How to restrict users form updating Timezone and Regional Settings (Exchange 2019)

Question

Hello!

I am trying to stop users from updating or changing Timezone and Language (Regional Settings) using OWA or Outlook Desktop.

All the users are on Exchange Server and some of the users are shared mailboxes too.

I am aware that I can use the below command to update OWA language settings, Default Language and time zone:

• Set-OwaVirtualDirectory -identity "Owa (Default Web Site)" -LogonAndErrorLanguage <language code>
• Set-OWAVirtualDirectory “OWA (Default Web Site)” -DefaultClientLanguage 2057
• Set-MailboxRegionalConfiguration -Identity <Username> -Language <language code>
• Set-Mailbox -identity <mailbox identity> -languages <language code>

But my need is a way to restrict users from updating these settings afterwards. Or, at least stop the users from updating the settings for shared mailboxes where they have full access.

I haven't found a policy, setting or control that could enable to do this so far.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

Answer 1

You need to edit the default permissions users get, which is done by updating the Role Assignment Policy assigned to them. In particular, you need to remove/update the entry for the Set-MailboxRegionalConfiguration cmdlet within the MyBaseOptions role. Details for example in this article: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/permissions-exo/role-assignment-policies

An easier approach is to disable/remove the MyBaseOptions role altogether, however this will affect most other settings a user can configure on their mailbox, which might not be what you want.

Answer 2

Hi,@Said Amchart

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

Unfortunately, there isn’t a supported, built‐in setting in Exchange that “locks” a user’s or shared mailbox’s regional settings (language and time zone) so they can’t change them through OWA or Outlook. In other words, while you can use Set-OwaVirtualDirectory, Set-MailboxRegionalConfiguration, and similar cmdlets to set default values, Exchange does not offer a policy or configuration flag that prevents end users from changing these settings afterward.

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