Turn off Windows Location Provider
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Location and Sensors\Windows Location Provider Description
This policy setting turns off the Windows Location Provider feature for this computer. If you enable this policy setting, the Windows Location Provider feature will be turned off, and all programs on this computer will not be able to use the Windows Location Provider feature. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, all programs on this computer can use the Windows Location Provider feature.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors Value name: DisableWindowsLocationProvider
Enabled: DisableWindowsLocationProvider = 1
Disabled: DisableWindowsLocationProvider = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_LocationProviderAdm/DisableWindowsLocationProvider_1 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 off Windows Location Provider
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors]
"DisableWindowsLocationProvider"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsLocationProvider' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_LocationProviderAdm/DisableWindowsLocationProvider_1
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors' -Name 'DisableWindowsLocationProvider' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsLocationProvider' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
# 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 off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors' -Name 'DisableWindowsLocationProvider' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows Location Provider
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 only
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LocationAndSensors'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableWindowsLocationProvider' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.