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Overview

PowerToys provides comprehensive Group Policy support for enterprise environments, allowing administrators to control settings, enforce configurations, and restrict user modifications across an organization.
GPO support was introduced in PowerToys v0.64.0 and has been continuously expanded with new policies in subsequent releases.

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Policy files

PowerToys Group Policy is defined using ADMX (Administrative Template) files located at:
  • ADMX template: src/gpo/assets/PowerToys.admx
  • Language resources: src/gpo/assets/en-US/PowerToys.adml

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Installing policy files

1

Download policy files

Obtain the .admx and .adml files from the PowerToys installation or source repository
2

Copy ADMX file

Copy PowerToys.admx to:
  • Local: C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\
  • Domain: \\domain\sysvol\domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\
3

Copy ADML file

Copy PowerToys.adml to the language folder:
  • Local: C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US\
  • Domain: \\domain\sysvol\domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\en-US\
4

Refresh Group Policy

Open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to:Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Microsoft PowerToys

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Policy categories

Policies are organized into logical categories defined at PowerToys.admx:35-58:

General Settings

Startup behavior, experimentation, diagnostics

Installer and Updates

Update notifications, automatic downloads

PowerToys Run

Plugin control and configuration

Advanced Paste

AI model access control

Mouse Without Borders

Security and network policies

New+

Template and context menu behavior

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Global policies

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Configure global utility enabled state

Policy name: ConfigureAllUtilityGlobalEnabledState Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\ConfigureGlobalUtilityEnabledState Supported since: v0.75.0 Controls the enabled state for all PowerToys utilities simultaneously.
All utilities are forced on. Users cannot disable any utility.Registry value: 1 (REG_DWORD)
Individual utility policies override this global policy. This allows administrators to enable all utilities except specific ones.

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Configure run at startup

Policy name: ConfigureRunAtStartup Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\ConfigureRunAtStartup Supported since: v0.89.0 Controls whether PowerToys starts automatically when users log in. 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"ConfigureRunAtStartup"=dword:00000001
This only controls PowerToys’ internal startup mechanism (scheduled task). It does not prevent users from using other methods to auto-start PowerToys.

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Individual utility policies

Each PowerToys utility has a dedicated enable/disable policy. All follow the same pattern: Policy format: ConfigureEnabledUtility<UtilityName> Registry format: Software\Policies\PowerToys\ConfigureEnabledUtility<UtilityName>

