Updated: 2009-04-09

In Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, users can create and send e-mail messages with restricted permission to help prevent messages from being forwarded, printed, or copied and pasted. 2007 Microsoft Office system documents, workbooks, and presentations that are attached to messages with restricted permission are also automatically restricted.

NoteNote:

This topic is for Outlook administrators. To learn about using IRM to apply permissions to e-mail messages, see Restrict permission to confidential information in e-mail messages on Office Online.

As an Outlook administrator, you can configure several options for IRM e-mail, such as disabling IRM or configuring local license caching. You can also design custom IRM permissions for users, in addition to the default Do Not Forward permissions group. For more information, see Provide custom Information Rights Management rights policy templates in the 2007 Office system.

The following IRM settings and features can be useful when you configure rights-managed e-mail messaging:

You can lock down most settings to customize IRM for Outlook by using the Outlook Group Policy template (Outlk12.adm) or the Office Group Policy template (Office12.adm). Alternatively, you can configure default settings for most options by using the Office Customization Tool (OCT), which enables users to change the settings. The OCT settings are in corresponding locations on the Modify user settings page of the OCT.

The Outlook template and other ADM files can be downloaded from 2007 Office System Administrative Templates (ADM) on the Microsoft Download Center. Learn more about using the OCT by visiting Customize the 2007 Office system.

Disable IRM

To disable IRM in Office Outlook 2007, you must disable IRM for all Office applications. There is no separate option to disable IRM only in Outlook.

To disable IRM in Office 2007 by using Group Policy

  1. In Group Policy, load the 2007 Office system template (Office12.adm) and go to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2007 system\Manage Restricted Permissions.

  2. Double-click Disable Information Rights Management User Interface.

  3. Click Enabled.

  4. Click OK.

Configure automatic license caching

A second option that you can configure for Outlook is to automatically download the IRM license for rights-managed e-mail when Outlook synchronizes with Exchange server.

To configure automatic license caching for IRM by using Group Policy

  1. In Group Policy, load the Office Outlook 2007 template (Outlk12.adm) and go to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office Outlook 2007\Miscellaneous.

  2. Double-click Do not download permissions for e-mail during offline Exchange folder sync.

  3. Click Enabled.

  4. Click OK.

Enforce e-mail expiration

You can also use IRM to help enforce an e-mail expiration period that you configure for Outlook. When a user specifies the number of days before a message expires with IRM enabled, the message cannot be accessed after the expiration period.

As an administrator, you can specify an expiration period for all Outlook e-mail messages in your organization. The expiration period is enforced only when users send rights-managed e-mail.

To configure an expiration period for e-mail messages by using Group Policy

  1. In Group Policy, load the Office Outlook 2007 template (Outlk12.adm) and go to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office Outlook 2007\Tools | Options\Preferences\E-mail options\Advanced E-mail options.

  2. Double-click When sending a message.

  3. Click Enabled.

  4. In the box that follows Messages expire after (days), enter a number of days.

  5. Click OK.

Do not use Outlook for e-mail address validation

The permissions dialog uses Outlook to validate e-mail addresses that are entered in that dialog. This causes an instance of Outlook to start when permissions are restricted. You can disable this option by using the registry key that is listed in the following table. There is no corresponding Group Policy or OCT setting for this option.

The following IRM registry setting is located in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\DRM. Group Policy settings are located in User Configuration\Microsoft Office 2007 system\Manage Restricted Permissions.

Name of Registry Entry Registry Entry Type Values for Registry Entry Description

DoNotUseOutlookByDefault

DWORD

0 = Outlook is used

1 = Outlook is not used

Disable the option by using this key.

Download this book

This topic is included in the following downloadable book for easier reading and printing:

See the full list of available books at Office Resource Kit information.

See Also