using WSUS to get an inventory of installed software

Hi there

Is it possible to use WSUS to obtain a list of installed microsoft software?

I need to establish how many clients have XP / 2000 installed and what
version of office they are runnnig

Many thanks in advance

G

"Goldie" <Goldie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6EBE252F-A165-4D58-89AD-E9C8C9226F13@microsoft.com...
> Hi there
>
> Is it possible to use WSUS to obtain a list of installed microsoft
> software?

Not directly, no -- at least not all MS software.


> I need to establish how many clients have XP / 2000 installed

This is trivial. This is done by simply enabling the "Operating System"
column in any Computer View. (I would suggest the All Computers view is
likely the best place given your stated objective. Enable the column, sort
on the column, and count away. You can copy/paste the view (using
Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V) into Excel, where you can use formulas to do value counts; or
you can run a Status Report and export the full report into Excel.

> and what version of office they are runnnig

This *can* be determined from WSUS using some creative administrative
techniques.

1. Build three Custom Update Views: One for Office XP, one for Office 2003,
one for Office 2007.

2. Select "Update are for a specific product" and select each of the three
versions of Office for the respective group name.

3. Select the Custom Update View for Office 2007 and select the Office 2007
Service Pack 2 update. Run a Status Report on the update. Change the option
to filter only NEEDED systems in the report; go to the second page of the
report. This is the list of systems known to be running Office 2007 (because
they want to install Office 2007 SP2). Change the option to filter only
Installed/Not Applicable systems in the report; go the second page of the
report, sort on Status. This is the list of systems known to have Office
2007 SP2 installed -- which means that Office 2007 is installed. (If
desired, these reports can be exported to Excel and the irrelevant rows
removed.

4. Repeat Step #3 for Office 2003 Service Pack 3 and Office XP Service Pack
3.

Note: It's not actually necessary to build the Custom Update View in Step
#1, but it does make finding the Office updates a heck of a lot easier. Step
#3 can be just as easily run directly from the All Updates view.

--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

Hi Lawrence

Thats very helpful thank you!

G

"Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:

> "Goldie" <Goldie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:6EBE252F-A165-4D58-89AD-E9C8C9226F13@microsoft.com...
> > Hi there
> >
> > Is it possible to use WSUS to obtain a list of installed microsoft
> > software?
>
> Not directly, no -- at least not all MS software.
>
>
> > I need to establish how many clients have XP / 2000 installed
>
> This is trivial. This is done by simply enabling the "Operating System"
> column in any Computer View. (I would suggest the All Computers view is
> likely the best place given your stated objective. Enable the column, sort
> on the column, and count away. You can copy/paste the view (using
> Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V) into Excel, where you can use formulas to do value counts; or
> you can run a Status Report and export the full report into Excel.
>
> > and what version of office they are runnnig
>
> This *can* be determined from WSUS using some creative administrative
> techniques.
>
> 1. Build three Custom Update Views: One for Office XP, one for Office 2003,
> one for Office 2007.
>
> 2. Select "Update are for a specific product" and select each of the three
> versions of Office for the respective group name.
>
> 3. Select the Custom Update View for Office 2007 and select the Office 2007
> Service Pack 2 update. Run a Status Report on the update. Change the option
> to filter only NEEDED systems in the report; go to the second page of the
> report. This is the list of systems known to be running Office 2007 (because
> they want to install Office 2007 SP2). Change the option to filter only
> Installed/Not Applicable systems in the report; go the second page of the
> report, sort on Status. This is the list of systems known to have Office
> 2007 SP2 installed -- which means that Office 2007 is installed. (If
> desired, these reports can be exported to Excel and the irrelevant rows
> removed.
>
> 4. Repeat Step #3 for Office 2003 Service Pack 3 and Office XP Service Pack
> 3.
>
> Note: It's not actually necessary to build the Custom Update View in Step
> #1, but it does make finding the Office updates a heck of a lot easier. Step
> #3 can be just as easily run directly from the All Updates view.
>
> --
> Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
> Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
> Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)
>
> MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
> My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin
>

Goldie <Goldie@discussions.microsoft.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying:

"Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:
>> 3. Select the Custom Update View for Office 2007 and select the Office
>> 2007 Service Pack 2 update. Run a Status Report on the update. Change
>> the option to filter only NEEDED systems in the report; go to the
>> second page of the report. This is the list of systems known to be
>> running Office 2007 (because they want to install Office 2007 SP2).
>> Change the option to filter only Installed/Not Applicable systems in
>> the report; go the second page of the report, sort on Status. This is
>> the list of systems known to have Office 2007 SP2 installed -- which
>> means that Office 2007 is installed. (If desired, these reports can be
>> exported to Excel and the irrelevant rows removed.

One slight caveat - The Office2k7 Compatibility Pack also requests O2k7
updates. I dunno about the SP specifically, and suspect not (but
nothing'd surprise me!) - but it's definitely one to bear in mind if
you're wondering why so many machines seem to want O2k7 updates.

"Adrian" <toomany2cvs@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7fn5o5F2lun2rU5@mid.individual.net...
> Goldie <Goldie@discussions.microsoft.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
> like they were saying:
>
> "Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:
>>> 3. Select the Custom Update View for Office 2007 and select the Office
>>> 2007 Service Pack 2 update. Run a Status Report on the update. Change
>>> the option to filter only NEEDED systems in the report; go to the
>>> second page of the report. This is the list of systems known to be
>>> running Office 2007 (because they want to install Office 2007 SP2).
>>> Change the option to filter only Installed/Not Applicable systems in
>>> the report; go the second page of the report, sort on Status. This is
>>> the list of systems known to have Office 2007 SP2 installed -- which
>>> means that Office 2007 is installed. (If desired, these reports can be
>>> exported to Excel and the irrelevant rows removed.
>
> One slight caveat - The Office2k7 Compatibility Pack also requests O2k7
> updates. I dunno about the SP specifically, and suspect not (but
> nothing'd surprise me!) - but it's definitely one to bear in mind if
> you're wondering why so many machines seem to want O2k7 updates.




--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin

"Adrian" <toomany2cvs@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7fn5o5F2lun2rU5@mid.individual.net...
> Goldie <Goldie@discussions.microsoft.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
> like they were saying:
>
> "Lawrence Garvin [MVP]" wrote:
>>> 3. Select the Custom Update View for Office 2007 and select the Office
>>> 2007 Service Pack 2 update. Run a Status Report on the update. Change
>>> the option to filter only NEEDED systems in the report; go to the
>>> second page of the report. This is the list of systems known to be
>>> running Office 2007 (because they want to install Office 2007 SP2).
>>> Change the option to filter only Installed/Not Applicable systems in
>>> the report; go the second page of the report, sort on Status. This is
>>> the list of systems known to have Office 2007 SP2 installed -- which
>>> means that Office 2007 is installed. (If desired, these reports can be
>>> exported to Excel and the irrelevant rows removed.
>
> One slight caveat - The Office2k7 Compatibility Pack also requests O2k7
> updates. I dunno about the SP specifically, and suspect not (but
> nothing'd surprise me!) - but it's definitely one to bear in mind if
> you're wondering why so many machines seem to want O2k7 updates.


The Office Compatiblity Pack does have it's own Service Pack 2 update
package, so the Office 2007 Servce Pack 2 update should not be detected on
an Office 2003 installation with the Office 2007 Compatibility Pack
installed.

--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCITP:EA, MCDBA
Principal/CTO, Onsite Technology Solutions, Houston, Texas
Microsoft MVP - Software Distribution (2005-2009)

MS WSUS Website: http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
My MVP Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pro...awrence.Garvin