Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Advanced Page User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Advanced Page Description
Enhanced Protected Mode provides additional protection against malicious websites by using 64-bit processes on 64-bit versions of Windows. For computers running at least Windows 8, Enhanced Protected Mode also limits the locations Internet Explorer can read from in the registry and the file system. If you enable this policy setting, Enhanced Protected Mode will be turned on. Any zone that has Protected Mode enabled will use Enhanced Protected Mode. Users will not be able to disable Enhanced Protected Mode. If you disable this policy setting, Enhanced Protected Mode will be turned off. Any zone that has Protected Mode enabled will use the version of Protected Mode introduced in Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Vista. If you do not configure this policy, users will be able to turn on or turn off Enhanced Protected Mode on the Advanced tab of the Internet Options dialog.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main Value name: Isolation
Enabled: Isolation = PMEM
Disabled: Isolation = PMIL
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/AllowEnhancedProtectedMode ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/AllowEnhancedProtectedMode 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. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Isolation"="PMEM"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Isolation' -Value 'PMEM' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/InternetExplorer/AllowEnhancedProtectedMode
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main' -Name 'Isolation' -Expected 'PMEM' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Isolation' -Value 'PMEM' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
# 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 on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main' -Name 'Isolation' -Expected 'PMEM' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Enhanced Protected Mode
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Internet Explorer 10.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'Isolation' -Value 'PMEM' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.