This policy setting controls whether a background service for Microsoft Search in Bing gets installed. The background service is included when you first install Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise or when you update to a new version.
This background service checks the status of a check box in the Microsoft Search section of the Microsoft 365 admin center. If the check box is selected, a Microsoft Search in Bing extension for Google Chrome is installed. The extension sets the default search engine to Bing, but users can change the default search engine even after the extension is installed.
Note: The check box in the Microsoft 365 admin center isn't selected by default. Therefore, even if the background service is installed, your users won't see any changes unless you go into the Microsoft 365 admin center and select the check box.
If you enable this policy setting, the background service won't be installed. Since the background service isn't installed, the extension won't be installed, even if the check box in the Microsoft 365 admin center is selected.
If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, the background service will be installed. Even if the background service is installed, the extension won't be installed unless the check box in the Microsoft 365 admin center is selected.
For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=2109345.
| Registry Hive | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
| Registry Path | software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate |
| Value Name | preventbinginstall |
| Value Type | REG_DWORD |
| Enabled Value | 1 |
| Disabled Value | 0 |