Are Microsoft Office Policies Dangerously Outdated? Discover the Essential August 2025 ADMX Update.

Frustrated by Broken Links? Here’s How to Finally Get the New Microsoft Office ADMX Files.

On August 8, 2025, Microsoft released an important update for IT professionals who manage Microsoft Office environments. This update provides new Administrative Template files, known as ADMX/ADML files, for Microsoft Office. The new version, 5516.1000, is now available for download. This release is significant because it not only introduces new policy settings but also fixes a recent issue where the download links were broken, causing problems for many administrators.

These files are crucial for managing Office installations across an organization. They serve as a central rulebook, allowing system administrators to control and configure Office settings on a large scale. This guide explains what these files are, what the new update includes, and how to properly install them.

Understanding Administrative Templates (ADMX/ADML)

Think of Administrative Templates as a master control panel for Microsoft Office applications. These files contain all the Group Policy settings that an administrator can use to define how Office products behave on users’ computers.

• ADMX Files: These are the main template files. They are language-neutral, meaning the core policy definitions are the same regardless of language.
• ADML Files: These are language-specific files that provide the user interface for the Group Policy editor. For example, an en-US ADML file displays the policy descriptions in English.

By using these templates, an administrator can enforce consistent security settings, manage application features, and configure user experience options for apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and others. This centralized control is vital in corporate environments to ensure security, compliance, and uniformity without having to manually configure each computer.

What’s New in the August 2025 Update

The August 8, 2025, release updates the templates to version 5516.1000. This is a full release that replaces previous versions. A key point is that Microsoft has resolved the broken download links that were reported around August 7, 2025, which had prevented access to the files.

This update applies to a wide range of Office products, ensuring that both modern and legacy versions can be managed effectively. The supported products include :

• Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise
• Office LTSC 2024
• Office LTSC 2021
• Office 2019
• Office 2016

In addition to the core ADMX/ADML files, the download package also contains OPAX/OPAL files. These are used with the Office Customization Tool (OCT) specifically for volume-licensed versions of Office 2016. The OCT helps administrators customize an Office installation before it is deployed to users.

How to Download and Deploy the New Templates

Properly installing these files is essential to making the new policies available in your environment. Follow these steps for a smooth deployment.

Step 1: Download the Files

You can get the new templates directly from the Microsoft Download Center. You will have the option to download either 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) versions. The ADMX/ADML template files are identical in both packages, so either download will work if you only need the templates.

Step 2: Extract the Template Files

The downloaded file is an executable (.exe). When you run it, it will prompt you to choose a location to extract the contents. The extracted folder will contain the admx subfolder along with other resources.

Step 3: Install the Templates in Your Environment

How you install the files depends on whether you manage a single computer or an entire network with Active Directory.

For Active Directory (Central Store)

The best practice for enterprise environments is to use a Central Store. This ensures that all Group Policy administration is done using the same set of templates, which are replicated across all domain controllers. To do this, copy the ADMX files from the extracted folder to your domain’s PolicyDefinitions folder (typically \\your.domain\SYSVOL\your.domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions). Then, copy the language-specific ADML files (e.g., from the en-US folder) into the corresponding language subfolder within PolicyDefinitions.

For a Local Computer

If you are managing settings for a single machine, you can copy the ADMX files to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions.

Step 4: Verify and Configure Policies

Once the files are copied, the new policy settings will be available in the Group Policy Management Editor. You can open the editor (gpedit.msc for local policy) and navigate to the “Administrative Templates” section under either User or Computer Configuration to find the settings for Microsoft Office applications.

It is always recommended to test any new policy changes in a lab or on a small group of non-critical computers before applying them broadly across your organization.