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Knowledge base » Steps to disable existing Microsoft Outlook signatures using a Group Policy (GPO)

Steps to disable existing Microsoft Outlook signatures using a Group Policy (GPO)

Scenario:

You have configured the Sigsync email signature for Office 365 for your company. However, some of your team members / users still find Microsoft Outlook old signatures applied. You want to disable their existing Outlook signatures and avoid getting old signatures attached along with the emails.

Resolution:

You can easily remove Outlook signatures from individual users. However, to disable signature for all the users you need to follow the below steps:

Steps to disable Microsoft Outlook signatures using a GPO:

  1. Select 'Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management' to launch the Group Policy Management Console.
  2. The Office Administration Template should be downloaded and extracted according to the Microsoft Outlook version that is being used in your company.

    Note: You need to download an Administration Template for each version of Outlook if your company uses more than one Outlook version. Download link for the Administration Template is given at the bottom of this page.
  3. In the required domain, create a new GPO.
  4. For each Microsoft Outlook version being utilised in your environment, enable the necessary setting(s).:
    Outlook 2013 and 2016

Create a new Group Policy (GPO)

To add a new GPO to the domain:

  1. Choose the appropriate domain, and click the 'Action' menu and select 'Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...' . Alternatively , you can right-click on the domain and select 'Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...'

    Create a new GPO

  2. Enter the new Group Policy Object (GPO) a name in the New GPO window and click 'OK'.

    Enter the name for GPO

  3. Right-click on the new GPO and click 'Edit'
  4. Expand 'User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates' and select 'Administrative Templates'

    Select Users Administrative Templates

  5. Choose 'Action > Add / Remove Templates...'
  6. Select 'Add', and navigate where the Microsoft Outlook templates were extracted during GPO creation:

    Microsoft Outlook VersionFilename
    2013outlk15.adm
    2016, 2019, Office 365 ProPlusoutlk16.adm

    Note: Copy outlkxx.admx and outlkxx.adml to the required language folders (C:WindowsPolicyDefinitions  and C:WindowsPolicyDefinitionsen-US, respectively).
    Here xx is 15 for Outlook 2013 and 16 for Outlook 2016.

  7. Select Close.
  8. Navigate to the necessary setting(s) for each Microsoft Outlook version being used in your environment, and enable them:
    - For Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016

    Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016

    To enable settings for Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016:
    1. Navigate to 'Microsoft Outlook 2013 (or Microsoft Outlook 2016)> Outlook Options > Mail Format'.
    2. On the right-hand side, enable the 'Do not allow signatures for e-mail messages' settings to disable the signatures in Microsoft Outlook 2013 (or Microsoft Outlook 2016):

      Do not allow signatures

      Note: This will disable the signature options and prevent adding of Outlook signatures. However, the exisiting signature file will remain in the client computers which needs to be deleted manually.

      Links to download Office Administration Template

      Links to download the appropriate version(s) of the Office Administration Template for the Microsoft Outlook versions

      Microsoft Office VersionLink
      2013https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35554
      2016, 2019, Office 365 ProPlushttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49030


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