How to disable Updates within Office but still update through SCCM

Article
2017-12-28

Question

_{Thursday, December 28, 2017 8:54 PM}

We're managing our Office 365 ProPlus client updates with the newer SCCM Office Client Updates feature (we're on SCCM 1706), and want to disable users' ability to update Office themselves through any Office program's File -> Office Account section. We found these settings in the admx to accomplish this:

HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate!enableautomaticupdates

HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate!hideenabledisableupdates

However, after applying that to GPO in a test AD OU, it indeed disables the Update feature within Office, but also breaks updating through SCCM. Both Office Client Update 16.0.8201.2209 & 16.0.8201.2213 fail in Software Center before even downloading with error 0x8000000e when those GPOs are applied. This was the case for several weeks. As soon as I removed the machine from that OU and rebooted, Office Client Update through SCCM installed fine.

So, is there a way to disable updating within Office, but maintain the ability to use the SCCM Office Client Updates? I imagine this would be a common way business environments would want to handle updates to ensure they have complete control.

All replies (8)

_{Friday, April 13, 2018 2:08 PM ✅Answered}

It appears as though this issue is fixed in Office version 8730.2122:

Monthly Channel

December 6, 2017 Version 1711 (Build 8730.2122)

Office suite: Non-security updates

This channel release contains the following non-security updates:

The Update Now option is hidden from File > Account > Update Options when an Office COM object is enabled so that Office 365 client updates are managed by System Center Configuration Manager.

_{Friday, December 29, 2017 8:46 AM}

Hi Euphoric,

Generally, if you want to manage Office 365 ProPlus updates with SCCM, an Office COM object needs to be enabled on the computer where Office is installed.

In your scenario, we can enable the Office COM object by using the following Group Policy:

HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate
Value Name: officemgmtcom
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 1

Then restart the Office Click-to-run service. Check if the updates can be managed with SCCM now.

Regards,

Winnie Liang

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_{Friday, December 29, 2017 4:20 PM}

We do have the COM object enabled, and SCCM Office Client Updates are working fine when we don’t use the above GPOs to disable updates within Office. It’s only when we use those GPO settings that the SCCM Office updates don’t work

_{Wednesday, January 3, 2018 10:05 AM}

We do have the COM object enabled, and SCCM Office Client Updates are working fine when we don’t use the above GPOs to disable updates within Office. It’s only when we use those GPO settings that the SCCM Office updates don’t work

Hi Euphoric,

Sorry for my delay. How about the issue currently?

Generally, the officeupdate!enableautomaticupdates policy setting controls whether the Office automatic updates are enabled or disabled for all Office products installed via Click-to-Run. If it is enabled, the Office client will check for updates and detect the update from update path your configured before when you deploy the updates.

If you are using SCCM to totally control the Office updates, we can disable the Office automatic updates setting, then use SCCM to apply updates by installing an updated version of Office 365 ProPlus. This method re-installs Office 365 ProPlus, but only new or changed files are downloaded to the user's computer.

Maybe you can share all Office updates settings in your group policy registry keys here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate

We can help to check which update deploy method you used for your environment.

Regards,

Winnie Liang

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_{Wednesday, January 3, 2018 3:03 PM}

Here is that reg key on a machine configured as it has been, with automatic updates enabled. When we change this setting to disable in GPO, updates in Office indeed disable but updates in SCCM break as well with the above mentioned error.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate]
"officemgmtcom"=dword:00000001
"enableautomaticupdates"=dword:00000001
"updatepath"=""
"updatebranch"="Deferred, Semi-Annual Channel"

Also, here is the configuration.xml we used to deploy Office 365 ProPlus to our machines, enabling the COM object, setting channel, etc in the process:

_{Thursday, January 4, 2018 10:02 AM}

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate]
"officemgmtcom"=dword:00000001
"enableautomaticupdates"=dword:00000001
"updatepath"=""
"updatebranch"="Deferred, Semi-Annual Channel"

Hi Euphoric,

With "enableautomaticupdates"=dword:00000001, it means that the check for update setting is enabled.

In your scenario, please delete/remove the "updatepath" and "updatebranch" registry key in your group policy setting to have a try.

Regards,

Winnie Liang

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they helped.
If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact [email protected].

_{Thursday, January 4, 2018 9:36 PM}

No change. Same behavior persists

_{Friday, April 13, 2018 1:01 PM}

Resurrecting this thread. Is anyone else having this issue and/or know a resolution?

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How to disable Updates within Office but still update through SCCM

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