Once you have deployed Microsoft 365 apps to your users, you might need to fine-tune the configuration or deploy policies. You can apply specific Microsoft Office app policies using Intune or Group Policy.
You will see how both solutions are implemented with specific management examples.
Configure policies for Office apps by using Group Policy
With Group Policy, you choose from hundreds of available policies that can be set locally on a Windows device or applied on Windows devices across your whole enterprise using Group Policy with the Microsoft Office administrative templates.
To manage Microsoft Office with Group Policy, you need to install the Administrative Template files for Microsoft Office, which contain the specific GPOs that allow you to configure settings for all supported versions of Microsoft Office, including Microsoft 365 apps.
The Administrative Templates (ADMX/ADML) for Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 are not installed by default, so you first need to download the latest Administrative Template files from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49030. The Administrative Templates files define the available Group Policy settings.
The Group Policy Administrative Template is supported by Windows 8.1 and later and works with the following Office programs:
- Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
- Desktop versions of Project and Visio (subscription plans only).
- Volume licensed versions of Office LTSC 2021, Project 2021, and Visio LTSC 2021 (such as Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021, Project Standard 2021, and Visio LTSC Professional 2021).
- Volume licensed versions of Office 2019, Project 2019, and Visio 2019 (such as Office Standard 2019 and Visio Professional 2019.).
- Volume-licensed versions of Office 2016, Project 2016, and Visio 2016 (such as Office Professional Plus 2016 and Project Standard 2016).
Once you have downloaded the Administrative Templates, you need to extract the files by executing the file as an administrator. The files must be copied to your Central Store for Group Policy Administrative Templates on your domain controller. The Administrative Templates must be placed in the local domain controller store if you only have one domain controller.
It is recommended to copy all the ADMX files so that you have access to all the policies. Add the downloaded ADMX files to your domain controller using the following procedure.
- Copy all the downloaded ADMX files, as shown in Figure 4-13.
FIGURE 4-13 Adding ADMX files
- Copy and paste the ADMX files to your domain controller at C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.
- Allow File Manager to overwrite the files. If prompted, select Yes to All. Overwriting the ADMX files makes the latest Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 Policy settings available.
- Repeat this task for the ADML language files. You can copy all the files or just the language folders you want. For example, you could select only the en-Us language (English – United States) folder, select all the files in the folder, and choose Copy.
- Paste the ADML files to your domain controller at C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.