Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections Description
Determines whether administrators can add and remove network components for a LAN or remote access connection. This setting has no effect on nonadministrators. If you enable this setting (and enable the "Enable Network Connections settings for Administrators" setting), the Install and Uninstall buttons for components of connections are disabled, and administrators are not permitted to access network components in the Windows Components Wizard. Important: If the "Enable Network Connections settings for Administrators" is disabled or not configured, this setting will not apply to administrators on post-Windows 2000 computers. If you disable this setting or do not configure it, the Install and Uninstall buttons for components of connections in the Network Connections folder are enabled. Also, administrators can gain access to network components in the Windows Components Wizard. The Install button opens the dialog boxes used to add network components. Clicking the Uninstall button removes the selected component in the components list (above the button). The Install and Uninstall buttons appear in the properties dialog box for connections. These buttons are on the General tab for LAN connections and on the Networking tab for remote access connections. Note: When the "Prohibit access to properties of a LAN connection", "Ability to change properties of an all user remote access connection", or "Prohibit changing properties of a private remote access connection" settings are set to deny access to the connection properties dialog box, the Install and Uninstall buttons for connections are blocked. Note: Nonadministrators are already prohibited from adding and removing connection components, regardless of this setting.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections Value name: NC_AddRemoveComponents
Enabled: NC_AddRemoveComponents = 0
Disabled: NC_AddRemoveComponents = 1
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_AddRemoveComponents 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 adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections]
"NC_AddRemoveComponents"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NC_AddRemoveComponents' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_AddRemoveComponents
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections' -Name 'NC_AddRemoveComponents' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NC_AddRemoveComponents' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# 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 adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections' -Name 'NC_AddRemoveComponents' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit adding and removing components for a LAN or remote access connection
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 operating systems only
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NC_AddRemoveComponents' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.