How can I do a custom installation of Office 2013?     I want to install to a different partition than the system drive.

No matter whether I install from Office 365 or a DVD, it installs automatically without allowing me to change any settings.

Hi,

as far as I'm aware, click-to-run versions of Office don't allow you to choose the installation folder/loc

Hi Don,

Thanks very much for your prompt answer on a Sunday morning.  Since I have tried every way there is to get it to cooperate, I was very much afraid of that.

So as a re-direct is there any such thing as a non-click-to-run version of Office 2013?  Where would I get it? 

It strikes me that Microsoft is more and more taking control of the environment, and not supporting us old-time tinkerers who want to do everything their own way.  Not sure if this is a good thing;  sounds like a good discussion topic for the forums.

Cheers,
David

C2R was the name given to the new packaging method, introduced in the  Office2010 timeframe.
C2R uses Application Virtualisation (App-V) and some other components, to "install" and virtualise the file system and registry components of Office. With Office2010 in this format, Office365 was released.
C2R / App-V, has a number of advantages, especially related to streaming and on-demand scenarios, but it requires periodic internet access, and a decent internet connection.
Later, Office2013 was released in a similar, but "improved" fashion - also known as Office365.
One of the significant differences with Office365, is the subscription-based licensing model, and the subscription management components (which require you to login to a Microsoft account to validate and re-validate) are embedded.

Retail editions of Office2013 (Home & Business, Home & Student, Professional) are also released in C2R format.
(Some Retail, non-subscription editions of Office2010 could be obtained in traditional MSI format.)

Currently, non-subscription editions of Office2013, in MSI format, are only available to Volume Licensing customers.
These are specific editions (e.g. Office2013 Standard, and Office 2013 ProfessionalPlus/ProPlus), and are not available in Retail editions.

So, non-C2R is available, to Volume License customers. Which is fine if you are one, and not so great if you aren't one.

Wow, what a terrifically precise and detailed description.  It fits so well with my Engineer's brain I'm wondering if you're one also! :)

You're clearly an expert, head and shoulders above mere IT Pros and MVPs.  It is so refreshing to find a unique clear-headed and articulate source like yourself.  Have you written any books?  You should.

David Pike
Stratton House Computer Associates
Vancouver

Wow, (etc)

I'm afraid I've spent far too long in the company of engineering types, inevitable really, having worked in this large Australian Telco/IT space for most of it. Not sure that the praise is deserved, but glad that you felt so ;)