c++internet-explorer-11microsoft-edgewindows-server-2016group-policy

Is Internet Explorer group policy setting "EnableGlobalWindowListInIEMode" available on Windows Server 2016 / 2019?


One of our applications runs as an ActiveX component and it required the use of Internet Explorer. As Internet Explorer has now been retired, the users now access the application using Edge in IE mode. The application, which is running in its own process, needs to be able to locate the Edge IE mode tab window that it is using, and we found from this very helpful answer SHDocVw::ShellWindows not finding tab window for application running on Edge in IE mode that the group policy setting EnableGlobalWindowListInIEMode for Internet Explorer has to be enabled on the workstation in order for our application to be able to locate the Edge IE mode tab window. This setting has worked well for Windows workstation users. But Windows 2016 Server users are reporting that this group policy setting does not seem to be available on the server.

This EnableGlobalWindowListInIEMode setting does not appear to be listed in the group policy editor for Windows Server 2019 either. I tried manually adding the setting to the registry (HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\EnterpriseMode), but our application behaved as if it were not set.

In the documentation at the EnableGlobalWindowListInIEMode link above, the "Applicable OS" section for this setting indicates Windows 10 and Windows 11, at particular build levels or higher, but does not specifically mention Windows Server versions.

Is this group policy setting not available in Windows Server 2016/2019? Are there additional group policy templates - or updated templates - that need to be applied in order to be able to set this setting?


Solution

  • The answer I received from the Microsoft Q&A site here is that this EnableGlobalWindowListInIEMode group policy setting is not available on Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019, but is available on Windows Server 2022.