Prevent indexing of certain file types
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 29, 2026
Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search Description
Enabling this policy allows you to edit the list of file types to exclude from indexing. The end user cannot modify this list. You should separate each extension type with a semicolon. Note that limitations of Group Policy Object Editor require this list to be split across multiple values. Desktop Search combines all these into a single exclusion list. When this policy is disabled or not configured, the user can edit the default list of excluded file types. If you enable and then disable this policy, the user's original list is restored. If you want to specify an initial default list of excluded file types that users can change later, see the administration guide for information about how to set up the initial machine preference.
Registry
HKLM
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: Prevent indexing of certain file types
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0"=""
"ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1"=""
"ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2"=""
"ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3"=""More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3' -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: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3' -Value '' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 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: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2' -Expected '' -Kind String)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search' -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent indexing of certain file types
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01, or any version of Microsoft Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline0' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline1' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline2' -Value '' -Type String
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExcludedExtensionsMultiline3' -Value '' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.