Overview
When Laurel Assistant connects to Microsoft Outlook to access your contacts, calendar, or email features, you may encounter a security prompt such as:
A program is trying to access email address information stored in Outlook. If this is unexpected, click Deny and verify your antivirus software is up-to-date.
This is part of Outlook’s Programmatic Access Security, which protects Outlook data from unauthorized access by external programs. Whether this prompt appears depends on:
The status and detection of your antivirus software.
Your organization's Group Policy settings.
Certain Registry keys that control how Outlook handles these programmatic access requests.
Why Does This Prompt Appear?
Outlook triggers this prompt if:
No supported, up-to-date antivirus software is detected by Windows Security Center.
Group Policy or registry settings are not configured to allow programmatic access.
Laurel Assistant is attempting to access Outlook’s address book or contact information programmatically.
Outlook defaults to its Object Model Guard, which prompts the user to allow or deny access.
Important: Antivirus Detection Suppresses the Prompt
When supported antivirus software is installed, up-to-date, and correctly detected in Windows Security Center, Outlook automatically suppresses the prompt.
✅ If antivirus detection works correctly, users will typically not see the prompt.
Solutions for Preventing the Prompt
1. Ensure Antivirus is Installed and Detected
Open Windows Security.
Go to Virus & threat protection.
Verify that your antivirus software is listed and shown as active and up-to-date.
If antivirus detection works, Outlook will not display the prompt in most cases.
2. Use Group Policy to Suppress Prompts (Recommended for IT Admins in Managed Environments)
For corporate-managed devices, administrators can configure the following Group Policy settings to directly control Outlook’s Programmatic Access Security. This ensures users are never prompted when trusted software like Laurel Assistant accesses Outlook data.
Group Policy Path
Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Outlook > Security > Programmatic Security
Key Policies to Configure
Policy Name | Recommended Setting | Purpose |
PromptOOMAddressInformationAccess | Enabled | Allows antivirus status to influence whether prompts appear. |
PromptOOMAddressBookAccess | Enabled | Allows antivirus status to influence whether prompts appear. |
Configure antivirus checks for Outlook object model | Enabled (recommended if antivirus is deployed) | Allows antivirus status to influence whether prompts appear. |
3. Set Registry Keys (For Unmanaged or Manually Configured Devices)
If Group Policy is not used, the same protections can be enforced by directly setting registry keys on each device. This is especially useful for unmanaged devices (e.g., personal devices used in remote work scenarios).
The security registry folder will be different based on which version of Outlook is installed.
64bit Outlook on 64bit Windows:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security32bit Office on 64bit Windows:
HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\SecurityClick-to-Run install:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\ClickToRun\REGISTRY\MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security
Recommended Registry Keys
Key Name | Type | Value |
ObjectModelGuard | DWORD |
|
ObjectModelGuard | DWORD |
|
ObjectModelGuard (Click-to-Run) | DWORD |
|
PromptOOMAddressInformationAccess | DWORD |
|
PromptOOMAddressBookAccess | DWORD |
|
Value Definitions
Value | Meaning |
0 | Disabled (no prompt shown) |
1 | Prompt user |
2 | Automatically approve requests |
Important Note
These keys must be applied correctly based on your Office version (32-bit vs 64-bit vs Click-to-Run).
Restart Outlook after applying any registry changes.
Quick Reference Table
Scenario | Recommended Action |
Managed Enterprise Device | Apply Group Policy settings. |
Unmanaged or Personal Device | Set registry keys directly. |
User sees prompt | Confirm application is Laurel Assistant and click Allow if trusted. |
Antivirus missing or not detected | Install supported antivirus and confirm detection in Windows Security Center. |
Troubleshooting Tip
If prompts continue after applying GPO or registry keys, check the following:
✅ Confirm Office bitness (32-bit vs 64-bit).
✅ Confirm Office install type (traditional MSI vs Click-to-Run).
✅ Verify antivirus status in Windows Security Center.
✅ Ensure Outlook was fully restarted after applying changes.
✅ Check for typos in registry paths.
✅ If AntiVirus cannot be utilized set keys to Disabled.
Summary of Key Paths & Settings
Configuration | Path/Policy | Recommended Setting |
GPO - Prompt Address Info Access | PromptOOMAddressInformationAccess | Disabled |
GPO - Prompt Address Book Access | PromptOOMAddressBookAccess | Disabled |
Registry - ObjectModelGuard (64-bit) | HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security | 2 |
Registry - ObjectModelGuard (32-bit) | HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security | 2 |
Registry - ObjectModelGuard (C2R) | ClickToRun registry path | 2 |
Registry - Prompt Address Info Access | HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security | 2 |
Registry - Prompt Address Book Access | HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Security | 2 |