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Complete utility list

UtilityPolicy NameSince Version
Advanced PasteConfigureEnabledUtilityAdvancedPastev0.81.0
Always On TopConfigureEnabledUtilityAlwaysOnTopv0.64.0
AwakeConfigureEnabledUtilityAwakev0.64.0
Color PickerConfigureEnabledUtilityColorPickerv0.64.0
FancyZonesConfigureEnabledUtilityFancyZonesv0.64.0
File LocksmithConfigureEnabledUtilityFileLocksmithv0.64.0
Hosts File EditorConfigureEnabledUtilityHostsFileEditorv0.64.0
Image ResizerConfigureEnabledUtilityImageResizerv0.64.0
Keyboard ManagerConfigureEnabledUtilityKeyboardManagerv0.64.0
PeekConfigureEnabledUtilityPeekv0.70.0
PowerToys RunConfigureEnabledUtilityPowerLauncherv0.64.0
Power RenameConfigureEnabledUtilityPowerRenamev0.64.0
Quick AccentConfigureEnabledUtilityQuickAccentv0.64.0
Screen RulerConfigureEnabledUtilityScreenRulerv0.64.0
Shortcut GuideConfigureEnabledUtilityShortcutGuidev0.64.0
Text ExtractorConfigureEnabledUtilityTextExtractorv0.64.0
Add-onPolicy NameSince Version
SVG PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerSVGPreviewv0.64.0
Markdown PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerMarkdownPreviewv0.64.0
Monaco PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerMonacoPreviewv0.64.0
PDF PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerPDFPreviewv0.64.0
Gcode PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerGcodePreviewv0.64.0
Bgcode PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerBgcodePreviewv0.93.0
QOI PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerQOIPreviewv0.76.0
SVG ThumbnailsConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerSVGThumbnailsv0.64.0
PDF ThumbnailsConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerPDFThumbnailsv0.64.0
STL ThumbnailsConfigureEnabledUtilityFileExplorerSTLThumbnailsv0.64.0
UtilityPolicy NameSince Version
Find My MouseConfigureEnabledUtilityFindMyMousev0.64.0
Mouse HighlighterConfigureEnabledUtilityMouseHighlighterv0.64.0
Mouse CrosshairsConfigureEnabledUtilityMousePointerCrosshairsv0.64.0
Mouse JumpConfigureEnabledUtilityMouseJumpv0.68.0
Mouse Without BordersConfigureEnabledUtilityMouseWithoutBordersv0.70.0
Cursor WrapConfigureEnabledUtilityCursorWrapv0.97.0
UtilityPolicy NameSince Version
Command Not FoundConfigureEnabledUtilityCmdNotFoundv0.77.0
Command PaletteConfigureEnabledUtilityCmdPalv0.90.0
Environment VariablesConfigureEnabledUtilityEnvironmentVariablesv0.75.0
Registry PreviewConfigureEnabledUtilityRegistryPreviewv0.69.0
UtilityPolicy NameSince Version
Crop And LockConfigureEnabledUtilityCropAndLockv0.73.0
Light SwitchConfigureEnabledUtilityLightSwitchv0.95.0
New+ConfigureEnabledUtilityNewPlusv0.85.0
WorkspacesConfigureEnabledUtilityWorkspacesv0.84.0
ZoomItConfigureEnabledUtilityZoomItv0.88.0

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Example: Disable Color Picker

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityColorPicker"=dword:00000000
Or via PowerShell: 
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys" `
  -Name "ConfigureEnabledUtilityColorPicker" `
  -Value 0 -Type DWord

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Update and installer policies

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Disable automatic update download

Policy name: DisableAutomaticUpdateDownload Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\AutomaticUpdateDownloadDisabled Supported since: v0.68.0 Prevents PowerToys from automatically downloading updates. Updates are never downloaded on metered connections.

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Disable update toast notifications

Policy name: DisableNewUpdateToast Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\DisableNewUpdateAvailableToast Supported since: v0.78.0 Suppresses action center notifications about available updates.

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Suspend update toasts

Policy name: SuspendNewUpdateToast Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\SuspendNewUpdateAvailableToast Supported since: v0.68.0 Suspends update notifications for 2 minor versions. Major version notifications are always shown.
Example: If running v0.60.0, notifications resume at v0.63.0

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Disable per-user installation

Policy name: DisablePerUserInstallation Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\PerUserInstallationDisabled Supported since: v0.69.0 Scope: Machine only Forces machine-wide installation, preventing per-user installs.

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Hide What’s New after updates

Policy name: DoNotShowWhatsNewAfterUpdates Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\DoNotShowWhatsNewAfterUpdates Supported since: v0.78.0 Prevents the release notes window from appearing after updates.

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PowerToys Run policies

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Control all plugins

Policy name: PowerToysRunAllPluginsEnabledState Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\PowerLauncherAllPluginsEnabledState Supported since: v0.75.0 Enables or disables all PowerToys Run plugins simultaneously.
Changes require restarting PowerToys Run to take effect.

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Control individual plugins

Policy name: PowerToysRunIndividualPluginEnabledState Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\PowerLauncherIndividualPluginEnabledList Supported since: v0.75.0 Configures individual plugin states using a list of plugin IDs and values:
  • Value 0: Disabled
  • Value 1: Enabled
  • Value 2: User control
Example configuration: 
Plugin ID: 791FC278BA414111B8D1886DFE447410
Value: 0

(Disables the Program plugin)
Plugin IDs are found in each plugin’s plugin.json file.

