Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard\Attack Surface Reduction Description
Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules. Enabled: Specify the folders or files and resources that should be excluded from ASR rules in the Options section. Enter each rule on a new line as a name-value pair: - Name column: Enter a folder path or a fully qualified resource name. For example, ""C:\Windows"" will exclude all files in that directory. ""C:\Windows\App.exe"" will exclude only that specific file in that specific folder - Value column: Enter ""0"" for each item Disabled: No exclusions will be applied to the ASR rules. Not configured: Same as Disabled. You can configure ASR rules in the Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules GP setting.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR Value name: ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MicrosoftDefenderAntivirus/ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions Multiple CSP matches are possible; the first one was selected.
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: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR]
"ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions]
; List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.Intune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MicrosoftDefenderAntivirus/ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<!-- ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions: enter one value per line before copying this XML payload. -->Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
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
}
# HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions: List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR' -Name 'ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.SCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
# 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: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
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
}
# HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions: List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR' -Name 'ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Exclude files and paths from Attack Surface Reduction Rules
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ExploitGuard_ASR_ASROnlyExclusions' -Value 1 -Type DWord
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\ASR\ASROnlyExclusions'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
# List values: enter one value per line in the builder UI.Building a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.