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Windows administrators can manage PowerToys centrally by deploying Microsoft’s PowerToys administrative templates (ADMX and ADML) and assigning policies through Group Policy. The templates have been included with PowerToys releases since version 0.64. You can apply them to one Windows computer, an Active Directory domain through the Central Store, or an Intune tenant. Policies cover utility enablement, installation and updates, Advanced Paste’s online AI models, Markdown image previews, Mouse Without Borders, New+, and PowerToys Run. The exact controls available depend on the PowerToys version installed on clients.
What does PowerToys Group Policy management control?
PowerToys Group Policy management exposes administrative settings that force or restrict PowerToys behavior for users and computers. Microsoft’s templates are ordinary ADMX/ADML policy definitions: they do not install PowerToys themselves. You still deploy the PowerToys application separately, then use policy to control the installed utilities.
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Centralized configuration has been available in PowerToys since version 0.64. The templates appear in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration under Administrative Templates/Microsoft PowerToys. If the same setting is configured in both locations, the Computer Configuration value takes precedence.
Where should I install the PowerToys ADMX and ADML files?
Choose the location that matches your management plane. A standalone PC uses its local PolicyDefinitions folder; an Active Directory domain uses the Central Store; Intune can import the same administrative templates.
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For one Windows computer
- Download the newest PowerToys release asset named
GroupPolicyObjectsFiles-<Version>.zip. - Extract
PowerToys.admxand copy it toC:WindowsPolicyDefinitions. - Copy
PowerToys.admlto the matching language directory, such asC:WindowsPolicyDefinitionsen-US. - Open the Local Group Policy Editor or another policy editor and browse to Administrative Templates/Microsoft PowerToys.
The ADML file supplies the language-specific names and explanations shown by the editor. Keep the ADML language folder aligned with the display language used by the policy console.
For an Active Directory domain
- Download and extract the release’s
GroupPolicyObjectsFiles-<Version>.zippackage. - Copy
PowerToys.admxto%systemroot%sysvoldomainpoliciesPolicyDefinitions, the domain Central Store. - Place
PowerToys.admlin the matching language directory, for example%systemroot%sysvoldomainpoliciesPolicyDefinitionsen-US. - Open Group Policy Management Editor and create or edit a policy that targets the required computers or users.
With multiple domain controllers, the files replicate during the next domain replication interval. Until replication completes, an administrator opening the editor against another controller may not see the PowerToys node.
For Microsoft Intune
The same administrative templates can be imported into Intune. After importing them, configure the documented settings using the OMA-URI paths supplied in Microsoft’s PowerToys policy documentation. Intune is useful when devices are managed through cloud policy rather than traditional domain Group Policy; the PowerToys client still must be installed separately.
How do I configure a PowerToys policy in Group Policy Management Editor?
- Open Group Policy Management and select the Group Policy Object linked to the computers or users that should receive the setting.
- For device-wide behavior, open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft PowerToys. For per-user behavior, use the equivalent path under User Configuration.
- Select a policy, choose Enabled or Disabled, and read the policy’s explanation for its version requirement and side effects.
- Leave the policy Not configured when administrators should not force a value and users may control the corresponding PowerToys option.
- Apply the policy, then restart the PowerToys component when its documentation requires a restart. Advanced Paste and PowerToys Run are examples of components with restart requirements.
Individual utility policies override the global utility-enabled policy. Therefore, define exceptions at the individual-utility level when a broad global setting does not fit every device.
Which PowerToys policies are available, and which versions support them?
Every policy has its own minimum documented PowerToys version. A template can appear in the editor even when a client is too old to honor it, so align the installed release with the policy’s version boundary.
