Policy
Set Windows File Protection scanning
Windows 11 25H2
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows2000, WindowsServer2003, WindowsXP
This policy setting allows you to set when Windows File Protection scans protected files. This policy setting directs Windows File Protection to enumerate and scan all system files for changes. If you enable this policy setting, select a rate from the "Scanning Frequency" box. You can use this setting to direct Windows File Protection to scan files more often. -- "Do not scan during startup," the default, scans files only during setup. -- "Scan during startup" also scans files each time you start Windows XP. This setting delays each startup. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, by default, files are scanned only during setup. Note: This policy setting affects file scanning only. It does not affect the standard background file change detection that Windows File Protection provides.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Scanning frequency: ID WFPScanList | enum | HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Windows File Protection\SfcScan Type REG_DWORD | Options: Do not scan during startup (0), Scan during startup (1) |
Other policies in this category
Explore related policies at the same level.
- ComputerHide the file scan progress windowWindows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 only
- ComputerLimit Windows File Protection cache sizeWindows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 only
- ComputerSpecify Windows File Protection cache locationWindows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 only