FSLogix

 

Install Office

 

RDP in the VM.

Install Office. Installation can be either manually or via an automated process. More information here.

During the installation apply proper licensing.

 

Note: WVD requires Share Computer Activation (SCA).

 

Once the installation is completed close Office.

 

Install FSLogix

Open a browser and navigate to http://aka.ms/fslogix_download.

This will trigger the download of the FSLogix agent.

 

Once the download is complete open the FSLogix zip file and from the x64\Releases install:

              FSLogixAppsSetup.exe

                             Check I agree to the license and terms and conditions

                             Click Install                   

 

              FSLogixAppsRuleEditorSetup.exe

                             Check I agree to the license and terms and conditions

                             Click Install           

Open CMD as administrator run

sc queryex type=service state=all | find /i "ClickToRunSvc"

If service is found use following command to stop it 

net stop ClickToRunSvc

 

Open CMD as administrator run to end Edge

taskkill /F /IM MicrosoftEdge.exe /T

taskkill /F /IM msedge.exe /T

 

Navigate to c:\Program Files\FSLogix\Apps

Create target VHD

frx moveto-vhd -filename <path to network share>\office.vhdx -src "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" -size-mbs 5000

 

Note: the outcome of this operation is the creation of a VHDX with the content of the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office. 

Create rules file

Start the rule editor (C:\Program Files\FSLogix\Apps\RuleEditor.exe).

Create a new Rule Set File by clicking File > New create and saving the ruleset to the local folder (e.g. C:\Users\ssa.GT090617\Documents\FSLogix Rule Sets).

 

 

Select Blank Rule Set and press OK.

Click the + button. This will open the Add Rule dialog.

 

 

This will change the options in the Add Rule dialog.
From the drop-down select App Container (VHD) Rule.

 

 

For folder type C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office.
For Disk file select <path>\office.vhd from the Create target VHD section.
Click OK.

 

 

The .frx and .fxa are always saved in a working folder (e.g. C:\Users\<username>\Documents\FSLogix Rule Sets). Both files need to be moved to the Rules folder C:\Program Files\FSLogix\Apps\Rules become effective. This is by design.

 

Click Apply Rules to System for the rules to take effect.