Prohibit use of Restart Manager
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer Description
This policy setting controls Windows Installer's interaction with the Restart Manager. The Restart Manager API can eliminate or reduce the number of system restarts that are required to complete an installation or update. If you enable this policy setting, you can use the options in the Prohibit Use of Restart Manager box to control file in use detection behavior. -- The "Restart Manager On" option instructs Windows Installer to use Restart Manager to detect files in use and mitigate a system restart, when possible. -- The "Restart Manager Off" option turns off Restart Manager for file in use detection and the legacy file in use behavior is used. -- The "Restart Manager Off for Legacy App Setup" option applies to packages that were created for Windows Installer versions lesser than 4.0. This option lets those packages display the legacy files in use UI while still using Restart Manager for detection. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows Installer will use Restart Manager to detect files in use and mitigate a system restart, when possible.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MSI/DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown 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: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
"DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MSI/DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown" value="1"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
# 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: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit use of Restart Manager
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v4.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticApplicationShutdown' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.