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Office Plugin Installation Manual via Group Policy Objects

Introduction

How to install Zivver Office Plugin via Group Policy Objects (GPO) for Microsoft Windows.

Minimal technical requirements

System requirements

  • Microsoft Windows 7 Extended Security Updates or higher.
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 or higher.
  • Microsoft Outlook 2016 or higher.
  • Memory utilization: +/- 150 MB in total per Outlook session.

Product specific requirements

  • HTTPS connection, port 443, TLS v1.2 or higher with https://*.zivver.com.
  • Outlook in Cached Mode(1).
  • A Microsoft supported scenario when using different versions of Office, Project, and Visio on the same computer.

(1) Zivver follows the recommended practice of Microsoft and Citrix for optimal performance with Outlook in Cached Mode. Performance issues related to Online Mode will be investigated on a best-effort basis.

GPO specific requirements

  • Administrator rights in Microsoft Active Directory (AD) to create and deploy new GPOs, for example Domain Administrator.
    Note
    If you are a member of the Group Policy Creator Owners group, you can create and edit GPOs, but you cannot assign them to AD groups or users.
  • Access to a domain controller (DC), for example via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or the Remote Server Administration Tools.
  • Optional - Access to these:
  • Recommended: Access to a DC’s SYSVOL folder to install the ADM files in the domain’s GPO Central Store, so that they are replicated across the entire domain, and can be managed from other domain servers.
  • Alternatively: If you do not use the Central Store, the ADM files can be installed locally on a DC. The downside to this option is that the ADM files will not be available automatically on other domain servers, and can only be managed on this server.

Latest MSI installer download link

Installation

This chapter of the manual describes how to install the Office plugin via GPO.\

Make sure that you also implement the additional required settings, in addition to installing the plugin, as described in the chapter Recommended Office plugin settings.\

Share the plugin

To deploy the Office plugin via GPO, it must be available to users on the network. Do these steps to create a distribution point on the server.

  1. Log in on a domain server as administrator.
  2. Create a new shared network folder, or select an existing one.
  3. Put the Office plugin installer package in this folder.
    Latest MSI installer download link
  4. Make sure that users can access the package, and change the permissions on the shared folder if necessary.
    The plugin is now available for installation across the domain.

Create a GPO

Do the steps below to create a new GPO to install the plugin. If you want to use an existing GPO, then skip this section and proceed to deploy the plugin.

  1. Log in on the DC as administrator.\
  2. Open Group Policy Management, for example with the run command GPMC.MSC.\
  3. Expand the folder for the domain you want to apply the GPO to.
  4. Right-click Group Policy Objects.
  5. Click New to create a new GPO.
  6. Enter a name for the GPO.
    For example Zivver Office Plugin.
  7. Leave Source Starter GPO as (none).
  8. Click OK to confirm and create the new GPO.
    Proceed to deploy the plugin.

Deploy the plugin

This section explains how to configure the new GPO to deploy the Office plugin. There are two different methods to deploy the plugin via GPO:

  • Recommended - Assign the plugin: The plugin will be deployed on a system level (For-all-users installation) or a user level (Just-for-me installation). The plugin will be installed automatically when the system starts or when the user logs in.
  • Publish the plugin: The plugin will be deployed on a user level. Users will be able to install the plugin manually from the Add and remove programs pane in Control panel. A package can not be published on a system level.

Assign the plugin

  1. Right-click the GPO from the section create a GPO.
  2. Click the option Edit to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
  3. Choose to deploy the plugin on a user level or a system level:
    • User: Select User configuration.
    • System: Select Computer configuration.
  4. Expand the folder Policies.
  5. Expand the folder Software Settings.
  6. Right-click Software installation.
  7. Select New > Package…
  8. Select the package in the shared network folder from the section share the plugin.
  9. Click Open to confirm the selected installer package.
  10. Select Assigned as the deployment method.
  11. Click OK to confirm.
  12. Wait a moment for the package to appear in the Software installation pane.
  13. Right-click the package, and choose Properties.
  14. Go to the Deployment tab.
  15. If you assigned the package on a user level, then Do these steps (not available for computer level):
    1. Activate the option Install this application at logon Under Deployment options.
    2. Select Basic under Installation user interface options.
    3. Optional - If you want to hide the plugin from the Add and remove programs pane in Control panel, then select the option Do not display this application in the Add/Remove Programs control panel under Deployment options.
  16. Optional - If you want the plugin to be automatically uninstalled when the user or system is no longer linked to this GPO, select the option Uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management under Deployment options.
  17. Click OK to confirm and close the Properties window.
  18. Close the Group Policy Management Editor. The GPO is now configured to assign the plugin. Proceed to link the GPO to assign the GPO to users or computers. Skip section publish the plugin.

