Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Media Player Description
This policy setting allows you to prevent a shortcut icon for the Player from being added to the user's desktop. If you enable this policy setting, users cannot add the Player shortcut icon to their desktops. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users can choose whether to add the Player shortcut icon to their desktops.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer Value name: DesktopShortcut
Enabled: DesktopShortcut = no
Disabled: DesktopShortcut = yes
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/PreventWMPDeskTopShortcut 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 Desktop Shortcut Creation
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer]
"DesktopShortcut"="no"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DesktopShortcut' -Value 'no' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WindowsMediaPlayer/PreventWMPDeskTopShortcut
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'DesktopShortcut' -Expected 'no' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DesktopShortcut' -Value 'no' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
# 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 Desktop Shortcut Creation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer' -Name 'DesktopShortcut' -Expected 'no' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent Desktop Shortcut Creation
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Media Player 9 Series and later.
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DesktopShortcut' -Value 'no' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.