Microsoft Office 2016 › Security Settings › Digital Signatures
Specify minimum XAdES level for digital signature generation
Supported on SUPPORTED_Windows7 (defined in the Windows templates)
What it does
This policy setting lets you specify a minimum XAdES level that Office 2016 applications must reach in order to create an XAdES digital signature. If unable to reach the minimum XAdESLevel, the Office application fails to create the signature. If you enable this policy setting, you can set the following minimum XAdES levels that must be met by the Office application before creating the digital signature. - No minimum level - XAdES-BES: Must create at least XAdES-BES or fail - XAdES-T: Must create at least XAdES-T (timestamp) or fail. - XAdES-C: Must create at least XAdES-C (certificate and revocation references) or fail. - XAdES-X: Must create at least XAdES-X (timestamp -C) or fail. - XAdES-X-L: Must create at least XAdES-X-L (store certificate and revocation values) or fail. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Office 2016 does not require a minimum XAdES level and creates the most advanced XAdES signature possible, up to the level specified in the policy setting
What it writes
- Hive
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Registry key
software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures
Why it needs changes for Intune
- Policy references a Windows supportedOn definition.
- ADMX-INTUNE-WINDOWS-SUPPORTEDON-REFERENCE
Options
| Option | Type | Registry value | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|---|
| L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationDropIDDefault: No minimum level | Drop-down list | minxadeslevel |
|
Configure and deploy
Choose a state and the option values; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.
Enabled · User · template defaults
Registry file (.reg)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures]
"minxadeslevel"=dword:00000000
PowerShell
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Specify minimum XAdES level for digital signature generation
# Name: L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: office16.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures' -Name 'minxadeslevel' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 0
- The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
- Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.
ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_office16/L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationADMX SyncML candidate
<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
<SyncBody>
<Replace>
<CmdID>1</CmdID>
<Item>
<Meta>
<Format>chr</Format>
<Type>text/plain</Type>
</Meta>
<Target>
<LocURI>./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_office16/L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><enabled/>
<data id="L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationDropID" value="0"/></Data>
</Item>
</Replace>
<Final/>
</SyncBody>
</SyncML>Intune remediation scripts
Detection
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()
function Test-RegistryValueExists {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}
function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
$valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
return $false
}
$actual = $valueObject.$Name
switch ($Kind) {
'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
'MultiString' {
$actualArray = @($actual)
$expectedArray = @($Expected)
if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
'Binary' {
$actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
$expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
}
}
# Policy: Specify minimum XAdES level for digital signature generation
# Name: L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: office16.admx
$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures' -Name 'minxadeslevel' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 0
if (-not $isMatch) {
$reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures\minxadeslevel') | Out-Null
}
if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1
Remediation
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Specify minimum XAdES level for digital signature generation
# Name: L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration
# Scope: User
# State: Enabled
# Source: office16.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures' -Name 'minxadeslevel' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 0
History 1 retained release
- 5568.100010 Aug 2026
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.
Template
- Internal name
L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration- Namespace
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows- Template file
office16.admx- Release
- Microsoft 365 Apps 5568.1000 · file set
8be05d876aae137d…
Definition, editor controls and support
Definition
<policy class="User" displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration)" explainText="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationExplain)" key="software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\signatures" name="L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration" presentation="$(presentation.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration)" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_DigSig" />
<supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7" />
<elements>
<enum id="L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationDropID" valueName="minxadeslevel">
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr1)">
<value>
<decimal value="0" />
</value>
</item>
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr2)">
<value>
<decimal value="1" />
</value>
</item>
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr3)">
<value>
<decimal value="2" />
</value>
</item>
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr4)">
<value>
<decimal value="3" />
</value>
</item>
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr5)">
<value>
<decimal value="4" />
</value>
</item>
<item displayName="$(string.L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationStr6)">
<value>
<decimal value="5" />
</value>
</item>
</enum>
</elements>
</policy>Editor controls
<presentation id="L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGeneration" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<dropdownList defaultItem="0" noSort="true" refId="L_SpecifyMinimumXAdESLevelForDigitalSignatureGenerationDropID">
</dropdownList>
</presentation>Supported platforms and category
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_DigSig
<category displayName="$(string.L_DigSig)" name="L_DigSig" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_SecuritySettings" />
</category>
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem
<category displayName="$(string.L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem)" name="L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_SecuritySettings
<category displayName="$(string.L_SecuritySettings)" name="L_SecuritySettings" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem" />
</category>
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:SUPPORTED_Windows7" />
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_DigSig
<category displayName="$(string.L_DigSig)" name="L_DigSig" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_SecuritySettings" />
</category>
<strings><string id="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_DigSig">Digital Signatures</string></strings>
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem
<category displayName="$(string.L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem)" name="L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem">Microsoft Office 2016</string></strings>
office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:L_SecuritySettings
<category displayName="$(string.L_SecuritySettings)" name="L_SecuritySettings" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_MicrosoftOfficeSystem" />
</category>
<strings><string id="office16.Office.Microsoft.Policies.Windows:L_SecuritySettings">Security Settings</string></strings>