Turn off Search Companion content file updates
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings Description
This policy setting specifies whether Search Companion should automatically download content updates during local and Internet searches. When users search the local computer or the Internet, Search Companion occasionally connects to Microsoft to download an updated privacy policy and additional content files used to format and display results. If you enable this policy setting, Search Companion does not download content updates during searches. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Search Companion downloads content updates unless the user is using Classic Search. Note: Internet searches still send the search text and information about the search to Microsoft and the chosen search provider. Choosing Classic Search turns off the Search Companion feature completely.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion Value name: DisableContentFileUpdates
Enabled: DisableContentFileUpdates = 1
Disabled: DisableContentFileUpdates = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ICM/SearchCompanion_DisableFileUpdates 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: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion]
"DisableContentFileUpdates"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableContentFileUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_ICM/SearchCompanion_DisableFileUpdates
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion' -Name 'DisableContentFileUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableContentFileUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
# 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 Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion' -Name 'DisableContentFileUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Search Companion content file updates
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SearchCompanion'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableContentFileUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.