Enable and disable add-ons using administrative templates and group policy

Caution

Update: The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10. For more information, see Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ.

Add-ons let your employees personalize Internet Explorer. You can manage IE add-ons using Group Policy and Group Policy templates.

There are four types of add-ons:

• Search Providers. Type a term and see suggestions provided by your search provider.

• Accelerators. Highlight text on a web page and then click the blue Accelerator icon to email, map, search, translate, or do many other tasks.

• Web Slices. Subscribe to parts of a website to get real-time information on the Favorites bar.

• Toolbars. Add features (like stock tickers) to your browser.

Using the Local Group Policy Editor to manage group policy objects

You can use the Local Group Policy Editor to change how add-ons work in your organization.

To manage add-ons

1. In the Local Group Policy Editor, go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer.

2. Change any or all of these settings to match your company’s policy and requirements.

   • Turn off add-on performance notifications

   • Automatically activate newly installed add-ons

   • Do not allow users to enable or disable add-ons

3. Go into the Internet Control Panel\Advance Page folder, where you can change:

   • Do not allow resetting IE settings

   • Allow third-party browser extensions

4. Go into the Security Features\Add-on Management folder, where you can change:

   • Add-on List

   • Deny all add-ons unless specifically allowed in the Add-on List

   • Turn off Adobe Flash in IE and prevent applications from using IE technology to instantiate Flash objects

5. Close the Local Group Policy Editor when you’re done.

Using the CLSID and Administrative Templates to manage group policy objects

Every add-on has a Class ID (CLSID) that you use to enable and disable specific add-ons, using Group Policy and Administrative Templates.

To manage add-ons

1. Get the CLSID for the add-on you want to enable or disable:

   1. Open IE, click Tools, and then click Manage Add-ons.

   2. Double-click the add-on you want to change.

   3. In the More Information dialog, click Copy and then click Close.

   4. Open Notepad and paste the information for the add-on.

   5. On the Manage Add-ons windows, click Close.

   6. On the Internet Options dialog, click Close and then close IE.

2. From the copied information, select and copy just the Class ID value.

   Note

   You want to copy the curly brackets as well as the CLSID: {47833539-D0C5-4125-9FA8-0819E2EAAC93}.

3. Open the Group Policy Management Editor and go to: Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Security Features\Add-on Management.
   -OR-
   Open the Local Group Policy Editor and go to: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Security Features\Add-on Management.

4. Open the Add-on List Group Policy Object, select Enabled, and then click Show.
   The Show Contents dialog appears.

5. In Value Name, paste the Class ID for your add-on, for example, {47833539-D0C5-4125-9FA8-0819E2EAAC93}.

6. In Value, enter one of the following:

   • 0. The add-on is disabled and your employees can’t change it.

   • 1. The add-on is enabled and your employees can’t change it.

   • 2. The add-on is enabled and your employees can change it.

7. Close the Show Contents dialog.

8. In the Group Policy editor, go to: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer.

9. Double-click Automatically activate/enable newly installed add-ons and select Enabled.
   
   Enabling turns off the message prompting you to Enable or Don't enable the add-on.

10. Click OK twice to close the Group Policy editor.