Azvise Office 365, Security

Enable idle session timeout for Microsoft 365

In the last few days, Microsoft implemented a timeout feature for the Microsoft 365 portal and the Office web apps. The aim is to disconnect a user if no activity is received. This will go on to become a global setting: “Idle session timeout for Microsoft 365 web apps will eventually replace current idle timeout settings in Outlook Web App (OWA) and SharePoint Online (SPO)”. This feature is not tab specific, so if you interact with Word (web app), you won’t be signed out from Outlook (web) that you have open in another tab.

You can check out the roadmap here:

Office App: Idle session timeout for Microsoft 365 web apps

I’ve noticed some inconsistencies in the practical application, which will be probably ironed out during the next months.

To enable this feature, open the following link, or go to Settings -> Org setting -> Security & privacy -> Idle session timeout (Preview).

Idle session timeout (Preview)

Click on “Turn on to set the period of inactivity for users to be signed off of Office web apps”, then set the timeout period and click “Save”.

Once you are done, users will get the following prompt if they do not interact with the Office tabs for the configured period.

There is no way of removing the “Stay signed in” option for now, which lets the user keep the sessions from disconnecting.

The GA is expected by June 2022.

Azvise Office 365

Enable Known Folder Move using regedit – OneDrive

Known Folder Move is a “new” functionality in OneDrive that enables you to seamlessly recreate the same user experience across multiple devices .

Expecially useful in a Windows Virtual Desktop / VDI environment, it automatically syncs all the “Known Folders” (Desktop, Documents, Pictures etc.) when a user logs in.

To enable it via Registry Editor you’ll first have to get your tenant ID. Find it here under “Directory ID”:

https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_AAD_IAM/ActiveDirectoryMenuBlade/Properties

Then you can proceed to create a new string value in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\OneDrive

Name: KFMSilentOptIn

Value: Insert your Office 365 Tenant ID

Azvise Office 365

Enable SMTP AUTH for a mailbox – Office 365

If you try to set up a printer / external device with SMTP you might encounter an authentication error.

This is caused by the fact that Microsoft now disables SMTP AUTH for the tenant and the new mailboxes created on Office 365 by default.

To enable SMTP AUTH for a mailbox follow this steps:

  • Go into Users
  • Click Active Users
  • Select the user
  • Click Mail
  • Click Manage email apps
  • Enable Authenticated SMTP by flagging it
  • Save

This might take a couple of hours before it’s activated.

To check where it’s enabled use the following command:

Get-CASMailbox

If it returns False under SmtpClientAuthenticationDisable, then it’s enabled.

To enable it for the whole organization send the following PS command:

Set-TransportConfig -SmtpClientAuthenticationDisabled $true

Azvise Office 365

Quick troubleshooting for generic OneDrive issues

Here are some common troubleshooting steps that can be used if you are experiencing issues with OneDrive:

  1. Exit the OneDrive Desktop App and open it again
  2. Check for Disk space in the local PC. Check if the storage quota on OneDrive has been reached
  3. Check if the file path has exceeded the 255 characters quota or the 15 GB quota
  4. Right click the OneDrive icon, then go under Settings, Office and deselect “Use Office to sync Offices files that i open”. Save, exit, then enable it again.
  5. Reset OneDrive using the following command. No data will be lost: %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
  6. If after the reset you don’t see any folder listed as synchronized on the device start the synchronization again from SharePoint. After you synchronize the first one the others will pop back up in the synchronized folders tab.