How Do the Latest 2025 ADMX Templates Improve Security in Windows and Office?

What Are the New Group Policy Settings for Windows 11 and Microsoft Office in 2025?

Managing a network of computers requires clear rules. Administrative Templates, known as ADMX and ADML files, serve as this rulebook for IT administrators. They allow you to control settings on computers across your organization using tools like Group Policy. Throughout 2025, Microsoft has provided important updates to these files for both Windows 11 and popular Microsoft Office applications. These changes give administrators more control and help improve security and user experience.

Understanding the 2025 Windows 11 Updates

Microsoft updated the rulebook for Windows 11’s 2024 Update, also known as version 24H2. These new templates offer better ways to manage your computers. A key change was introduced in January 2025 for both Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 23H2. This update helps you control which applications people can install on their computers.

The new policy is called AllowedNonAdminPackageFamilyNameRules. Before this, administrators often had to completely block users without admin rights from installing any applications. This was secure, but it could also stop people from getting the tools they needed for their work. This new rule offers a better way. It allows you to create a specific “allow list” of applications. This means you can let users install approved software while still blocking everything else. For example, you can permit your team to install a specific project management tool or a new collaboration app without giving them full installation privileges. This gives you precise control, balancing security needs with employee productivity. This setting is found within a file named AppxPackageManager.admx.

To use these new Windows 11 templates, your systems must meet certain requirements.

• Operating System: You need a supported version of Windows. This includes Windows 11, Windows 10, and even older versions like Windows 7. It also works with server systems like Windows Server 2022, 2019, and older releases.
• Access Rights: Your user account needs permission to run the tools that manage these rules, such as the Group Policy Management Console.
• Admin Privileges: You must have administrative rights to place these new rule files in a central location where all computers can access them.

New Controls for Microsoft Office Applications

Microsoft also updated the rules for Office applications several times in 2025. The most recent version, 5516.1000, was released on August 8, 2025. This update added six new settings for Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. These changes give you more control over how these programs behave.

Word Document Enhancements

Two new policies were introduced for Microsoft Word, focusing on performance and digital workflows.

• Startup Boost Feature: This setting allows you to control a feature that preloads parts of Word in the background. The goal is to make the application start faster. While this can be helpful, it also uses system resources. As an administrator, you might want to disable this feature on older computers or in virtual environments where resources are limited. This new policy gives you the power to make that decision for your entire organization.
• SharePoint eSignature Integration: Many businesses now use digital signatures. If your organization uses the SharePoint eSignature service, this policy lets you control whether users can sign documents directly within Word. You can enable it to create a smooth workflow for signing contracts and agreements. Or, you can disable it to enforce a different signing process. This provides central control over your company’s digital signature procedures.

Outlook Email Improvements

Outlook also received two important new policy settings. One addresses the transition to the new Outlook client, while the other focuses on visual formatting.

• Classic Account Migration: Microsoft is encouraging users to switch from the classic version of Outlook to the new Outlook. This policy lets you manage how that transition happens. You can prevent accounts from automatically moving to the new client. This is useful if your organization is not yet ready for the change or if you have tools that only work with the classic version. It gives you control over the migration timeline.
• Advanced Typography Controls: These settings manage small visual details in the classic Outlook’s reading pane. This includes features like improved text justification, smarter spacing between words, and automatic hyphenation. While these features can make emails look cleaner, they can also cause formatting to appear differently for different users. You can disable these features to ensure everyone in your organization sees emails with the same consistent formatting.

Security Features for Excel and OneNote

Excel and OneNote gained new settings focused on protecting your data.

• Excel received a policy called File Block includes external link files. Excel files can contain links to other files on the internet or a network. Sometimes, a seemingly safe spreadsheet can use these links to load a harmful file in the background. This new rule strengthens Excel’s existing file-blocking features. It helps prevent malicious content from being loaded indirectly through these external links, closing a potential security loophole.
• OneNote is preparing to launch a sensitivity labeling feature to the public in January 2026. This feature, which lets you mark notebooks or pages as “Confidential” or “Private,” is already being used inside Microsoft. As an administrator, you should start planning now for its arrival. This means thinking about how your organization will classify its data and preparing your policies for when this feature becomes available to everyone.

How to Implement These New Rules

Deploying these new ADMX templates correctly is important. Most organizations use a Central Store in Active Directory. Think of this as a central library for all your policy rulebooks. When you add the new ADMX files here, they become available for you to use in Group Policy. A good practice is to create folders for each version, like “PolicyDefinitions-24H2.” This way, if a new template causes an issue, you can easily go back to the previous version.

If you manage devices using Microsoft Intune, you can import these new templates. The process involves going to the device configuration settings and using the “Import ADMX” function. Once imported, you can create a new configuration profile using the “Imported Administrative Templates” option. It is important to use this method for new, custom settings. For settings already built into Intune, you should continue to use the Settings Catalog.

Potential Challenges and Things to Consider

When you introduce new templates, you might face some challenges. Sometimes, mixing different versions of templates in your Central Store can cause “namespace conflicts.” This is like having two different rules with the same name, which can confuse the system. It is always a good idea to test new templates on a small group of computers before deploying them to your entire organization.

If your organization is moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you need to plan carefully. Some of the newest policies for Windows 11 may not work on Windows 10 computers. This might require you to apply different sets of rules depending on the operating system.

Finally, Microsoft updates the Office templates frequently. This means you need to check for new versions regularly. Keeping up with these updates allows you to use the latest settings, but it also requires planning. Even though old policies will continue to work without the latest files, you will not be able to see or configure any of the new settings until you update your templates. You need to find a balance between staying current and managing the changes in your environment.