Turn off proofing / spell check

Question

Turn off proofing / spell check

Wesley Jones 75

We have recently upgraded our entire system from server 2012, to azure in the cloud and update our MS word etc and moved from windows 10 and windows 11.

We used to have 15 laptops with office on and the spell check etc disabled. For our pupils to sit their gcses exams. For some reason this seem to be incredible difficult to do on now, in a way that the users can not just turn it back on.

How can i turn off the spell check in a way that the kids can not just turn it back on?

Our machines our managed from intune in the cloud and we have no servers on site any more. And am running, Word for Microsoft 365 MSO Version 2510

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Answer recommended by moderator

Wesley Jones 75

Hi thanks in the end i found the only way was to delete the proof folder, and then be the first to use it and say dont ask me again about reinstalling it, seems to have worked, but i had to find that in post from like 8 years ago in the comments from last year.

https://chronicbit.blogspot.com/2018/01/disabling-proofing-tools-and-related.html?sc=1767786514485#c7151116039349000408

Charles Kenyon 170.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-07T15:49:29.03+00:00

I converted your comment to an Answer so I could recommend it. That way it will be a resource for other educators.

Thank you for the work that you do every day.
Suzanne S Barnhill 279.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-08T13:22:51.9666667+00:00

Keep in mind that the Proof folder may be added back when Microsoft 365 is updated and of course if it ever has to be reinstalled.
Wesley Jones 75 Reputation points

2026-01-08T13:31:00.3966667+00:00

Yep already ran into that, has been fine with my admin account and the exam account i was using, but i need all of them to use different accounts due to one drive, and when a different exam account logged on to the laptop for the first time, it remade it, was thinking i could do a batch file to delete it all the time, or maybe delete the contents of the folder, and then have it so only my account can wright to it and remove the system accounts rights so it can not add contents. But atm it is a way to get rid of it, and even if i need to check each morning to delete it again, we only have 15 so not a huge job. But got them in kiosk mode on the exam account so they auto start word. so no internet ether.
Anonymous

2026-01-08T16:53:51.87+00:00

Hi Wesley Jones,

Thank you so much for sharing your solution and the helpful resource link! This is incredibly valuable information for the community. By contributing your experience, you’re helping others who might face the same challenge, and that’s what makes this forum stronger.

We truly appreciate your effort in revisiting older posts and confirming what worked for you. Insights like these often save others a lot of time and frustration.

If you have any additional tips or best practices from your implementation, please feel free to share them here. Your input can make a big difference for other users.

Thanks again for supporting the community!

2 additional answers

Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Charles Kenyon 170.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-07T15:49:29.03+00:00

I converted your comment to an Answer so I could recommend it. That way it will be a resource for other educators.

Thank you for the work that you do every day.
Suzanne S Barnhill 279.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-08T13:22:51.9666667+00:00

Keep in mind that the Proof folder may be added back when Microsoft 365 is updated and of course if it ever has to be reinstalled.
Wesley Jones 75 Reputation points

2026-01-08T13:31:00.3966667+00:00

Yep already ran into that, has been fine with my admin account and the exam account i was using, but i need all of them to use different accounts due to one drive, and when a different exam account logged on to the laptop for the first time, it remade it, was thinking i could do a batch file to delete it all the time, or maybe delete the contents of the folder, and then have it so only my account can wright to it and remove the system accounts rights so it can not add contents. But atm it is a way to get rid of it, and even if i need to check each morning to delete it again, we only have 15 so not a huge job. But got them in kiosk mode on the exam account so they auto start word. so no internet ether.
Anonymous

2026-01-08T16:53:51.87+00:00

Hi Wesley Jones,

Thank you so much for sharing your solution and the helpful resource link! This is incredibly valuable information for the community. By contributing your experience, you’re helping others who might face the same challenge, and that’s what makes this forum stronger.

We truly appreciate your effort in revisiting older posts and confirming what worked for you. Insights like these often save others a lot of time and frustration.

If you have any additional tips or best practices from your implementation, please feel free to share them here. Your input can make a big difference for other users.

Thanks again for supporting the community!

Answer 1

I am a regular user who is not familiar with group policies or other things that you may have access to.

There is no way you can do this with a [very] knowledgeable user unless you can actually remove the proofing tools from the computer. I am unsure whether this can be done. Even if that is done, they may be able to type in a browser and get checking from that.

If I were trying to do this I would turn off spell checking under Options > Proofing. That is basic but not enough.

I would also modify the Normal style and other styles in the Normal template to have "Do not check spelling or grammar" checked in the language portion of the style. If you want direction on how to do that write back. I may be able to write a macro that will do that. See https://addbalance.com/articles/Creating%20_No%20proofing_%20styles%20in%20Microsoft%20Word%20-%20No%20Spell%20Check.htm.

I would also remove the Editor functions from the Ribbon and modify the F7 keyboard shortcut so that it does not do a spell check or call up the Editor.

You may also need to pull CoPilot from the machines if that is a part of your installations.

Henry N.'s recommendation to create a formal support request may be what you need to do.

Charles Kenyon 170.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-07T15:40:58.6266667+00:00

The article on no-proofing styles was trashed during the porting from the answers site. Here is a correct version: https://addbalance.com/articles/Creating%20_No%20proofing_%20styles%20in%20Microsoft%20Word%20-%20No%20Spell%20Check.htm

Answer 2

Hi Wesley Jones,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

This requirement disabling spell check in Word so that users cannot turn it back on is related to policy enforcement via Group Policy (GPO) or Microsoft Intune. Since your devices are now managed through Intune, the best approach is to configure this setting using Intune policies.

As a forum moderator, I don’t have the appropriate tools to provide step-by-step implementation for your specific environment. To get the exact configuration steps and ensure the policy is applied correctly, I recommend raising a support ticket with the Microsoft Intune Support team. They can assist you in creating and deploying the appropriate policy to enforce this setting across all managed devices.

The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.   

Please let me know if you need guidance on how to submit the ticket or navigate the Intune portal.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this redirection, but to ensure you get the most effective and timely assistance this is the best option I could offer.

Thank you again for your time and understanding. While this initial response may not resolve the issue immediately, gathering these details will help me assist you more effectively. I appreciate your patience and look forward to your response.

Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.     

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