Add primary intranet search location
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 29, 2026
Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search Description
Enabling this policy allows you to add a primary intranet search location within Windows Desktop Search. The value of this text should be: name,url For example: Intranet,http://intranetsearch.aspx?k=$w You must provide the following: 1) A name for the scope, such as 'Intranet'. 2) The URL to the search service. Use $w in place of the query term for the search service URL. If your intranet search service is SharePoint Portal Server, your query should resemble the following: http://sitename/Search.aspx?k=$w If your intranet search service is Windows SharePoint Services (WSS), the query should resemble the following, where XXXX is the locale ID of your WSS Service. For example, the English locale ID is 1033. http://sitename/_layouts/XXXX/searchresults.aspx?SearchString=$w This adds intranet search location to: 1) The Windows Deskbar 2) The Desktop Search results search box 3) The WDS search box in Search Companion
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search 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: Add primary intranet search location
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl"=""More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl' -Value '' -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: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl' -Value '' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
# 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: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Add primary intranet search location
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PrimaryIntranetSearchScopeUrl' -Value '' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.