Support device authentication using certificate
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Kerberos Description
Support for device authentication using certificate will require connectivity to a DC in the device account domain which supports certificate authentication for computer accounts. This policy setting allows you to set support for Kerberos to attempt authentication using the certificate for the device to the domain. If you enable this policy setting, the devices credentials will be selected based on the following options: Automatic: Device will attempt to authenticate using its certificate. If the DC does not support computer account authentication using certificates then authentication with password will be attempted. Force: Device will always authenticate using its certificate. If a DC cannot be found which support computer account authentication using certificates then authentication will fail. If you disable this policy setting, certificates will never be used. If you do not configure this policy setting, Automatic will be used.
Registry
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters Value name: DevicePKInitEnabled
Enabled: DevicePKInitEnabled = 1
Disabled: DevicePKInitEnabled = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Kerberos/DevicePKInitEnabled 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: Support device authentication using certificate
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters]
"DevicePKInitEnabled"=dword:00000001
"DevicePKInitBehavior"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitBehavior' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Kerberos/DevicePKInitEnabled
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="DevicePKInitBehavior" value="0"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters' -Name 'DevicePKInitEnabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters' -Name 'DevicePKInitBehavior' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitBehavior' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# 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: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters' -Name 'DevicePKInitEnabled' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters' -Name 'DevicePKInitBehavior' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Support device authentication using certificate
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\Kerberos\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitEnabled' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DevicePKInitBehavior' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.