Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Media Player Description
This policy setting allows you to prevent media information for music files from being retrieved from the Internet. If you enable this policy setting, the Player is prevented from automatically obtaining media information for music files such as Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 files from the Internet. In addition, the Update my music files (WMA and MP3 files) by retrieving missing media information from the Internet check box in the first use dialog box and on the Privacy and Media Library tabs in the Player are not selected and are not available. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users can change the setting of the Update my music files (WMA and MP3 files) by retrieving missing media information from the Internet check box.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer Value name: PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval
Enabled: PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval = 1
Disabled: PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval 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: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer]
"PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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 'PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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 'PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Music File Media Information Retrieval
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series 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 'PreventMusicFileMetadataRetrieval' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.