Windows Components › Windows Installer
Control maximum size of baseline file cache
Supported on Windows Installer v3.0
What it does
This policy controls the percentage of disk space available to the Windows Installer baseline file cache. The Windows Installer uses the baseline file cache to save baseline files modified by binary delta difference updates. The cache is used to retrieve the baseline file for future updates. The cache eliminates user prompts for source media when new updates are applied. If you enable this policy setting you can modify the maximum size of the Windows Installer baseline file cache. If you set the baseline cache size to 0, the Windows Installer will stop populating the baseline cache for new updates. The existing cached files will remain on disk and will be deleted when the product is removed. If you set the baseline cache to 100, the Windows Installer will use available free space for the baseline file cache. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the Windows Installer will uses a default value of 10 percent for the baseline file cache maximum size.
What it writes
- Hive
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Registry key
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer
In Intune
Native Intune setting: Yes — Policy CSP
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_MSI/MSI_MaxPatchCacheSizeADMX_MSI on Microsoft LearnADMX-backed: Windows ships this template, so it is set with the template's own values, without an import.Windows builds listed: 10.0.22000, 10.0.19043.1202, 10.0.19042.1202, 10.0.19041.1202.
From Microsoft's Policy CSP DDF files (DDF v2 Files, February 2026), read 18 Oct 2026.
Options
| Option | Type | Registry value | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline file cache maximum sizeDefault: 10 | Number | MaxPatchCacheSize |
0 to 100 |
Configure and deploy
Choose a state and the option values; 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\Microsoft\Windows\Installer]
"MaxPatchCacheSize"=dword:0000000A
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: Control maximum size of baseline file cache
# Name: MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: MSI.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'MaxPatchCacheSize' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 10
These deployment candidates come from the ADMX template; they are separate from the native CSP mapping above.
- 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_MSI/MSI_MaxPatchCacheSizeADMX 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_MSI/MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><enabled/>
<data id="MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize" value="10"/></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: Control maximum size of baseline file cache
# Name: MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: MSI.admx
$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'MaxPatchCacheSize' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 10
if (-not $isMatch) {
$reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\MaxPatchCacheSize') | Out-Null
}
if ($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 $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Control maximum size of baseline file cache
# Name: MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: MSI.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer' -Name 'MaxPatchCacheSize' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 10
History 3 retained releases
- 22H2 · 1.015 Jul 2024
- Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.
2 later releases left it unchanged.
Template
- Internal name
MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize- Namespace
Microsoft.Policies.MSI- Template file
MSI.admx- Release
- Windows 11 23H2 · 1.0 · file set
d784d0ea5f14a680…
Definition, editor controls and support
Definition
<policy class="Machine" displayName="$(string.MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize)" explainText="$(string.MSI_MaxPatchCacheSizeHelp)" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer" name="MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize" presentation="$(presentation.MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize)" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.MSI:MSI" />
<supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.MSI:SUPPORTED_MSI30" />
<elements>
<decimal id="MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize" maxValue="100" valueName="MaxPatchCacheSize" />
</elements>
</policy>Editor controls
<presentation id="MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<decimalTextBox defaultValue="10" refId="MSI_MaxPatchCacheSize">Baseline file cache maximum size</decimalTextBox>
</presentation>Supported platforms and category
Microsoft.Policies.MSI:category:MSI
<category displayName="$(string.MSI)" name="MSI" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:WindowsComponents" />
</category>
Microsoft.Policies.MSI:definition:SUPPORTED_MSI30
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_MSI30)" name="SUPPORTED_MSI30" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<or>
<reference ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:WindowsInstaller30" />
</or>
</definition>
Microsoft.Policies.MSI:unresolved:Microsoft.Policies.Products:WindowsInstaller30
<unresolved reference="Microsoft.Policies.Products:WindowsInstaller30" />
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:WindowsComponents
<category displayName="$(string.WindowsComponents)" explainText="$(string.WindowsComponents_Help)" name="WindowsComponents" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Microsoft.Policies.MSI:category:MSI
<category displayName="$(string.MSI)" name="MSI" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:WindowsComponents" />
</category>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.MSI:MSI">Windows Installer</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.MSI:definition:SUPPORTED_MSI30
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_MSI30)" name="SUPPORTED_MSI30" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<or>
<reference ref="Microsoft.Policies.Products:WindowsInstaller30" />
</or>
</definition>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.MSI:SUPPORTED_MSI30">Windows Installer v3.0</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:WindowsComponents
<category displayName="$(string.WindowsComponents)" explainText="$(string.WindowsComponents_Help)" name="WindowsComponents" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:WindowsComponents">Windows Components</string><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:WindowsComponents_Help">Contains settings for operating system components.</string></strings>