Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles Description
This policy setting determines whether the system retains a roaming user's Windows Installer and Group Policy based software installation data on their profile deletion. By default Windows deletes all information related to a roaming user (which includes the user's settings, data, Windows Installer related data, and the like) when their profile is deleted. As a result, the next time a roaming user whose profile was previously deleted on that client logs on, they will need to reinstall all apps published via policy at logon increasing logon time. You can use this policy setting to change this behavior. If you enable this policy setting, Windows will not delete Windows Installer or Group Policy software installation data for roaming users when profiles are deleted from the machine. This will improve the performance of Group Policy based Software Installation during user logon when a user profile is deleted and that user subsequently logs on to the machine. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows will delete the entire profile for roaming users, including the Windows Installer and Group Policy software installation data when those profiles are deleted. Note: If this policy setting is enabled for a machine, local administrator action is required to remove the Windows Installer or Group Policy software installation data stored in the registry and file system of roaming users' profiles on the machine.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System Value name: LeaveAppMgmtData
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserProfiles/LeaveAppMgmtData 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: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]
"LeaveAppMgmtData"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LeaveAppMgmtData' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_UserProfiles/LeaveAppMgmtData
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'LeaveAppMgmtData' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LeaveAppMgmtData' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
# 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: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'LeaveAppMgmtData' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Leave Windows Installer and Group Policy Software Installation Data
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LeaveAppMgmtData' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.