Directory pruning interval: registry value PruningIntervalComputerHKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers

Policy ID: PruningInterval
Scope: Computer Configuration
Supported on: At least Windows 2000
Source: Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2026 Update (26H2) (version 1.0)
Category: Printers

Registry

PruningInterval

REG_DWORDComputer

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers Current key

Enabled value: Depends on the option value
Element: Interval:

Options
Item	Stored value
Continuous	0
10 Minutes	10
30 Minutes	30
1 Hour	60
4 Hours	240
8 Hours	480
12 Hours	720
1 Day	1440
2 Days	2880
3 Days	4320
4 Days	5760
5 Days	7200
6 Days	8640
1 Week	10080
2 Weeks	20160
3 Weeks	30240
4 Weeks	40320
5 Weeks	50400
6 Weeks	60480
7 Weeks	70560
Infinite	4294967295

Apply with .reg · CMD · PowerShell

.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers]

; Options (use only one)
; Continuous
"PruningInterval"=dword:00000000
; 10 Minutes
"PruningInterval"=dword:0000000a
; 30 Minutes
"PruningInterval"=dword:0000001e
; 1 Hour
"PruningInterval"=dword:0000003c
; 4 Hours
"PruningInterval"=dword:000000f0
; 8 Hours
"PruningInterval"=dword:000001e0
; 12 Hours
"PruningInterval"=dword:000002d0
; 1 Day
"PruningInterval"=dword:000005a0
; 2 Days
"PruningInterval"=dword:00000b40
; 3 Days
"PruningInterval"=dword:000010e0
; 4 Days
"PruningInterval"=dword:00001680
; 5 Days
"PruningInterval"=dword:00001c20
; 6 Days
"PruningInterval"=dword:000021c0
; 1 Week
"PruningInterval"=dword:00002760
; 2 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:00004ec0
; 3 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:00007620
; 4 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:00009d80
; 5 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:0000c4e0
; 6 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:0000ec40
; 7 Weeks
"PruningInterval"=dword:000113a0
; Infinite
"PruningInterval"=dword:ffffffff

CMD

:: Options (use only one)

:: Continuous
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
:: 10 Minutes
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 10 /f
:: 30 Minutes
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 30 /f
:: 1 Hour
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 60 /f
:: 4 Hours
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 240 /f
:: 8 Hours
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 480 /f
:: 12 Hours
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 720 /f
:: 1 Day
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 1440 /f
:: 2 Days
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 2880 /f
:: 3 Days
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 4320 /f
:: 4 Days
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 5760 /f
:: 5 Days
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 7200 /f
:: 6 Days
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 8640 /f
:: 1 Week
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 10080 /f
:: 2 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 20160 /f
:: 3 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 30240 /f
:: 4 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 40320 /f
:: 5 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 50400 /f
:: 6 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 60480 /f
:: 7 Weeks
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 70560 /f
:: Infinite
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers" /v "PruningInterval" /t REG_DWORD /d 4294967295 /f

PowerShell

# Common: create the key
New-Item -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Force | Out-Null

# Options (use only one)
# Continuous
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 0 -Force | Out-Null
# 10 Minutes
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 10 -Force | Out-Null
# 30 Minutes
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 30 -Force | Out-Null
# 1 Hour
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 60 -Force | Out-Null
# 4 Hours
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 240 -Force | Out-Null
# 8 Hours
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 480 -Force | Out-Null
# 12 Hours
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 720 -Force | Out-Null
# 1 Day
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 1440 -Force | Out-Null
# 2 Days
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 2880 -Force | Out-Null
# 3 Days
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 4320 -Force | Out-Null
# 4 Days
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 5760 -Force | Out-Null
# 5 Days
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 7200 -Force | Out-Null
# 6 Days
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 8640 -Force | Out-Null
# 1 Week
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 10080 -Force | Out-Null
# 2 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 20160 -Force | Out-Null
# 3 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 30240 -Force | Out-Null
# 4 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 40320 -Force | Out-Null
# 5 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 50400 -Force | Out-Null
# 6 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 60480 -Force | Out-Null
# 7 Weeks
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 70560 -Force | Out-Null
# Infinite
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers' -Name 'PruningInterval' -PropertyType DWord -Value 4294967295 -Force | Out-Null