Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
Verified with Microsoft 365/Office 5568.1000 — updated on September 4, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016 (Machine)\Updates Description
This policy setting allows you to delay downloading and installing updates for Office by a specified number of days. Note: This policy setting won’t apply if you are using some methods to manage updates. For example, if you use Group Policy to specify a target version. Also, updates won’t be delayed if you are switching Office to a different update channel. If you enable this policy setting, Office will delay downloading and applying updates by the number of days specified. The maximum value that you can specify is 14. If you specify 0, Office will download and apply updates as soon as Office detects that updates are available. Note: If you have also specified a deadline for updates to be installed, the deadline won't be considered until after the delay that you specify with this policy setting. If you disable or don’t configure this policy setting, Office will download and apply updates as soon as Office detects that updates are available. Note: This policy setting only applies to subscription versions of Office, such as Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, and to subscription versions of Project and Visio.
Registry
software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate]
"deferupdatedays"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'deferupdatedays' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate' -Name 'deferupdatedays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'deferupdatedays' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate' -Name 'deferupdatedays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Delay downloading and installing updates for Office
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'deferupdatedays' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.