Windows – Stop the Welcome to Internet Explorer from launching via GPO

KB ID 0000459

Problem

If your’e logging on as a new user and Internet Explorer has not yet been ran, then it wants to run the “Setup Windows Internet Explorer Wizard”.

Suppress Setup Internet Explorer

On just one machine with one user that’s fine, but if you are logging in all over the place, with multiple credentials, this can get quite annoying. Also you might not want your domain users having to do this at all, for security reasons.

Solution

On a Single (stand alone) machine.

1. Click start and in the run/search box type gpedit.msc{enter}

2. Navigate to > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer > Prevent Running First Run wizard.

Disable IE First Run

Note: In older versions of Windows its called, ‘Prevent Performance of First Run Customize settings

GPO Prevent Performance of First Run Customize

3. If you enable the policy you can set it to either:

a. Go directly to home page.
b. Go to the “Welcome to Internet Explorer” Web page.

Suppress IE First Run

4. Reboot the PC or Force a Group Policy Refresh.

In a Windows Domain Environment

1. On one of your domain controllers > Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management Console > Either select and existing policy or create and link one to the COMPUTERS you want this policy to affect. Then edit the policy.

2. Navigate to > Computer Configuration Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer > Prevent Running First Run wizard.

Suppress IE First Run GPO

Note: On older Windows Platforms this is called ‘Prevent Performance of First Run Customize settings.

group policy Prevent Performance of First Run Customize

3. If you enable the policy you can set it to either:

a. Go directly to home page.
b. Go to the “Welcome to Internet Explorer” Web page.

Group Policy Disable IE First Run

4. Reboot the PC or Force a Group Policy Refresh.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Group Policy Preferences and Client Side Extensions

Author: Migrated

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