Office Settings & Configuration

How to Disable the Word Editor Button using Group Policy or Intune

Maira Mehtab Oct 16, 2026 870 views

Question details

Organizations need to hide or disable the Microsoft Word Editor button on managed devices to comply with examination guidelines.

How to Disable the Word Editor Button via Group Policy or Intune

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Configuring managed exam devices to prevent candidates from using modern spelling, grammar, and predictive text tools.
Observed behavior: The newer Microsoft Word Editor tool remains active and does not respond to legacy spell-check or grammar-check disabling settings.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access to your organization's Group Policy Management Console or Microsoft Intune admin center, and that the latest Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) for Microsoft 365 Apps are installed.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable the Word Editor Button using Group Policy

Use this method for on-premises domain-joined devices to completely hide the Editor button across Word's interface.

The newer Word Editor tool uses a specific Office command identifier: 27964. By targeting this command ID through Group Policy, you can remove the Editor button from both the Home and Review tabs.

Open Group Policy Management

Press Win + R, type gpmc.msc, and press Enter to launch the Group Policy Management Console. Create a new GPO or edit an existing one applied to your exam devices.

Navigate to the Disable Items Policy

Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Word 2016 > Disable Items in User Interface > Custom.

Enter the Command Identifier

Double-click the 'Disable commands' policy, select 'Enabled', click 'Show', and enter the command ID 27964 in the list.

Apply and Update

Click OK to save the settings. On the target devices, open the Command Prompt and run 'gpupdate /force' to apply the new policy immediately.

Disable the Word Editor Button using Group Policy

Policy Application: Once applied, the Word Editor button will no longer be visible on the ribbon, ensuring compliance with strict examination guidelines.

Solution 2

Disable the Editor Button using Microsoft Intune

Best for cloud-managed devices where Group Policy is not deployed or during migration from on-premises Active Directory.

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If managing complex Group Policies or Intune configurations for Microsoft Word is becoming overwhelming, consider WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative with intuitive controls, making it easy to configure workstations for any environment.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installer for your operating system.
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3. Manage Proofing Tools: Open WPS Writer, navigate to the Review tab, and easily manage your spell-check preferences without complex registry edits.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Word Editor tool ignore my legacy spell-check settings?

The modern Microsoft Word Editor is built on a newer architecture and does not always respect legacy spell-check or grammar-check registry keys. To disable it, you must specifically target its command identifier (27964).

What is the Office command identifier for the Word Editor button?

The specific command ID for the Word Editor button is 27964. Disabling this ID removes the feature from both the Home and Review ribbon tabs in Microsoft Word.

Why do proofing tools re-enable after restarting Word when migrating to Intune?

This often occurs due to conflicts between legacy on-premises Group Policies and new Intune settings. Ensure that you apply the Disable Commands (ID 27964) consistently across your Settings Catalog and verify no lingering registry keys are overriding your Intune configuration.

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