Are You Waiting for Office 2007 System ADMX Files?

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Office 2007 System Administrative Templates (ADM) files are currently available for download at the following location. https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=78161

And everyone is asking, but where's the ADMX versions?  Help, I want to administer Office 2007 from my Windows Vista machine.

To be clear, you do not have to wait for the ADMX files to start administering Office 2007 from your Windows Vista machine. You can add ADM files to a GPO using the Group Policy Editor on your Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 machines.

How Do I add Office 2007 System ADM files to a GPO?  

To add the Office 2007 System ADM files to a GPO using the same method for any operating system, do the following:

1. Download the Office 2007 System ADM files to a directory, for example, c:OfficeADMs.

Some notes here before I go to step 2: I'm assuming here that you've opened the Group Policy Editor for the GPO you want to use to administer Office 2007. What we want to do is add in the Office 2007 relevant ADM files to the GPO(s) you will be using to administer Office 2007. Yes, you will need to add them to each GPO that will set Office 2007 policy settings.

2. Right-click on the administrative template node in the Group Policy Editor and select add/remove templates. (It doesn't matter if you pick the node under the computer or user configuration -- either will work to add in the ADM file)

3. Click the add button.

4. Navigate to the directory where you downloaded your Office 2007 System ADM files, for example, c:OfficeADMs, and select the ADM file(s) you want to add to your GPO.

5. Click the open button to finish adding the ADM file(s) to your GPO.

6. Click the close button to close the add/remove templates dialog box.

All policy settings consumed from ADM files will be displayed under one or both of the two nodes (depending on whether the policy setting will affect machines or users):

  • Computer Configuration Classic Administrative Templates (ADM)
  • User Configuration Classic Administrative Templates (ADM)

But Wait, Windows Vista Makes Adding ADM Files Even Easier!

Since the Group Policy Editor looks for ADM files in the %windir%inf directory, by default, a lot of people have gotten into the habit of just copying ADM files into the %windir%inf directory.

On Windows Vista, if you copy the Office 2007 System ADM files into the %windir%inf directory, you will find that the Group Policy Editor will automatically add the Office 2007 System ADM files into each GPO you edit. For Windows Vista, a simpler way to add the Office 2007 System ADM files is:

1. Download the Office 2007 System ADM files to the %windir%inf directory. On most machines, this will be c:windowsinf.

2. Open the Group Policy Editor for a GPO you want to use to administer Office 2007.

(If the Group Policy Editor is already open, then close and reopen to get the editor to read the Office 2007 System ADM files from the %windir%inf directory.)

3. Look under the "User ConfigurationClassic Administrative Templates (ADM)" or "Computer ConfigurationClassic Administrative Templates (ADM)" nodes to find the Office 2007 policy settings.