Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
Verified with Microsoft Security Baseline (MSS / SecGuide) 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide Description
Beginning with Windows 10 v1809 and Windows Server v1809, this functionality should instead be configured through the following Group Policy setting: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender Antivirus\Configure detection for potentially unwanted applications.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine Value name: MpEnablePus
Enabled: MpEnablePus = 1
Disabled: MpEnablePus = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/MSSecurityGuide/TurnOnWindowsDefenderProtectionAgainstPotentiallyUnwantedApplications 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: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine]
"MpEnablePus"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MpEnablePus' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/MSSecurityGuide/TurnOnWindowsDefenderProtectionAgainstPotentiallyUnwantedApplications
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine' -Name 'MpEnablePus' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MpEnablePus' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, 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: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine' -Name 'MpEnablePus' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn on Windows Defender protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (DEPRECATED)
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\MpEngine'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MpEnablePus' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.