Publish the plugin

Do the steps in this section if you chose not to assign the plugin.

  1. Right-click the GPO from the section create a GPO.
  2. Click the option Edit to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
  3. A package can only be published on a user level, so select User configuration.
  4. Expand the folder Policies.
  5. Expand the folder Software Settings.
  6. Right-click Software installation.
  7. Select New > Package….
  8. Select the package in the shared network folder from the section share the plugin.\
  9. Click Open to confirm the selected installer package.
  10. Select Published as the deployment method.
  11. Click OK to confirm.
  12. Wait a moment for the package to appear in the Software installation pane.
  13. Right-click the package, and choose Properties.
  14. Go to the Deployment tab.
  15. Under Deployment options, deactivate the option Auto-install this application by file extension activation, as this setting does not do anything for the Office plugin.
  16. Under Installation user interface options, select Basic.
  17. Optional - If you want the plugin to be automatically uninstalled when the user is no longer linked to this GPO, select the option Uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management under Deployment options.
  18. Click OK to confirm and close the Properties window.
  19. Close the Group Policy Management Editor. The GPO is now configured to publish the plugin. Proceed to link the GPO to assign the GPO to users or computers.\

This section explains how to link the GPO to a domain or to specific Organizational Units (OU), so that the plugin will be deployed to the AD users or computers within that domain or OU.

Note
  • If you assign the plugin on a system level, then verify the GPO is linked to an OU that contains computer objects before continuing. verify this by checking the contents of the linked OU in the AD.
  • If you assign or publish the plugin on a user level, make sure that the GPO is linked to an OU that contains user objects before you continua. Do a contents check of the linked OU in the AD to verify.
  1. Open the Group Policy Management.
  2. Right-click the domain or the OU you want to install the plugin for.
  3. Select Link an Existing GPO….
  4. Select the GPO you created in the previous sections.
  5. Click OK to confirm.

If you chose to assign the plugin, then the Office plugin will be automatically installed depending on installment level:

  • Assigning on system level installs the plugin on system restart.
  • Assigning on user level installs the plugin on user login.

If you chose to publish the plugin, then the plugin will be available for users to install manually from the Add and remove programs pane in Control panel.

Test the installation

This section explains how to test if the Office plugin installation was successful.

  1. Apply the new GPO to the specified domain or OU:
    1. Open Group Policy Management, for example with the run command GPMC.MSC.
    2. Right-click the OU the GPO is linked to.
    3. Select the option Group Policy Update….
    4. The GPO will now be updated for AD objects in this OU.
  2. Verify the installation of the plugin for an AD object that is linked to the GPO:
  • Assigning on system level installs the plugin on system restart.
  • Assigning on user level installs the plugin on user login.
  • Publishing makes the plugin available for users to install from the Add and remove programs pane in Control panel.

This chapter explains how to install and configure the recommended Office plugin settings. The settings are configured in a GPO, and can be deployed to users or systems within an AD domain, or implemented locally on standalone systems (without AD).

You need the following ADMX and ADML files (ADM files in short) to configure the settings in a Group policy.

Install the ADM files

The ADM files can be installed in three ways:

  1. Recommended - Central Store installment
    Installing the ADM files in the Central Store allows you to replicate the Office plugin settings to others servers within the domain.
  2. Local domain server installment
    Installing the ADM files on a local domain server allows you to deploy the Office plugin settings to other servers, but in contrast to the Central Store installment the files are not automatically replicated to other servers.
  3. Standalone system (without AD) installment
    Installing the ADM files on a standalone system allows you to deploy the Office plugin settings on a machine, so that you don’t have to make changes in the registry manually.

