Prevent indexing certain paths

Supported OS tags: WindowsServer2003, WindowsXP

If you enable this policy setting, you specify a list of paths to exclude from indexing. The user cannot enter any path that starts with one of the paths you specified. If you enable and then disable this policy setting, users can index any path not restricted by other policies, but their original list of paths to index is not restored.

No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.

• Computer
  Add primary intranet search location

  Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
• Computer
  Add secondary intranet search locations

  Microsoft Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 with Windows Search version 3.01 or later
• Computer
  Allow Cloud Search

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow Cortana

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow Cortana above lock screen

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow Cortana Page in OOBE on an AAD account

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow indexing of encrypted files

  Microsoft Windows Vista, or any version of Windows with Windows Search 4.0 or later
• Computer
  Allow search and Cortana to use location

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow search highlights

  At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
• Computer
  Allow use of diacritics

  Microsoft Windows Vista, or any version of Windows with Windows Search 3.01 or later
• Computer
  Always use automatic language detection when indexing content and properties

  Microsoft Windows 8 or later
• Computer
  Configures search on the taskbar

  At least Windows 11