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Advanced Paste policies

Advanced Paste includes policies to control AI model access for enterprise security.

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Control online AI models

Policy name: AllowPowerToysAdvancedPasteOnlineAIModels Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\AllowPowerToysAdvancedPasteOnlineAIModels Supported since: v0.81.1 Controls whether users can enable AI features and configure API keys.

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Individual AI service policies

Each AI service has a dedicated policy (supported since v0.96.0):
  • AllowAdvancedPasteOpenAI - OpenAI API access
  • AllowAdvancedPasteAzureOpenAI - Azure OpenAI access
  • AllowAdvancedPasteAzureAIInference - Azure AI Inference
  • AllowAdvancedPasteMistral - Mistral AI
  • AllowAdvancedPasteGoogle - Google AI
  • AllowAdvancedPasteAnthropic - Anthropic Claude
Registry pattern: 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"AllowAdvancedPasteOpenAI"=dword:00000000

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Mouse Without Borders policies

Mouse Without Borders has extensive enterprise policies for security and connectivity.

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Security policies

Policy: MwbClipboardSharingEnabledRegistry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbClipboardSharingEnabledSince: v0.83.0Controls whether clipboard can be shared between machines.
Policy: MwbFileTransferEnabledRegistry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbFileTransferEnabledSince: v0.83.0Controls whether files can be transferred between machines.
File transfer requires clipboard sharing. Disabling clipboard sharing also disables file transfer.
Policy: MwbSameSubnetOnlyRegistry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbSameSubnetOnlySince: v0.83.0When enabled, only allows connections from machines on the same subnet.
Policy: MwbValidateRemoteIpRegistry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbValidateRemoteIpSince: v0.83.0Enables IP address validation for remote connections.

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Network policies

Policy: MwbPolicyDefinedIpMappingRules Registry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbPolicyDefinedIpMappingRules Since: v0.83.0 Defines hostname-to-IP mappings for Mouse Without Borders. Each line can contain up to 65 characters. Format: hostname IPv4/IPv6address Example: 
WORKSTATION1 192.168.1.100
WORKSTATION2 192.168.1.101  
SERVER1 fe80::1234:5678:90ab:cdef
You can disable user-defined mappings: Policy: MwbDisableUserDefinedIpMappingRules

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Service mode

Policy: MwbAllowServiceMode Registry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\MwbAllowServiceMode Since: v0.89.0 Scope: Machine only Controls whether Mouse Without Borders can run as a Windows service.

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New+ policies

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Hide file extension

Policy: NewPlusHideTemplateFilenameExtension Registry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\NewPlusHideTemplateFilenameExtension Supported since: v0.85.0 Controls whether file extensions are hidden in template filenames.

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Template variables

Policy: NewPlusReplaceVariablesInTemplateFilenames Registry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\NewPlusReplaceVariablesInTemplateFilenames Supported since: v0.90.0 Enables variable replacement in template filenames (e.g., date/time placeholders).

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Hide built-in context menu

Policy: NewPlusHideBuiltInNewContextMenu Registry: Software\Policies\PowerToys\NewPlusHideBuiltInNewContextMenu Supported since: v0.98.0 Hides Windows’ built-in “New” context menu, leaving only New+ menu.

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General settings policies

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Allow experimentation

Policy name: AllowExperimentation Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\AllowExperimentation Supported since: v0.68.0 Controls whether users can opt into experimental features (Windows Insider builds only).

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Allow diagnostic data

Policy name: AllowDiagnosticData Registry key: Software\Policies\PowerToys\AllowDataDiagnostics Supported since: v0.86.0 Controls whether diagnostic telemetry can be collected.

