Turn off smart card emulation
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Hello for Business Description
Windows Hello for Business automatically provides smart card emulation for compatibility with smart card enabled applications. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Hello for Business provisions Windows Hello for Business credentials that are not compatible with smart card applications. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows Hello for Business provisions Windows Hello for Business credentials compatible with smart card applications. NOTE: This policy affects Windows Hello for Business credentials at the time of creation. Credentials created before the application of this policy continue to provide smart card emulation. To change an existing credential, enable this policy setting and select "I forgot my PIN" from Settings.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork Value name: DisableSmartCardNode
Enabled: DisableSmartCardNode = 1
Disabled: DisableSmartCardNode = 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 smart card emulation
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork]
"DisableSmartCardNode"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableSmartCardNode' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork' -Name 'DisableSmartCardNode' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableSmartCardNode' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least 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: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork' -Name 'DisableSmartCardNode' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off smart card emulation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableSmartCardNode' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.