Disable user interface items and shortcut keys

Disabling commands by using control IDs

You must first obtain the control IDs for the 2007 Office system application controls you want to disable with the custom Disable commands policy setting. For information about downloading files that list the control IDs for built-in controls in all applications that use the 2007 Office system Ribbon, see Office System Document: Lists of Control IDs (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=80644) on the Microsoft Download Center.

For information about using Group Policy Object Editor from the Group Policy Management Console Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in, see Using Group Policy Management Console and Group Policy Object Editor in Enforce settings by using Group Policy in the 2007 Office system and Group Policy Management (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=81209) on the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

Disable commands with control IDs

1. In Group Policy Object Editor console with the 2007 Office system Administrative Template files (.adm files) loaded, expand User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and expand the application for which you want to disable commands (for example, double-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007).

2. Click Disable items in User Interface, click Custom, double-click Disable commands, and click Enabled.

3. Click Show, click Add in the Show Contents dialog box, enter the control ID for the command you want to disable in the Add Item dialog box, and click OK.

   For example, to disable the Check for Updates button in Excel (assuming you had previously added this command to the Excel Quick Access Toolbar), you would enter 9340 (the control ID for the CheckForUpdates control).

4. Click OK, and click OK in the Disable commands policy Properties page.

Disabling shortcut keys by using virtual key codes

The Disable shortcut keys policy setting under the Disable items in user interface\Predefined node includes several built-in shortcut keys that are listed by name in the 2007 Office system Administrative Template (ADM) files. For example, you can disable CTRL+K, the shortcut for the Hyperlink command (Insert tab, Links group). For more information, see Disabling predefined user interface items and shortcut keys.

To disable other shortcut keys, you set the Disable shortcut keys policy setting under the Disable items in User Interface\Custom node and add the virtual key code and modifier for the user interface item that you want to disable. Key is the numerical value for a key (such as V) in Windows. Modifier is the value of either a modifier key such as CONTROL, or a combination of modifier keys in Windows.

The following resources provide information about 2007 Office system combination shortcut keys, function keys, and other common shortcut keys, along with descriptions of their functionality. You need the shortcut key information to use the Custom | Disable shortcut keys policy settings.

• Keyboard shortcuts for Access (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104261)

• Excel shortcut and function keys (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104262)

• Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104263)

• Keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint 2007 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104264)

• Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Office Word (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104265)

• Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Office Visio (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=104267)

The following table provides information about keys and modifiers.

The following table lists the values for the function keys used by the system.

Disable shortcut keys (Custom)

1. In Group Policy Object Editor console, expand User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and expand the application for which you want to disable commands (for example, double-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007).

2. Click Disable items in User Interface, click Custom, click Disable shortcut keys, and click Enabled.

3. Click Show, click Add in the Show Contents dialog box, enter the values for the shortcut key you want to disable as key,modifier in the Add Item dialog box, and click OK.

   For example, to disable the shortcut keys ALT+F11 in Excel (which opens the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor, where you can create a macro), enter 122,16 in the Add Item dialog box (where F11 key = 122 and modifier = 16).

4. Click OK, and click OK in the Disable shortcut keys policy Properties page.

Disabling predefined user interface items and shortcut keys

Policy settings are also available to disable predefined user interface items and shortcut keys for the 2007 Office system applications. These predefined policy settings for the 2007 Office system applications are available in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\<application name>, under the Disable items in user interface\Predefined node of Group Policy Object Editor. Policy settings for disabling user interface items are available for the following applications:

• Microsoft Office Access 2007

• Microsoft Office Excel 2007

• Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

• Microsoft Office Word 2007

• Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007

• Microsoft Office Publisher 2007

• Microsoft Office Visio 2007

Administrators can also use policy settings for disabling user interface items for Microsoft Clip Organizer. These policy settings are accessed in the User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2007 system\Microsoft Clip Organizer node of Group Policy Object Editor.

For example, the Predefined\Disable commands policy setting for Microsoft Office Word 2007 provides options to disable the following commands:

• Office Button | Word Options | Customize | All Commands | Save As Web Page

• Office Button | Word Options | Customize | All Commands | Web Page Preview

• Office Button | Send | Mail

• Insert | Links | Hyperlink

• Review | Protect | Protect Document

• View | Macros | Macros

• Developer | Code | Macros

• Developer | Code | Record Macro

• Developer | Code | Macro Security

• Developer | Code | Visual Basic

• Developer Templates | Document Template

• Web | Address

Disable predefined commands

1. In Group Policy Object Editor console, expand User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and expand the application for which you want to disable commands (for example, double-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007).

2. Click Disable items in User Interface, click Predefined, double-click Disable commands, click Enabled, select the commands you want to disable, and then click OK.

The Predefined\Disable shortcuts policy setting for Microsoft Office 2007 Word provides options to disable the following shortcut keys:

• CTRL+F (Home | Editing | Find)

• CTRL+K (Insert | Links | Hyperlink)

• ALT+F8 (Developer | Code | Macros)

• ALT+F11 (Developer | Code | Visual Basic)

Disable predefined shortcut keys

1. In Group Policy Object Editor console, expand User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, and expand the application for which you want to disable commands (for example, double-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007).

2. Click Disable items in User Interface, click Predefined, double-click Disable shortcut keys, click Enabled, select the shortcut keys you want to disable, and then click OK.

Modifying default tooltip text for disabled user interface items and shortcuts

The default tooltip text for disabled 2007 Office system user interface items reads as follows: This command is currently disabled. Your administrator has disabled this command through Group Policy. Press F1 for more help. Administrators can use a Group Policy setting to specify the tooltip text to display for disabled user interface items.

The Tooltip for disabled toolbar buttons and menu items policy setting is available in the User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2007 system\Disable items in user interface node in Group Policy Object Editor.

Download this book

This topic is included in the following downloadable book for easier reading and printing:

• Group Policy overview for Office 2007

See the full list of available books at Office Resource Kit information.

See Also

Concepts

Enforce settings by using Group Policy in the 2007 Office system
Group Policy overview (2007 Office system)