Set scavenge interval
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Net Logon Description
This policy setting determines the interval at which Netlogon performs the following scavenging operations: - Checks if a password on a secure channel needs to be modified, and modifies it if necessary. - On the domain controllers (DC), discovers a DC that has not been discovered. - On the PDC, attempts to add the <DomainName>[1B] NetBIOS name if it hasn’t already been successfully added. None of these operations are critical. 15 minutes is optimal in all but extreme cases. For instance, if a DC is separated from a trusted domain by an expensive (e.g., ISDN) line, this parameter might be adjusted upward to avoid frequent automatic discovery of DCs in a trusted domain. To enable the setting, click Enabled, and then specify the interval in seconds.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Netlogon/Netlogon_ScavengeInterval 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: Set scavenge interval
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters]
"ScavengeInterval"=dword:00000384More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScavengeInterval' -Value 900 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Netlogon/Netlogon_ScavengeInterval
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="Netlogon_ScavengeIntervalLabel" value="900"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters' -Name 'ScavengeInterval' -Expected 900 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScavengeInterval' -Value 900 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
# 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: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters' -Name 'ScavengeInterval' -Expected 900 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set scavenge interval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Netlogon\Parameters'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScavengeInterval' -Value 900 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.