Using the System Policy Editor

How to Disable Menu Commands and Toolbar Buttons

You can disable any built-in or custom item on a menu or a toolbar by using the System Policy Editor. The policy disables both the menu command and the corresponding toolbar button at the same time.

Disable a predefined menu command and toolbar button

Several built-in menu commands and toolbar buttons are listed in the Predefined category of the system policy templates.

To disable a predefined menu command and toolbar button

1. In the System Policy Editor, open the policy you want to modify.
2. Open the Properties dialog box for the group, computer, or user for which you want to set the policy.
3. Click the plus sign (+) next to the Office application that contains the item you want to disable.
4. Click the plus sign next to Disable items in user interface.
5. Click the plus sign next to Predefined.
6. Select the Disable command bar buttons and menu items check box.
7. Under Settings for Disable command bar buttons and menu items, select the check box next to the item you want to disable.

   For example, to disable the Hyperlink command (Insert menu) and the Insert Hyperlink button (Standard toolbar) in Word, select the Insert | Hyperlink check box.

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Disable a custom menu command and toolbar button

You can disable custom menu commands and toolbar buttons by using the System Policy Editor, even if the items are not predefined in the policy template.

Note   In order to disable a custom menu and toolbar item, you must know the control ID for the item.

To disable a custom menu command and toolbar button

1. In the System Policy Editor, open the policy you want to modify.
2. Open the Properties dialog box for the user, group, or computer for which you want to set the policy.
3. Click the plus sign (+) next to the Office application that contains the item you want to disable.
4. Click the plus sign next to Disable items in user interface.
5. Click the plus sign next to Custom.
6. Select the Disable command bar buttons and menu items check box.
7. Under Settings for command bar buttons and menu items, click Show.
8. In the Show Contents box, click Add.
9. In the Add Item box, type the control ID for the menu and toolbar item.

Note   If you use the Custom category to disable a menu command or toolbar button that has already been disabled elsewhere in the policy file, the duplicate entry is ignored.

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See also

To disable a custom menu and toolbar item, you must know the control ID for the item. For information about finding control IDs, see Control IDs for Menu Commands and Toolbar Buttons.

You can use system policies to control a range of items in the user interface. For conceptual information about disabling items in the user interface, see Using System Policies to Disable User Interface Items.