Central Store installment

  1. Connect to one of your DC’s with administrator rights.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Access the Central Store in the SYSTOLE share: %LogonServer%\SYSVOL\%UserDnsDomain%\Policies\PolicyDefinitions.
    For example \\Zivver_Server\SYSVOL\Zivver.local\Policies\PolicyDefinitions.
  4. Put the ADMX file in the folder %LogonServer%\SYSVOL\%UserDnsDomain%\Policies\PolicyDefinitions.
  5. Put the ADML file in the folder %LogonServer%\SYSVOL\%UserDnsDomain%\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\en-US.
    The AMD files are now installed in the Central Store and should be available as Zivver Office Plugin Settings under Policies > Administrative Templates in the Group Policy Management Editor.\

Local domain server installment

  1. Log in on a domain server with administrator rights.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Access following folder: %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions.
    For example C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.
  4. Put the ADMX file in the folder %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions.
  5. Put the ADML file in the folder %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions\en-US.
    The AMD files are now installed in the Central Store and should be available as Zivver Office Plugin Settings under Policies > Administrative Templates in the Group Policy Management Editor.\
Note
If your organization is using the GPO Central Store and you installed the ADM files using this method, then the Policy settings will not appear in the Group Policy Management Editor, because the files in the Central Store supersede the local files. Use Central Store installment instead.

Standalone system (without AD) installment

  1. Log in on the system with administrator rights.
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Access following folder: %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions.
    For example, C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.
  4. Put the ADMX file in the folder %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions.
  5. Put the ADML file in the folder %WinDir%\PolicyDefinitions\en-US.
    The AMD files are now installed in the Central Store and should be available as Zivver Office Plugin Settings under Policies > Administrative Templates in the Group Policy Management Editor.

Create a new GPO

This section explains how to deploy the Office plugin settings via GPO. If you are deploying the settings to a standalone computer or if you want to use an already existing GPO, then skip this section and proceed to section configure the settings.

  1. Log in on the DC as administrator.
  2. Open Group Policy Management.
    For example with the run command GPMC.MSC.
  3. Expand the folder for the domain you want to apply the GPO to.
  4. Right-click Group Policy Objects.
  5. Click New to create a new GPO.
  6. Enter a name for the GPO.
    For example Zivver recommended Office plugin settings.\
  7. Leave Source Starter GPO as (none).
  8. Click OK to confirm and create the new GPO.
Tip
Each setting mentioned in this section has a description which can be found in the Group Policy Management Editor.
  1. Right-click the GPO from the section create a new GPO or select an existing GPO.
  2. Click the option Edit to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
    Note
    If you are configuring these settings on a standalone computer, then open Local Group Policy Editor instead by running the command GPEDIT.MSC.
  3. Choose to apply the settings on a user level (recommended).
  4. Expand the folder Policies.
  5. Expand the folder Administrative Templates.
  6. Expand the folder Zivver Office Plugin Settings.
  7. Configure the additional settings.\
    1. Expand the folder Additional Settings
    2. Set Do not show tutorials to new users to Enabled.
    3. Expand the folder Load Behavior.
    4. Select the folder AddinList.
    5. Set Prevent users from disabling the plugin in Outlook to Enabled for your Outlook version.
    6. Select the folder DoNotDisableAddinList.
    7. Set Prevent Outlook from disabling the plugin to Enabled for your Outlook version.
    8. Expand the folder Single Sign-On.\
    9. Set Automatically add existing SSO accounts in the plugin to Enabled.
    10. Set Automatically log in users via SSO to Enabled.
    11. Set Extend active SSO session duration to Enabled and change the Session duration in hours to 720.
      A session duration of 720 hours will keep your users logged in to Zivver on a shared workspace for about 1 month. This setting only affects logins of the Office plugin, it does not affect session duration of other clients.
  8. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
    The GPO with the recommended Office plugin settings is now ready to be assigned.

If you only configured the settings on a standalone system, then skip the next section assign the GPO because your settings are applied locally.

Assign the GPO

This section explains how to deploy the GPO to a domain or to a specific OU, so that the settings will be deployed to the AD users or computers within that domain or OU.

Note
  • If you assign the plugin on a system level, then verify the GPO is linked to an OU that contains computer objects before continuing. Verify this by checking the contents of the linked OU in the AD.
  • If you assign or publish the plugin on a user level, then verify the GPO is linked to an OU that contains user objects before continuing. Verify this by checking the contents of the linked OU in the AD.
  1. Open the Group Policy Management.
  2. Right-click the domain or the OU you want to apply the settings to.
  3. Select Link an Existing GPO….
  4. Select the GPO you created at create a new GPO.
  5. Click OK to confirm.
    The settings will now be applied to the linked AD objects when the systems restart.

