Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
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 users can use the New Connection Wizard, which creates new network connections. If you enable this setting (and enable the "Enable Network Connections settings for Administrators" setting), the Make New Connection icon does not appear in the Start Menu on in the Network Connections folder. As a result, users (including administrators) cannot start the New Connection 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 Make New Connection icon appears in the Start menu and in the Network Connections folder for all users. Clicking the Make New Connection icon starts the New Connection Wizard. Note: Changing this setting from Enabled to Not Configured does not restore the Make New Connection icon until the user logs off or on. When other changes to this setting are applied, the icon does not appear or disappear in the Network Connections folder until the folder is refreshed. Note: This setting does not prevent users from using other programs, such as Internet Explorer, to bypass this setting.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections Value name: NC_NewConnectionWizard
Enabled: NC_NewConnectionWizard = 0
Disabled: NC_NewConnectionWizard = 1
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_NewConnectionWizard 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 access to the New Connection Wizard
; 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_NewConnectionWizard"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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_NewConnectionWizard' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_NewConnectionWizard
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections' -Name 'NC_NewConnectionWizard' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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_NewConnectionWizard' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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 access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network Connections' -Name 'NC_NewConnectionWizard' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prohibit access to the New Connection Wizard
# 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_NewConnectionWizard' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.