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Policy precedence

PowerToys policies follow a clear precedence hierarchy:
1

Individual module policy

Highest priority. Example: ConfigureEnabledUtilityColorPicker
2

Global utility policy

Medium priority. Example: ConfigureAllUtilityGlobalEnabledState
3

User preference

Lowest priority. Settings in PowerToys Settings UI
This allows flexible deployment strategies. For example:
  • Enable all utilities globally
  • Disable specific sensitive utilities (e.g., Screen Capture)
  • Let users control remaining utilities

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Deploying policies at scale

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Via Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

1

Create or edit GPO

In GPMC, create a new GPO or edit an existing one
2

Navigate to PowerToys policies

Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Microsoft PowerToys
3

Configure desired policies

Enable/disable policies as needed for your organization
4

Link GPO to OUs

Link the GPO to appropriate Organizational Units
5

Force update

On client machines: gpupdate /force

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Via PowerShell

For non-domain environments or testing: 
# Disable all utilities globally
New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys" -Force
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys" `
  -Name "ConfigureGlobalUtilityEnabledState" `
  -Value 0 -Type DWord

# Enable PowerToys Run specifically  
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys" `
  -Name "ConfigureEnabledUtilityPowerLauncher" `
  -Value 1 -Type DWord

# Disable automatic updates
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys" `
  -Name "AutomaticUpdateDownloadDisabled" `
  -Value 1 -Type DWord

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Via Intune/MDM

PowerToys policies can be deployed via Intune using custom OMA-URI settings: 
<Add>
  <CmdID>1</CmdID>
  <Item>
    <Target>
      <LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_PowerToys/ConfigureEnabledUtilityColorPicker</LocURI>
    </Target>
    <Meta>
      <Format xmlns="syncml:metinf">int</Format>
    </Meta>
    <Data>0</Data>
  </Item>
</Add>

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Verifying policy application

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Check registry

Verify policies are applied correctly: 
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys"

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Check GPO results

View effective policies on a machine: 
gpresult /h gpreport.html
Open gpreport.html and navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Microsoft PowerToys

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Check PowerToys logs

GPO policy evaluation is logged at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\Logs\ Search for “GPO” in the Runner log files.

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PowerToys Settings UI indicators

When a policy is active, PowerToys Settings shows:
  • Disabled/grayed out controls
  • Information messages indicating GPO control
  • Shield icons for policy-managed settings

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Common deployment scenarios

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Scenario 1: Locked-down environment

; Disable all utilities by default
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"ConfigureGlobalUtilityEnabledState"=dword:00000000

; Enable only approved utilities
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityPowerLauncher"=dword:00000001
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityFancyZones"=dword:00000001

; Disable updates
"AutomaticUpdateDownloadDisabled"=dword:00000001
"DisableNewUpdateAvailableToast"=dword:00000001

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Scenario 2: Productivity focus

; Enable all utilities
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"ConfigureGlobalUtilityEnabledState"=dword:00000001

; Disable distracting utilities
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityMouseHighlighter"=dword:00000000
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityZoomIt"=dword:00000000

; Enable auto-updates
"AutomaticUpdateDownloadDisabled"=dword:00000000

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Scenario 3: Developer workstations

; Enable development tools
[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\PowerToys]
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityPowerLauncher"=dword:00000001
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityCmdPal"=dword:00000001
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityRegistryPreview"=dword:00000001
"ConfigureEnabledUtilityEnvironmentVariables"=dword:00000001

; Disable AI features for security
"AllowPowerToysAdvancedPasteOnlineAIModels"=dword:00000000

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Troubleshooting

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Policy not applying

Verify GPO is linked to the correct OU and has proper permissions
Ensure PowerToys.admx and .adml files are in PolicyDefinitions
Most PowerToys policies are “Both” scope, but some (like DisablePerUserInstallation) are Computer-only
Some policies require restarting PowerToys to take effect

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Conflicting policies

If you have conflicting policies:
  1. Check precedence rules (individual > global > user)
  2. Use gpresult to see which policies are winning
  3. Review policy processing logs in Event Viewer

Settings overview

Learn about PowerToys settings architecture

Keyboard shortcuts

Configure keyboard shortcuts for utilities

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