Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content Description
This policy setting lets you turn off the Windows Spotlight Windows Welcome experience. This feature helps onboard users to Windows, for instance launching Microsoft Edge with a web page highlighting new features. If you enable this policy, the Windows Welcome Experience will no longer display when there are updates and changes to Windows and its apps. If you disable or do not configure this policy, the Windows Welcome Experience will be launched to help onboard users to Windows telling them about what's new, changed, and suggested.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent Value name: DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience
Enabled: DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience = 1
Disabled: DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Experience/AllowWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0- Not allowed. -
1 (Default)- Allowed.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent]
"DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Experience/AllowWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent' -Name 'DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent' -Name 'DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off the Windows Welcome Experience
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1703
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsSpotlightWindowsWelcomeExperience' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.