Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Logon Options Description
This policy setting controls whether or not software can simulate the Secure Attention Sequence (SAS). If you enable this policy setting, you have one of four options: If you set this policy setting to "None," user mode software cannot simulate the SAS. If you set this policy setting to "Services," services can simulate the SAS. If you set this policy setting to "Ease of Access applications," Ease of Access applications can simulate the SAS. If you set this policy setting to "Services and Ease of Access applications," both services and Ease of Access applications can simulate the SAS. If you disable or do not configure this setting, only Ease of Access applications running on the secure desktop can simulate the SAS.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WinLogon/SoftwareSASGeneration 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: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"SoftwareSASGeneration"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SoftwareSASGeneration' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WinLogon/SoftwareSASGeneration
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="SoftwareSASGenerationDescription" value="0"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' -Name 'SoftwareSASGeneration' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SoftwareSASGeneration' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# 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: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' -Name 'SoftwareSASGeneration' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'SoftwareSASGeneration' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.