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Open Office file links in Office Online

Verified with Microsoft 365/Office 5568.1000 — updated on September 4, 2026

Microsoft 365/Office 5568.1000

Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7

Path in the GPO console

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016\Miscellaneous

Description

This policy setting controls which version of Office opens when a hyperlink to an Office file stored on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or a SharePoint Online team site is selected. By default, a hyperlink to a file stored in one of these locations opens the file in the Office client version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. This is the version of Office that is installed on the user’s computer. If Office isn’t installed on the user’s computer, the file is opened in the Office Online version of the program in the user’s web browser. If you enable this policy setting, a hyperlink to an Office file stored in one of these locations opens the file in the Office Online version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. This opens the file in the user’s web browser. If you disable or don’t configure this policy setting, a hyperlink to an Office file stored in one of these locations opens the file in the Office client version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, if Office is installed on the user’s computer. Note: This policy setting only applies to subscription versions of Office, such as Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

Registry

HKCU software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\internet

Value name: disablelinksopenright

Enabled: disablelinksopenright = 1

Disabled: disablelinksopenright = 0

Export Builder

BETA

Configure 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: Open Office file links in Office Online
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\internet]
"disablelinksopenright"=dword:00000001
More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)

PowerShell

# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Open Office file links in Office Online
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.

$path = 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\internet'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'disablelinksopenright' -Value 1 -Type DWord

Building a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.

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