Forum Discussion
Default Meeting to "Don't Host Online"
I am currently trying to see if we can set our meeting defaults to "Don't host online" as every single meeting created is being defaulted to a teams meeting.
As most of the meetings we are hosting are in person, I would like to know if there is a way in Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 to make all new meetings created default as offline/not Teams.
I have found suggestions to uncheck "Add online meeting to all meetings" under Options > Calendar > Calendar Options, but I do not have that setting as an option when I go in.
As that is not available to me, if anyone knows how else to change the default that would be fantastic!
Thanks
James
Hi JChing,
thanks for your question.In Office LTSC Pro Plus 2021, the option to modify the default meeting type through Calendar Options normally is not available. But, there are some other options:
1. Manual selection of meeting type during creation:
- Instead of attempting to change the default meeting type, you can manually select the appropriate meeting type for each new meeting. By accessing the "Meeting Options" or a similar feature before sending the invitation, users can specify the desired meeting type, such as an in-person meeting without Teams.2. Creation of an in-person meeting template:
- Another option is creating a dedicated meeting template specifically created for in-person meetings. - This template can be configured with the desired settings, including the meeting type, location, and other pertinent details. When initiating a new meeting, users can employ this template as a starting point, allowing the pre-filled meeting details to align with the desired specifications.- To create an in-person meeting template, you can go trough these steps:
a. Generate a new meeting in Outlook, configuring it with the desired settings for an in-person meeting.
b. Include pertinent details such as the location, duration, and any specific instructions.
c. Save the meeting as a template by navigating to "File," selecting "Save As," and choosing the "Outlook Template" (.oft) format.
d. Assign a descriptive name to the template and store it in a convenient location for easy accessibility.
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Kindest regards
Leon PavesicHi LeonPavesic and davidtg
Thank you for getting back to me and thank you both for your suggestions.
Your first solution of manual selection is where the probablem lies.
It defaults to an online meeting so it's not selecting the meeting type, but forcing us to de-select the meeting type it's forcing onto us.
As for your 2nd solution, as nice as templates are, this is not the solution that we are looking for.
I believe the most straightforward way is to just customize the Quick Access ribbon to include the option to disable the online meeting. This way, templates wouldn't be necessary.
As for davidtg's solution goes, I also looked into disabling the Teams Outlook add-in, however about 1/4 of the meetings hosted are done on teams and removing the add-in would prevent meeting links from being added automatically.
I think in the end we will just (for the users that require it) customize their ribbon to have the don't host online button in a very obvious spot.
I know it's normally just a couple clicks away, but many of our staff didn't know where to find it in the first place.
Thank you
James
We're suddenly having the same issue with MS Office 2021 LTSC since its build version is frozen and the calendar option was added to a later build. Pretty sure this was accounted for by Teams until a recent Teams update since the "create online meeting" issue and option to non-LTSC versions was added over a year ago (spring 2022). Now the LTSC version, which doesn't have this option, is having all new meetings created as a Teams online meeting. Our workaround is to disable the Teams Outlook add-in.
