Hide previous versions of files on backup location
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Previous Versions Description
This policy setting lets you hide entries in the list of previous versions of a file in which the previous version is located on backup media. Previous versions can come from the on-disk restore points or the backup media. If you enable this policy setting, users cannot see any previous versions corresponding to backup copies, and can see only previous versions corresponding to on-disk restore points. If you disable this policy setting, users can see previous versions corresponding to backup copies as well as previous versions corresponding to on-disk restore points. If you do not configure this policy setting, it is disabled by default.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions Value name: HideBackupEntries
Enabled: HideBackupEntries = 1
Disabled: HideBackupEntries = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_PreviousVersions/HideBackupEntries_2 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: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions]
"HideBackupEntries"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HideBackupEntries' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_PreviousVersions/HideBackupEntries_2
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions' -Name 'HideBackupEntries' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HideBackupEntries' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
# 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: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions' -Name 'HideBackupEntries' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Hide previous versions of files on backup location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Supported Windows Vista through Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\PreviousVersions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'HideBackupEntries' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.