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| Policy or policy family | Minimum PowerToys version | What the setting does |
|---|---|---|
| ADMX-based centralized configuration | 0.64 | Introduces the PowerToys administrative templates. |
| Configure global utility enabled state | 0.75.0 | Enabled forces all utilities on; Disabled forces all utilities off; Not configured leaves the choice to users. |
| Individual utility enablement | 0.64.0 or later, depending on utility | Controls whether a named utility is enabled. Individual settings override the global state. |
| Allow experimentation | 0.68.0 | Controls whether experimental features may be offered; experimentation occurs only on Windows Insider builds. |
| Disable per-user installation | 0.68.0 | Computer-only policy that prevents per-user installation. |
| Disable automatic downloads | 0.68.0 | Disables automatic download and installation of available updates. |
| Suspend Action Center notification for new updates | 0.68.0 | Suspends update notifications for two minor releases while major-version notifications remain visible. |
| Disable Action Center notification for new updates | 0.78.0 | Turns off the new-update notification. |
| Do not show the release notes after updates | 0.78.0 | Stops release notes from appearing after an update. |
| Allow using online AI models | 0.81.1 | Controls whether users can enable Advanced Paste online AI prompts or configure an OpenAI key in PowerToys Settings. |
| Mouse Without Borders policies | 0.83.0 | Provides controls for clipboard sharing, file transfer, subnet limits, IP mappings, screensaver behavior, interface choice, and reverse-DNS validation. |
| Disable preview build updates | 0.100.0 | Offers only stable updates and prevents users from changing the update-channel preference while retaining the saved preference. |
How do global and individual utility controls interact?
The global setting is a broad default or forced state for all utilities. Individual controls can override it, allowing an administrator to keep most utilities enabled while disabling a specific feature such as FancyZones, Color Picker, or Mouse Without Borders. The documented individual-utility list includes Advanced Paste, Always On Top, Awake, Color Picker, Command Not Found, Command Palette, Crop And Lock, Environment Variables, FancyZones, and additional utilities delivered by the release.
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Prevent per-user installation
Disable per-user installation is a Computer Configuration policy. Enable it when PowerToys must be installed and maintained through an organization’s managed deployment process rather than separately in each user profile.
Block experimental features
Allow experimentation governs whether experimental features can be offered. Its experimental behavior applies only on Windows Insider builds, so enabling the policy does not turn a stable Windows installation into an Insider device.
Control automatic downloads and notifications
Disable automatic downloads prevents PowerToys from automatically downloading and installing available updates. Notification controls are separate: you can suspend notifications for two minor releases, disable them entirely, or suppress release notes after updates. These policies let an administrator separate the decision to download an update from the decision to show user-facing messages.
Allow stable releases only
On PowerToys 0.100.0 and later, enable Disable preview build updates to offer only stable updates. The policy also prevents users from changing the update-channel preference, but the preference they had previously selected is retained for later use if the policy is removed.
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Can Group Policy disable Advanced Paste online AI?
Yes. On PowerToys 0.81.1 or later, the Allow using online AI models policy controls Advanced Paste’s online AI capability. Disable the policy to prevent users from enabling online AI prompts or configuring an OpenAI key in PowerToys Settings.
Changes to this policy require an Advanced Paste restart before the new state takes effect. Treat the setting as an AI-governance control: it limits both the prompt feature and the configuration path for an online model key, while ordinary non-online Advanced Paste behavior remains governed by its own utility settings.
How do I control images in File Explorer Markdown previews?
The Markdown preview policy is named Markdown preview: Show images from local and network sources. Enable it to permit local and network images in Markdown previews and to prevent users from turning that option off. Disable it to block all images in Markdown previews.
Online images loaded over HTTP or HTTPS remain blocked regardless of this policy. Consequently, enabling the setting does not create a general web-image viewer inside File Explorer; it covers local and network sources while the online HTTP/HTTPS restriction remains in force.
How can I restrict Mouse Without Borders clipboard and file transfer?
PowerToys 0.83.0 and later provide Mouse Without Borders policies for enterprise controls. Administrators can govern clipboard sharing, file transfer, same-subnet-only connections, user-defined IP mapping, predefined mapping rules, screensaver blocking, the original interface, and reverse-DNS validation of remote IP addresses.
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- Clipboard sharing: disable it when cross-computer clipboard transfer is not permitted.
- File transfer: this feature depends on clipboard sharing. Disabling clipboard sharing also disables file transfer.
- Same-subnet-only connections: restricts connections to devices on the same subnet.
- User-defined or predefined mappings: map a hostname to an address when automatic discovery is unsuitable.
