• Article

Determine when to install Outlook 2010

 

Applies to: Office 2010

Topic Last Modified: 2011-09-10

Banner stating end of support date for Office 2010 with link to more info

You can install Microsoft Outlook 2010 before, during, or after an installation of other applications in Microsoft Office 2010. You can also deploy Outlook 2010 to different groups of users at different times.

Note that installing Outlook 2010 without Microsoft Word 2010 limits Outlook 2010 functionality in the following ways: 1) The Outlook 2010 e-mail editor has fewer features, and 2) Internet Fax functionality is not available.

This article describes the requirements, advantages, and disadvantages of each installation strategy.

In this article:

  • Installing Outlook with Office

  • Installing Outlook before Office

  • Installing Outlook after Office

  • Staging an Outlook deployment

Installing Outlook with Office

You can install Outlook 2010 as part of an overall upgrade to Office 2010. Outlook 2010 is included in most editions of the Microsoft Office system.

Install Outlook 2010 with Office 2010 to eliminate the additional steps that you must follow to create separate application deployments.

Installing Outlook before Office

You might install Outlook 2010 in the following scenarios before you deploy other applications in Office 2010:

  • To test custom solutions that rely on previous versions of Office applications (such as Microsoft Office Word 2007 or Microsoft Office Excel 2007) before you install the current version.

  • When your messaging support group has the resources to install Outlook 2010 now, but the desktop applications support group must install the rest of Office later. Note that Outlook 2010 cannot coexist with previous versions of Microsoft Outlook. If users or tools require a previous version, do not install Outlook 2010 until your environment can support Outlook 2010 or deploy Outlook 2010 with application virtualization.

To install Outlook 2010 before you install Office 2010, do the following:

  1. Customize Office Setup to install only Outlook 2010 from a network installation point.

  2. Use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to create or update a Setup customization file that installs Office 2010 from the same network installation point.

For details about how to install Office 2010 applications in stages, see Stage deployment of applications in the 2007 Office system (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=162650).

Advantages of installing Outlook before Office

If you deploy Outlook 2010 quickly, users can start to use new features without waiting for testing or technical support to become available for a complete upgrade.

Disadvantages of installing Outlook before Office

Installing Outlook 2010 before you install the rest of Office 2010 has several disadvantages:

  • When you deploy the other Office 2010 applications later, you must customize the installation process to preserve your original Outlook 2010 settings.

  • The Outlook 2010 editor has reduced functionality unless Word 2010 is also installed. For more information, see Using Outlook 2010 with or without Word 2010 installed (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=195840).

  • Attachment Preview in Outlook 2010 does not work for Microsoft Office 2007 file types or earlier.

  • When you use the same network installation point for Outlook 2010 and Office 2010, you must take additional steps to modify the installation options.

Installing Outlook after Office

You can wait to install Outlook 2010 until after you have installed the Office 2010. If any of the following scenarios applies to your organization, you might consider delaying your deployment of Outlook 2010:

  • You plan to coordinate your Outlook 2010 deployment with a future upgrade of Microsoft Exchange Server or a migration to Exchange Online.

  • You want to convert IBM Lotus Notes to a Exchange Server solution before you upgrade to Outlook 2010.

  • The desktop support group has the resources to upgrade to the Office 2010 now, but the messaging support group must wait to deploy Outlook 2010.

To install Outlook 2010 after you install Office 2010, do the following:

  1. Customize Office Setup to install only Office 2010 without Outlook 2010 from a network installation point.

  2. Use the OCT to create or update a Setup customization file that installs Outlook 2010 from the same network installation point.

For details about how to install Office 2010 applications in stages, see Stage deployment of applications in the 2007 Office system (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=162650).

Advantages of installing Outlook after Office

In many organizations, it makes sense to coordinate an Outlook 2010 deployment with an upgrade of an e-mail server, instead of with an upgrade of other desktop applications. For example, if you plan to upgrade to a new version of Exchange Server or migrate to Exchange Online, you might plan an Outlook 2010 upgrade to follow immediately afterward — independently from an upgrade of other Office 2010 applications — to take advantage of features that work together between the e-mail server and client.

Disadvantages of installing Outlook after Office

When you install Office without Outlook 2010, you must use the OCT to customize Setup. This ensures that previous versions of Outlook are not removed from users' computers.

Regardless of when or how you install Outlook 2010 separately from Office 2010, you must perform additional steps to manage customizations to the installation process.

Staging an Outlook deployment

Some groups in an organization might be ready to immediately upgrade to Outlook 2010, but other groups might need more time. The following situations might warrant a staged deployment of Outlook 2010:

  • The usual policy is to stage upgrades to help ensure a smooth rollout of new software throughout the organization.

  • You have remote systems support groups (for example, in regional sales offices) that require autonomy in scheduling upgrades for their areas.

  • Some groups want to wait until after a project deadline before they make changes to their local computers.

  • You have limited resources for staging and upgrading systems throughout an organization.

Advantages of staging a deployment

Staging your Outlook 2010 deployment gives you more flexibility in managing your upgrading resources. In addition, pilot users immediately become familiar with the new features and productivity improvements of Outlook 2010.

In most circumstances, users encounter no significant technical problems when they work with different versions of Outlook. Outlook 2010 users can communicate seamlessly with users of Office Outlook 2007 and Office Outlook 2003. However, if users have delegate access in Outlook, the person who grants Delegate permissions and the delegate have to use the same version of Outlook.

Disadvantages of staging a deployment

You must consider the logistics of scheduling and managing a staged deployment. An organization might require additional resources to support users on different versions of the same product; for example, it might need additional training for Help desk staff.

For details about how to install Office 2010 applications in stages, see Stage deployment of applications in the 2007 Office system (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=162650).