Word 2003 as E-mail Editor / Group Policy

[Mike]

I am in an environment where we are not allowed to compose messages in HTML,
only Rich Text or Plain Text. We used Group Policy to set the Message Format
at "User configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Office Outlook
2003/Tools | Options.../Mail Format/Message Format". We currently set this
GPO to "Rich Text/Microsoft Word". Also in this same GPO there is a check box
for "Use Microsoft Word to read rich text e-mail messages" which we left
unchecked.
So now, if you open Outlook on a users pc, Rich Text is the default format
and using Word as email editor is checked and using Word for reading messages
is unchecked and they are both greyed out so that they cannot be changed.

All this leads up to my question: Why is all of this combined into one GPO?
What if we want to set Rich Text as the default format but we want to leave
it up to each individual user as to whether they want to use Word as editor
and/or message reader? Because all of this is combined into one GPO, the two
check boxes are greyed out and cannot be changed by the users. Is there a way
to control the default text format AND leave the Word option check boxes
available?

Thanks...
Mike

 

[Roady [MVP]]

GPO are to force standards. To deploy Office with different standard
settings you can deploy Office with a mst-file and later deploy cmw-files to
make changes. In some cases you can also deploy reg-files.

 

[Mike]

So you are saying that there is no way using GPO to just define the default
text option and not affect the "Use Word..." check boxes?

Mike

GPO are to force standards. To deploy Office with different standard
settings you can deploy Office with a mst-file and later deploy cmw-files to
make changes. In some cases you can also deploy reg-files.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

I am in an environment where we are not allowed to compose messages in
HTML,
only Rich Text or Plain Text. We used Group Policy to set the Message
Format
at "User configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Office Outlook
2003/Tools | Options.../Mail Format/Message Format". We currently set this
GPO to "Rich Text/Microsoft Word". Also in this same GPO there is a check
box
for "Use Microsoft Word to read rich text e-mail messages" which we left
unchecked.
So now, if you open Outlook on a users pc, Rich Text is the default format
and using Word as email editor is checked and using Word for reading
messages
is unchecked and they are both greyed out so that they cannot be changed.

All this leads up to my question: Why is all of this combined into one
GPO?
What if we want to set Rich Text as the default format but we want to
leave
it up to each individual user as to whether they want to use Word as
editor
and/or message reader? Because all of this is combined into one GPO, the
two
check boxes are greyed out and cannot be changed by the users. Is there a
way
to control the default text format AND leave the Word option check boxes
available?

Thanks...
Mike

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Nope, GPOs are designed to enforce standards, restrictions and rights.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

So you are saying that there is no way using GPO to just define the
default
text option and not affect the "Use Word..." check boxes?

Mike

GPO are to force standards. To deploy Office with different standard
settings you can deploy Office with a mst-file and later deploy cmw-files
to
make changes. In some cases you can also deploy reg-files.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

I am in an environment where we are not allowed to compose messages in
HTML,
only Rich Text or Plain Text. We used Group Policy to set the Message
Format
at "User configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Office
Outlook
2003/Tools | Options.../Mail Format/Message Format". We currently set
this
GPO to "Rich Text/Microsoft Word". Also in this same GPO there is a
check
box
for "Use Microsoft Word to read rich text e-mail messages" which we
left
unchecked.
So now, if you open Outlook on a users pc, Rich Text is the default
format
and using Word as email editor is checked and using Word for reading
messages
is unchecked and they are both greyed out so that they cannot be
changed.

All this leads up to my question: Why is all of this combined into one
GPO?
What if we want to set Rich Text as the default format but we want to
leave
it up to each individual user as to whether they want to use Word as
editor
and/or message reader? Because all of this is combined into one GPO,
the
two
check boxes are greyed out and cannot be changed by the users. Is there
a
way
to control the default text format AND leave the Word option check
boxes
available?

Thanks...
Mike

 

[Mike]

Ok, I understand that. But, why do all of those settings have to be combined
into one GPO. Why didn't they have "Email Format" as one GPO, "Word as
editor" as another GPO and "Word as reader" as yet another - so that all of
these "standards" could be enforced separately?

I am not doubting your answer - just trying to understand the logic. I
always thought GPO was granular enough to control all settings individually.

Thanks...
Mike

Nope, GPOs are designed to enforce standards, restrictions and rights.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

So you are saying that there is no way using GPO to just define the
default
text option and not affect the "Use Word..." check boxes?

Mike

GPO are to force standards. To deploy Office with different standard
settings you can deploy Office with a mst-file and later deploy cmw-files
to
make changes. In some cases you can also deploy reg-files.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I am in an environment where we are not allowed to compose messages in
HTML,
only Rich Text or Plain Text. We used Group Policy to set the Message
Format
at "User configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Office
Outlook
2003/Tools | Options.../Mail Format/Message Format". We currently set
this
GPO to "Rich Text/Microsoft Word". Also in this same GPO there is a
check
box
for "Use Microsoft Word to read rich text e-mail messages" which we
left
unchecked.
So now, if you open Outlook on a users pc, Rich Text is the default
format
and using Word as email editor is checked and using Word for reading
messages
is unchecked and they are both greyed out so that they cannot be
changed.

All this leads up to my question: Why is all of this combined into one
GPO?
What if we want to set Rich Text as the default format but we want to
leave
it up to each individual user as to whether they want to use Word as
editor
and/or message reader? Because all of this is combined into one GPO,
the
two
check boxes are greyed out and cannot be changed by the users. Is there
a
way
to control the default text format AND leave the Word option check
boxes
available?

Thanks...
Mike

 

[Roady [MVP]]

I didn't design it either ;-) Usually these settings go hand in hand. If
there is a strong desire not to do so you can modify or design your own
policy template.

This one is a nice example;
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932127

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

Ok, I understand that. But, why do all of those settings have to be
combined
into one GPO. Why didn't they have "Email Format" as one GPO, "Word as
editor" as another GPO and "Word as reader" as yet another - so that all
of
these "standards" could be enforced separately?

I am not doubting your answer - just trying to understand the logic. I
always thought GPO was granular enough to control all settings
individually.

Thanks...
Mike

Nope, GPOs are designed to enforce standards, restrictions and rights.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

So you are saying that there is no way using GPO to just define the
default
text option and not affect the "Use Word..." check boxes?

Mike


:

GPO are to force standards. To deploy Office with different standard
settings you can deploy Office with a mst-file and later deploy
cmw-files
to
make changes. In some cases you can also deploy reg-files.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I am in an environment where we are not allowed to compose messages
in
HTML,
only Rich Text or Plain Text. We used Group Policy to set the
Message
Format
at "User configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Office
Outlook
2003/Tools | Options.../Mail Format/Message Format". We currently
set
this
GPO to "Rich Text/Microsoft Word". Also in this same GPO there is a
check
box
for "Use Microsoft Word to read rich text e-mail messages" which we
left
unchecked.
So now, if you open Outlook on a users pc, Rich Text is the default
format
and using Word as email editor is checked and using Word for reading
messages
is unchecked and they are both greyed out so that they cannot be
changed.

All this leads up to my question: Why is all of this combined into
one
GPO?
What if we want to set Rich Text as the default format but we want
to
leave
it up to each individual user as to whether they want to use Word as
editor
and/or message reader? Because all of this is combined into one GPO,
the
two
check boxes are greyed out and cannot be changed by the users. Is
there
a
way
to control the default text format AND leave the Word option check
boxes
available?

Thanks...
Mike