Download missing COM components
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 2000
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System Description
This policy setting directs the system to search Active Directory for missing Component Object Model (COM) components that a program requires. Many Windows programs, such as the MMC snap-ins, use the interfaces provided by the COM components. These programs cannot perform all their functions unless Windows has internally registered the required components. If you enable this policy setting and a component registration is missing, the system searches for it in Active Directory and, if it is found, downloads it. The resulting searches might make some programs start or run slowly. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the program continues without the registration. As a result, the program might not perform all its functions, or it might stop. This setting appears in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration folders. If both settings are configured, the setting in Computer Configuration takes precedence over the setting in User Configuration.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management Value name: COMClassStore
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_COM/AppMgmt_COM_SearchForCLSID_2 Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
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: Download missing COM components
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 2000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management]
"COMClassStore"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'COMClassStore' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_COM/AppMgmt_COM_SearchForCLSID_2
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management' -Name 'COMClassStore' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'COMClassStore' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
# 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: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management' -Name 'COMClassStore' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Download missing COM components
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 2000
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\App Management'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'COMClassStore' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.