📋 Outlook Add-In (classic): GPO setup for group-based activation

Activating the add-in on a group basis

If the FTAPI Outlook Add-In has been installed by the administrator for all users, the add-in starts when Outlook is opened. If you do not want all users to be able to use the FTAPI Outlook Add-In, this can be controlled via a Group Policy (GPO).

The automatic startup of an add-in in Outlook is controlled in the system registry via the "LoadBehavior" variable. A value of "3" means that the add-in starts together with Outlook, while a value of "0" leaves the add-in inactive. Inactive Outlook Add-Ins can still be activated manually by the user.

• Open the Group Policy Management and create a new Group Policy Object
• Navigate to: User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry

• Create the following registry elements one after the other 
  
  Hive HKEY_CURRENT_USER 
  Key path SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\FTAPI Outlook Add-In\ 
   

Item-level targeting

To control the setting of these registry values on a group basis, you must define the security groups that should process this entry.

• Navigate to: Common tab > Item-level targeting > New Item > Security Group

Through the "LoadBehavior" entry (order 5th position), members of the group receive the value "3". The "LoadBehavior" entry (order 4th position) must be configured differently here. Non-members of the target group have the value "0" set here due to negation.

Note: Since this is a user configuration, but the Group Policy is placed in a computer OU, it may be necessary to enable the loopback processing mode.

Now link the GPO to the computer OU for which the settings should apply. When a user logs on, the registry entries are now set based on the group memberships.