Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Security Page\Internet Zone User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Security Page\Internet Zone Description
This policy setting allows you to manage whether a user may preview an item from this zone or display custom thumbnails in the preview pane in File Explorer. While this policy setting usually applies to items returned by OpenSearch queries using Search Connectors (which allow rich searching of remote sources from within the File Explorer), it might affect other items as well that are marked from this zone. For example, some application-specific items such as MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) items that are returned as search results in File Explorer will be affected. MAPI items reside in the Internet zone, so disabling this policy for the Internet zone will prevent the previewing of these items in File Explorer. For the case of custom thumbnails, it is the zone of the thumbnail that is checked, not the zone of item. Typically these are the same but a source is able to define a specific location of a thumbnail that is different than the location of the item. If you enable this policy setting, users can preview items and get custom thumbnails from OpenSearch query results in this zone using File Explorer. If you disable this policy setting, users will be prevented from previewing items and get custom thumbnails from OpenSearch query results in this zone using File Explorer. If you do not configure this policy setting, users can preview items and get custom thumbnails from OpenSearch query results in this zone using File Explorer. Changes to this setting may not be applied until the user logs off from Windows.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 Value name: 180F
Enabled: 180F = 0
Disabled: 180F = 3
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsExplorer/IZ_Policy_OpenSearchPreview_Internet ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsExplorer/IZ_Policy_OpenSearchPreview_Internet 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. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3]
"180F"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name '180F' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsExplorer/IZ_Policy_OpenSearchPreview_Internet
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3' -Name '180F' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name '180F' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# 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: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3' -Name '180F' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Allow previewing and custom thumbnails of OpenSearch query results in File Explorer
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name '180F' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.