Determining update source for Microsoft Office 365 applications
Determining update source for Microsoft Office 365 applicationsOn macOS, Microsoft has 2025-3-6 21:10:9 Author: derflounder.wordpress.com(查看原文) 阅读量:15 收藏

Determining update source for Microsoft Office 365 applications

On macOS, Microsoft has made its Office 365 applications available via three different channels:

  • Directly from Microsoft (available for folks via office.com and other Microsoft resources.)
  • Apple’s Mac App Store (available for folks using their personal Apple Accounts)
  • Apple’s Volume Purchase program (available via Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager)

In turn, this means updates for these apps may be coming from a variety of sources:

  • Microsoft AutoUpdate: For Office 365 applications installed using Microsoft’s installers obtained from office.com or other Microsoft resources.
  • Apple’s Mac App Store: For Office 365 applications installed via the Mac App Store by someone using their personal Apple Account.
  • An organization’s MDM service: For Office 365 applications installed by that MDM using Volume Purchase licensing.

Depending on how tightly an organization controls the ability of its users to install applications, it’s possible to have a scenario like this:

  • Microsoft Excel: Installed using an installer from Microsoft’s office.com site.
  • Microsoft Outlook: Installed using a personal Apple Account from the Mac App Store.
  • Microsoft Word: Installed by the organization’s MDM using a Volume Purchase license.

This can lead to challenges with keeping the apps updated, since there are three different update mechanisms for the three separate apps.

  • Microsoft Excel: Updates coming via Microsoft’s AutoUpdate application.
  • Microsoft Outlook: Updates coming via the Mac App Store.
  • Microsoft Word: Updates coming via commands sent by the organization’s MDM service to the managed device which tell the managed device to connect back to Apple and get the latest update.

To help with figuring this out, it’s possible to query the application’s metadata using the mdls command line tool to see if the app has an associated App Store receipt. If it does, it’s possible to further figure out if the App Store receipt in question is for a Volume Purchase program (VPP) license or for a Mac App Store (MAS) license.

To check, you can run the following command and examine the output you get back:


/usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType /path/to/application_name_goes_here.app | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d '"'

For example, here’s the output you should see for Microsoft Outlook.app installed using an installer from office.com or other Microsoft resources:


username@computername ~ % /usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType "/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app" | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d '"'
(null)
username@computername ~ %

Note: The (null) result is because the app does not have an associated App Store receipt.

Here’s the output you should see for Microsoft Outlook.app installed via the Mac App Store by someone using their personal Apple Account:


username@computername ~ % /usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType "/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app" | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d '"'
Production
username@computername ~ %

Here’s the output you should see for Microsoft Outlook.app installed by an organization’s MDM using a Volume Purchase license:


username@computername ~ % /usr/bin/mdls -name kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType "/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app" | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d '"'
ProductionVPP
username@computername ~ %

For more information, please see below the jump.

Using this method, I’ve written several Jamf Pro Extension Attributes for the following Office 365 applications to assist with figuring out which tool should be updating a particular Microsoft Office 365 application:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft OneDrive
  • Microsoft OneNote
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows App
  • Microsoft Word

All of the Extension Attributes should return output like that shown below:

If the app was installed using the Mac App Store with a person’s Apple Account, the Extension Attribute will return the following result:

MAS

If the app was licensed using the Volume Purchase program and installed by an MDM, the Extension Attribute will return the following result:

VPP

If the app was not installed via either the Mac App Store or the Volume Purchase program, the Extension Attribute will return the following result:

MAU

In all other cases, including where the app in question is not installed, the EA will return the following result:

NA

The Extension Attributes are available from GitHub via the following links:


文章来源: https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2025/03/06/determining-update-source-for-microsoft-office-365-applications/
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