Select OCR language
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 12, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\OCR Description
This policy setting allows selection of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) language. If you enable this policy setting, the selected OCR language is used in OCR processing during the indexing of TIFF files. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the default system language is used. Re-indexing is not initiated when you enable this policy and select the OCR language. This policy setting only applies to indexing of new files, unless re-indexing is initiated manually.
Registry
HKLM
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR 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: Select OCR language
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR]
"SelectedOcrLanguage"="ar"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SelectedOcrLanguage' -Value 'ar' -Type StringIntune 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: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR' -Name 'SelectedOcrLanguage' -Expected 'ar' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SelectedOcrLanguage' -Value 'ar' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or 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: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR' -Name 'SelectedOcrLanguage' -Expected 'ar' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select OCR language
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\OCR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SelectedOcrLanguage' -Value 'ar' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.