- Screensaver blocking and interface controls: apply the organization’s preferred workstation behavior and user interface.
- Reverse-DNS validation: require validation of a remote IP address against reverse DNS.
For predefined mappings, enter one hostname-and-address pair per line in the policy value. The documented format is:
Host1 192.0.2.1Use a separate line for each mapping. Plan clipboard and file-transfer policy together because the dependency means a clipboard restriction has a direct effect on transfers.
What can I manage in New+ and PowerToys Run?
New+
New+ includes the Hide template filename extension policy. Use it to standardize whether template filename extensions are visible in the New+ experience.
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PowerToys Run policies can force all plugins on or off, or configure individual plugin states. Changes to PowerToys Run plugin policy require a restart of PowerToys Run, so schedule that restart as part of the policy rollout rather than expecting an already-running search window to update instantly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should I plan a versioned rollout?
- Inventory the PowerToys version installed on managed devices.
- Select policies whose minimum versions are no newer than the client version, or schedule the application upgrade first.
- Install the matching ADMX and ADML files in the local PolicyDefinitions folder or domain Central Store, or import them into Intune.
- Test Computer Configuration and User Configuration separately, especially where both scopes might define the same setting.
- Roll out utility, update, AI, preview, and networking controls in a pilot organizational unit or device group.
- Restart Advanced Paste or PowerToys Run when changing their policies.
- After domain template changes, allow the Central Store files to replicate before validating from another domain controller.
Keep the template package aligned with the release you support. Newer templates can expose settings that older clients cannot process, while newer clients may require a newer template to display recently added controls.
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What should I check when a PowerToys policy is not working?
- The PowerToys node is missing: verify that
PowerToys.admxis in the correct PolicyDefinitions folder and that the matchingPowerToys.admlis in the language subfolder. - A domain editor shows different templates: confirm Central Store replication has completed and that the editor is reading the intended domain controller.
- The policy is visible but has no effect: compare the client’s PowerToys version with the policy’s minimum version.
- A user setting appears overridden: check whether the same policy is enabled under Computer Configuration; computer scope takes precedence over user scope.
- A feature remains available: look for an individual utility policy that overrides the global utility-enabled state.
- Advanced Paste still offers online AI: confirm the client is at least version 0.81.1, the online-model policy is disabled, and Advanced Paste has been restarted.
- PowerToys Run does not reflect plugin changes: restart PowerToys Run after applying the policy.
- Mouse Without Borders file transfer stopped unexpectedly: check whether clipboard sharing was disabled, because file transfer depends on it.
Which management plane is right for my organization?
| Management plane | Template placement or action | Typical policy scope |
|---|---|---|
| Local Windows policy | Copy the ADMX to C:WindowsPolicyDefinitions and the ADML to its language folder. |
Computer Configuration or User Configuration on one computer. |
| Active Directory Central Store | Copy files to %systemroot%sysvoldomainpoliciesPolicyDefinitions and wait for domain replication. |
Computer Configuration or User Configuration through linked GPOs. |
| Microsoft Intune | Import the PowerToys administrative templates and configure the documented OMA-URI settings. | Cloud-managed device policy using Intune assignments. |
Use local policy for an isolated workstation, the Central Store for domain-joined fleets, and Intune when devices are administered through cloud management. In all three cases, policy controls the installed PowerToys application; it is not an application deployment mechanism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the PowerToys ADMX files install PowerToys on a computer?
No. ADMX and ADML files only add policy definitions to the policy editor. Deploy the PowerToys application separately, then use the resulting policy settings to control it.
Are PowerToys updates downloaded on a metered connection?
PowerToys does not download updates automatically on metered connections. The automatic-download policy additionally disables automatic download and installation of available updates in the managed configuration.
What happens to a saved preview-channel choice when preview builds are blocked?
The stable-only policy prevents users from changing the update-channel preference while it is enforced, but it retains the preference already saved on the device. Removing the policy does not erase that saved choice.
Can an administrator allow local Markdown images but still block web images?
Yes. Enable the Markdown preview image policy for local and network sources. HTTP and HTTPS images remain blocked independently, so the policy does not permit online web images.
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