Datto Script – How To Record Microsoft Office Bit Version to UDF

As businesses have continued to upgrade their hardware, 32-bit operating systems are increasingly rare to find in workplaces. However, some end users, and technicians still run 32-bit Office applications on Windows 64-bit systems. When this happens, you will often find that certain applications, especially Outlook, can start to struggle. 

In this article, we show you how to use a script to return data about the bit version that all of your endpoints’ Office applications are currently running. This code should be compatible with any Datto UDF of your choice. 

Many of your clients may be suffering in silence, running 32-bit Office versions when they could upgrade to more modern 64-bit versions of the same software. If they are running a 32-bit software on a 64-bit machine, they do not have access to the full capabilities of their machine. For example, if one of your clients is using a 32-bit version of Office, it can only access up to 2GB of memory, even if the client’s hardware has more than that available. This could be slowing your clients down, leading to them being less efficient.

The Code

$CustomUDF=$env:CustomUDF<br>
$ErrorActionPreference= 'silentlycontinue'<br>
$bitness = Get-Itemproperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\Configuration\" -Name Platform
[int]$env:usrUDF = '10'<br>
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CentraStage" -Name Custom$env:usrUDF -Value $bitness.platform -Force | Out-Null

What Happens When You Run This Code?

This component can be run on multiple machines at a click of a few buttons. After, you can create a filter to show you all the endpoints which are running 32-bit software that you need to upgrade. You can upgrade these endpoints’ software simply by uninstalling the old 32-bit version and installing the new 64-bit version. Remember to exclude actual 32-bit operating systems from your filter as for this task you only need to check for 64-bit systems running 32-bit software.

Why Is This Code Useful?

After following these steps, you will have an accurate and up to date log of every Office application running on your organisation’s endpoints and will know whether each one is a 32 or 64-bit version. From there, you can speak with your clients about upgrading their 32-bit software to 64-bit. This can improve your clients’ efficiency as well as serve as an opportunity to upsell new software to your clients. 

Does Your MSP Need Expert Help?

If you found this beneficial and would like assistance with other aspects on your MSP, then feel free to contact us. Our mentors are here to help and are always happy to discuss your current challenges and how our team might help you overcome them. Speak to our team today.