Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\BranchCache Description
This policy setting specifies whether BranchCache-capable client computers operate in a downgraded mode in order to maintain compatibility with previous versions of BranchCache. If client computers do not use the same BranchCache version, cache efficiency might be reduced because client computers that are using different versions of BranchCache might store cache data in incompatible formats. If you enable this policy setting, all clients use the version of BranchCache that you specify in "Select from the following versions." If you do not configure this setting, all clients will use the version of BranchCache that matches their operating system. Policy configuration Select one of the following: - Not Configured. With this selection, this policy setting is not applied to client computers, and the clients run the version of BranchCache that is included with their operating system. - Enabled. With this selection, this policy setting is applied to client computers based on the value of the option setting "Select from the following versions" that you specify. - Disabled. With this selection, this policy setting is not applied to client computers, and the clients run the version of BranchCache that is included with their operating system. In circumstances where this setting is enabled, you can also select and configure the following option: Select from the following versions - Windows Vista with BITS 4.0 installed, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2. If you select this version, later versions of Windows run the version of BranchCache that is included in these operating systems rather than later versions of BranchCache. - Windows 8. If you select this version, Windows 8 will run the version of BranchCache that is included in the operating system.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_PeerToPeerCaching/SetDowngrading 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: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning]
"PreferredContentInformationVersion"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredContentInformationVersion' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_PeerToPeerCaching/SetDowngrading
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="Downgrading_Version" value="1"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning' -Name 'PreferredContentInformationVersion' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredContentInformationVersion' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# 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: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning' -Name 'PreferredContentInformationVersion' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Client BranchCache Version Support
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PeerDist\Service\Versioning'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredContentInformationVersion' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.