Policy
Don’t allow Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) server lookup in Excel
Microsoft Office
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
This policy setting allows you to control whether Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) server lookup is allowed. By default, DDE server lookup is turned on, but users can turn off DDE server lookup by going to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > External Content. If you enable this policy setting, DDE server lookup isn’t allowed, and users can’t turn on DDE server lookup in the Trust Center. Note: If you’re using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) server launch, which isn’t recommended, don’t enable this policy setting, because DDE server launch requires DDE server lookup to be on. If you disable or don’t configure this policy setting, DDE server lookup is turned on, but users can turn off DDE server lookup in the Trust Center. Note: This policy setting only applies to subscription versions of Office, such as Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
| Scope | Registry location | Type | Enabled value | Disabled value | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User | Path software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\excel\security\external content Value name disableddeserverlookup | REG_DWORD | HKCU 1 | HKCU 0 |
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
This policy has no additional user input fields.