Configure Network Buffering
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Media Player\Networking Description
This policy setting allows you to specify whether network buffering uses the default or a specified number of seconds. If you enable this policy setting, select one of the following options to specify the number of seconds streaming media is buffered before it is played. - Custom: the number of seconds, up to 60, that streaming media is buffered. - Default: default network buffering is used and the number of seconds that is specified is ignored. The "Use default buffering" and "Buffer" options on the Performance tab in the Player are not available. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users can change the buffering options on the Performance tab.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer Value name: NetworkBufferingPolicy
Enabled: NetworkBufferingPolicy = 1
Disabled: NetworkBufferingPolicy = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/NetworkBuffering 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 Network Buffering
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer]
"NetworkBufferingPolicy"=dword:00000001
"BufferingType"=dword:00000001
"NetworkBuffering"=dword:00000003More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBufferingPolicy' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BufferingType' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBuffering' -Value 3 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/NetworkBuffering
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="BufferingTime" value="1"/>
<data id="NetworkBuffering" value="3"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'NetworkBufferingPolicy' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'BufferingType' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'NetworkBuffering' -Expected 3 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBufferingPolicy' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BufferingType' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBuffering' -Value 3 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# 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 Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'NetworkBufferingPolicy' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'BufferingType' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'NetworkBuffering' -Expected 3 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Configure Network Buffering
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player for Windows XP and later.
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBufferingPolicy' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BufferingType' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NetworkBuffering' -Value 3 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.