What it does
If this policy is enabled, the user cannot install search engines from web page. If this policy is disabled or not configured, search engines can be installed from web pages.
What it writes
- Hive
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Registry key
Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines- Value name
PreventInstalls- When enabled
- DWORD 1
- When disabled
- DWORD 0
Configure and deploy
Choose a state; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.
Enabled · Computer · template defaults
Registry file (.reg)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines]
"PreventInstalls"=dword:00000001
PowerShell
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Prevent Search Engine Installs
# Name: SearchEngines_PreventInstalls
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines' -Name 'PreventInstalls' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1
- The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
- Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.
ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_firefox/SearchEngines_PreventInstallsADMX SyncML candidate
<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
<SyncBody>
<Replace>
<CmdID>1</CmdID>
<Item>
<Meta>
<Format>chr</Format>
<Type>text/plain</Type>
</Meta>
<Target>
<LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_firefox/SearchEngines_PreventInstalls</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><enabled/></Data>
</Item>
</Replace>
<Final/>
</SyncBody>
</SyncML>Intune remediation scripts
Detection
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()
function Test-RegistryValueExists {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}
function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
$valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
return $false
}
$actual = $valueObject.$Name
switch ($Kind) {
'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
'MultiString' {
$actualArray = @($actual)
$expectedArray = @($Expected)
if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
'Binary' {
$actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
$expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
}
}
# Policy: Prevent Search Engine Installs
# Name: SearchEngines_PreventInstalls
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines' -Name 'PreventInstalls' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 1
if (-not $isMatch) {
$reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines\PreventInstalls') | Out-Null
}
if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1
Remediation
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Prevent Search Engine Installs
# Name: SearchEngines_PreventInstalls
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines' -Name 'PreventInstalls' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1
History 45 retained releases
- 4.418 Oct 2022
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 2.1019 Apr 2021
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 2.823 Feb 2021
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.113 Dec 2019
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.1023 Oct 2019
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.8.229 Jul 2019
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.414 Dec 2018
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.317 Oct 2018
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 1.211 Sep 2018
- Description
… user cannot install search engines from web page.
If this policy is
[removed: not configured or disabled,][added: disabled or not configured,] search engines can be installed from web pages.Whole description, marked
If this policy is enabled, the user cannot install search engines from web page. If this policy is
[removed: not configured or disabled,][added: disabled or not configured,] search engines can be installed from web pages. - Supported on
[removed: Microsoft Windows XP SP2][added: Firefox 60 ESR] or later - Supported on SUPPORTED_
[removed: WINXPSP2][added: FF60ESR]; resolved; Blank;
- Description
… user cannot install search engines from web page.
If this policy is
- 1.09 May 2018
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.
35 later releases left it unchanged.
Template
- Internal name
SearchEngines_PreventInstalls- Namespace
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox- Template file
firefox.admx- Release
- Mozilla Firefox 4.7 · file set
e3837384c3b8245f…
Definition, editor controls and support
Definition
<policy class="Both" displayName="$(string.SearchEngines_PreventInstalls)" explainText="$(string.SearchEngines_PreventInstalls_Explain)" key="Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines" name="SearchEngines_PreventInstalls" valueName="PreventInstalls" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:Search" />
<supportedOn ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" />
<enabledValue>
<decimal value="1" />
</enabledValue>
<disabledValue>
<decimal value="0" />
</disabledValue>
</policy>Editor controls
Supported platforms and category
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:Search
<category displayName="$(string.Search_group)" name="Search" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox" />
</category>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
</category>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF60ESR)" name="SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:Search
<category displayName="$(string.Search_group)" name="Search" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox" />
</category>
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:Search_group">Search</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
</category>
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox">Firefox</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF60ESR)" name="SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR">Firefox 60 ESR or later</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies:mozilla">Mozilla</string></strings>