This section explains how to test if the Office plugin settings are successfully deployed.

  1. Apply the new GPO to the specified domain or OU:
    1. Open Group Policy Management, for example with the run command GPMC.MSC.
    2. Right-click the OU the GPO is linked to.
    3. Select the option Group Policy Update….
    4. The GPO will now be updated for AD objects in this OU.
  2. The recommended Office plugin settings were applied successfully when you verify the following:

  • The Zivver tab shows in the top ribbon in Outlook.
    \

  • The user can’t disable the Office plugin at File > Options > Addins > Manage: COM-addins > Go….

Update the plugin

This chapter explains how to update the Office plugin.

Note
If you chose to publish the plugin, users will need to install the update manually from Add and remove programs in the Control panel.
  1. Open Group Policy Management, for example with the run command GPMC.MSC.
  2. Under Group Policy Objects, right-click the GPO for the Office plugin.
  3. Select the option Edit… to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
  4. Select either Computer Configuration or User Configuration, depending on your deployment preference.
  5. Go to Policies > Software Settings > Software Installation.
  6. Right-click Software Installation.
  7. Select the option New > Package….
  8. Select the new version of the plugin.
    Latest MSI installer download link
  9. As the Deployment method, choose Published or Assigned, depending on your selection during the chapter Deploy the plugin.
  10. Click OK to confirm the deployment method.
  11. Right-click the new version of the plugin installer package.
  12. Select the option Properties.
  13. Go to the Upgrades tab.
  14. Click Add….
  15. Select Current Group Policy Object (GPO).
  16. Under Package to upgrade, select the old version of the plugin.
  17. Select the option Package can upgrade over the existing package.
  18. Click OK to confirm and close the Upgrade package window.
  19. Click OK to close the plugin properties window.
  20. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
  21. Close Group Policy Management.
    The new version of the Office plugin will now be installed over the existing version.

Uninstall the plugin

This chapter describes how to uninstall the Office plugin and the recommended Office plugin settings.

  1. Open Group Policy Management, for example with the run command GPMC.MSC.
  2. Under Group Policy Objects, right-click the GPO for the Office plugin.
    Note
    If you only want to uninstall the plugin for a selection of the systems/users, then create a new (separate) GPO.
  3. Select the option Edit… to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
  4. Select either Computer Configuration or User Configuration, depending on your deployment preference.
  5. Go to Policies > Software Settings > Software Installation.
  6. Right-click Software Installation.
  7. Select the option Properties.
  8. Go to the tab Advanced.
  9. Activate the option Uninstall the applications when they fall out of the scope of management.
  10. Click OK to confirm.
  11. In the right pane, right-click the plugin package.
  12. Click All Tasks > Remove….
  13. Select the option Immediately uninstall the software from users and computers.
  14. Click OK to confirm.
  15. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
  16. Close Group Policy Management.
  17. Optional - If you created a new GPO for the uninstallation (step 2), then make sure to link this policy to the preferred users or computers. Additionally, unlink the existing GPO for installation of the plugin from the same users or computers, or these will conflict. That means, undo each other every restart).
    The plugin will be uninstalled when the computers are restarted.
  1. Open Group Policy Management.
    For example by running the command GPMC.MSC.
    Note
    If you are configuring these settings on a standalone computer, then open Local Group Policy Editor instead by running the command GPEDIT.MSC and continue from step 4.
  2. Under Group Policy Objects, right-click the GPO for additional settings.\
  3. Select the option Edit… to open the Group Policy Management Editor.\
  4. Select either Computer Configuration or User Configuration, depending on whether you applied the settings on a system or user level.\
  5. Expand the folder Policies.\
  6. Expand the folder Administrative Templates.\
  7. Expand the folder Zivver Office Plugin Settings.\
  8. Change all the settings back to Disabled.
  9. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
    Note
    If you only configured the settings on a standalone computer, then close the Local Group Policy Editor and skip the remaining steps.
  10. Right-click the OU the GPO is linked to.
  11. Select the option Group Policy Update… to update the new GPO for all AD objects in the OU.
    The settings will now be undone for all systems and users they were applied to.

Updated on 2025-02-28