if(Selected == "drum" || Selected == "guitar" || Selected == "mic" || Selected == "computer" || Selected == "car" || Selected == "hockey" || Selected == "laptop" || Selected == "watch" )
{
      pCmdUI->Enable(Sort == 1);
}

void CDeptView::OnSortManager()
{
	Selected = "MANAGER"; // Selected is a variable
       // Pulling out data from the access table
	m_pSet->m_strSort="[Managers].[ManagerName]";
	m_pSet->Requery();
	m_pSet->MoveFirst();
	UpdateData(FALSE);
}

void CDeptView::OnUpdateSortManager(CCmdUI *pCmdUI)
{
      // Setting a check to the menu item but it doesn't work now as   
         it has sub menu items
	pCmdUI->SetCheck(( m_SelectedSort == "MANAGER")? 1 : 0 );
      // Bellow is the condition when I want the menu item and its   
         sub item to be disabled.
	 if(Selected == "drum" || Selected == "guitar" || Selected == "mic" || Selected == "computer" || Selected == "car" || Selected == "hockey" || Selected == "laptop" || Selected == "watch" )
        {
      pCmdUI->Enable(Sort == 1);
        }
}

void CDept::DisableSort(void)
{
	CWnd* pParent = GetParent(); // This is a point to the window
	 // This is a pointer to the menu on that window
        CMenu* pMenu = pParent->GetMenu();        
 
        if (m_pSet->GetRecordCount()==0) {
		MessageBox("Error", MB_ICONSTOP);
                // This disables the menu item in the 6th position which  
                    is  Sort
		pMenu->EnableMenuItem(5 , MF_BYPOSITION | MF_GRAYED );		
	}
	m_pSet->MoveFirst();
	pParent->DrawMenuBar(); // To redraw the menu
	OnSortEmployee(); // To reset the sort back to the “default condition”
}

//(5) is the position of the sort, (MF_BYPOSITION ) is saying that it can be done by position of the Sort which is 5, (MF_GRAYED) means it grays out the SORT. 
 
pMenu->EnableMenuItem(5 , MF_BYPOSITION | MF_GRAYED );

CMainFrame* pFrame ; // Memeber variable
pFrame = (CMainFrame*) AfxGetMainWnd(); 
 
pFrame->GetMenu()
->EnableMenuItem(ID_SORT_MANAGER,MF_GRAYED);

	CWnd* pParent = GetParent();
	CMenu* pMenu = pParent->GetMenu();
	CMenu* submenu = pMenu->GetSubMenu(0);
	submenu->EnableMenuItem(0, MF_BYPOSITION | MF_GRAYED );

ON_UPDATE_COMMAND_UI(IDM_SUBMENU1, OnUpdateSubmenu1)
ON_UPDATE_COMMAND_UI(IDM_SUBMENU2, OnUpdateSubmenu2)
...
void SomeClass::OnUpdateSubmenu1(CCmdUI* pCmdUI)
{
    pCmdUI->Enable( ... )
}
void SomeClass::OnUpdateSubmenu2(CCmdUI* pCmdUI)
{
    pCmdUI->Enable( ... )
}