To prevent users from opening Windows connection-status details, configure the user policy Prohibit viewing of status for an active connection (Policy CSP node ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_Statistics). It restricts access to status interfaces; it does not disconnect users, block network connections, hide every network indicator, or turn off Windows connectivity detection. The policy is ADMX-backed, so its documented MDM configuration requires SyncML formatting.
What the policy changes
Microsoft describes the setting as: “Determines whether users can view the status for an active connection.” When enabled, the connection-status taskbar icon and Status dialog are unavailable. The Status option is also disabled in the connection context menu and in the Network Connections folder’s File menu, and users cannot select the option to show the connection icon in Connection Properties. These are restrictions on the status interface, not on the connection itself.
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The setting is user-scoped. Microsoft documents support for Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions, with applicability beginning at listed Windows 10 and Windows 11 versions. Confirm the current applicability table for the target Windows builds before deployment: ADMX_NetworkConnections Policy CSP.
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Configure it through Intune MDM
The documented MDM policy URI is ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_NetworkConnections/NC_Statistics. Microsoft classifies it as ADMX-backed and requires SyncML formatting for configuration; the policy documentation describes XML encoding or CDATA for the payload.
In Intune, treat this as a Windows MDM policy configuration. Microsoft’s general guidance places Windows device restriction settings in device configuration profiles, but that guidance does not establish that this particular setting is currently available as a named Settings Catalog item or specify an exact admin-center workflow for it. Verify the current Intune profile experience and available configuration options before assigning a deployment.
For Intune’s general profile context, see Device restriction settings for Windows devices in Microsoft Intune. Do not assume that a general device-restriction profile exposes this exact ADMX setting. Validate the resulting policy on a representative user and supported Windows build.
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| Control | What it changes | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
NC_Statistics: Prohibit viewing of status for an active connection |
Restricts access to active connection status interfaces for the user. | Does not itself remove every networking indicator or change connectivity detection. |
HideSCANetwork |
Removes the networking icon from the system notification area when enabled. | Hides the notification-area icon rather than targeting the active-connection Status dialog. See ADMX_Taskbar Policy CSP. |
| NCSI controls | Control aspects of Network Connection Status Indicator connectivity detection, including active tests. | Affects connectivity-detection behavior, not access to the active-connection Status dialog. See Manage connections from Windows operating system components to Microsoft services. |
Restricting access to selected Windows Settings pages is another separate mechanism, documented for Intune, CSP, and Group Policy. It is not equivalent to NC_Statistics: Configure the Settings Page Visibility in Windows.
Quick Recap
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Deployment checks
- Check the Policy CSP applicability table for the exact Windows versions and editions in your deployment.
- Confirm you are configuring the user-scoped node, not a device-scoped policy.
- Use the documented ADMX-backed MDM URI and SyncML formatting requirements.
- Test with a standard user and account for the documented administrator exception.
- Verify the status dialog and related menu options separately from the notification-area icon and connectivity-detection behavior.
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