Enforce upgrade component rules
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer Description
This policy setting causes the Windows Installer to enforce strict rules for component upgrades. If you enable this policy setting, strict upgrade rules will be enforced by the Windows Installer which may cause some upgrades to fail. Upgrades can fail if they attempt to do one of the following: (1) Remove a component from a feature. This can also occur if you change the GUID of a component. The component identified by the original GUID appears to be removed and the component as identified by the new GUID appears as a new component. (2) Add a new feature to the top or middle of an existing feature tree. The new feature must be added as a new leaf feature to an existing feature tree. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the Windows Installer will use less restrictive rules for component upgrades.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer Value name: EnforceUpgradeComponentRules
Enabled: EnforceUpgradeComponentRules = 1
Disabled: EnforceUpgradeComponentRules = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MSI/MSI_EnforceUpgradeComponentRules 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: Enforce upgrade component rules
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
"EnforceUpgradeComponentRules"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnforceUpgradeComponentRules' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MSI/MSI_EnforceUpgradeComponentRules
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'EnforceUpgradeComponentRules' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnforceUpgradeComponentRules' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
# 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: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'EnforceUpgradeComponentRules' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enforce upgrade component rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Installer v3.0
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnforceUpgradeComponentRules' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.