Preventing Microsoft AutoUpdate from launching on installation

[cwwirth]

By default, when an Office 2019 app is installed, Microsoft AutoUpdate will automatically launch. I don't want that to happen (we handle patching Office apps through a patch policy in Jamf), but I'm having little luck.

As part of our Office 2019 deployment policy, I have a script that runs prior to the installation to populate a few settings in /Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.autoupdate2.plist. I'm setting things like HowToCheck to "Manual" and disabling the data collection policy prompt, but another option that I'm adding is IgnoreUIOpenAfterInstall. That's a relatively new option for MAU which, according to Microsoft's release notes, was added in the fall of 2020. That's supposed to do what I want, not launch MAU after Office is installed.

Problem is, I can't find any documentation about that option anywhere, just that it was added. I'm trying to set it with a boolean value of TRUE, but it doesn't work -- MAU still launches. It's also not listed in any of the MAU preference references (like this one), possibly because it's relatively new.

Has anyone gotten this preference option working?

[philippeboucher]

I had the same issue and used Restricted Software for both Microsoft AutoUpdate  & Microsoft Update Assistant.

I scope it to a temporary smart group so that I doesn't interfere with my onboarding workflow.

[sharif_khan]

I am facing different issue like to launch Auto update (MAU) i have to alunch all MS Apps to trigger auto update. I already have the profile uploaded

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>AcknowledgedDataCollectionPolicy</key>
    <string>RequiredDataOnly</string>
    <key>HowToCheck</key>
    <string>AutomaticDownload</string>
    <key>ChannelName</key>
    <string>Current</string>
    <key>StartDaemonOnAppLaunch</key>
    <true/>
    <key>UpdateCheckFrequency</key>
    <integer>240</integer>
    <key>ApplicationsSystem</key>
    <dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Word.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>MSWD2019</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Excel.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>XCEL2019</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft PowerPoint.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>PPT32019</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>OPIM2019</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft OneNote.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>ONMC2019</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/Microsoft AutoUpdate.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>MSau04</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/OneDrive.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>ONDR18</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Company Portal.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>IMCP01</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Teams.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>TEAMS10</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Skype for Business.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>MSFB16</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Edge.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>EDGE01</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Edge Beta.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>EDBT01</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Edge Canary.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>EDCN01</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Edge Dev.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>EDDV01</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Remote Desktop.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>MSRD10</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
      <key>/Applications/Microsoft Defender.app</key>
      <dict>
        <key>Application ID</key>
        <string>WDAV00</string>
        <key>LCID</key>
        <integer>1033</integer>
      </dict>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

But looks like after install office app 1st time I have to launch the apps like word, PPt, OneNote etc. otherwise MAU will not find any available update for those apps.