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When connecting to a Wireless network in a fresh Windows 7 installation you are treated to the following:

Set Network Location

Is there a way to tell Windows not to ever display this notification and treat all networks as public by default. perhaps in local Group Policy or Local Security policy. I've had a look but can't see anything.

Another way round the problem would be to specify the type of network when adding it from a script. We currently use a .bat file containing the following:

netsh wlan add profile filename="filename.xml"
netsh wlan connect wirelessname

If there is a way to specify the type of network location in Netsh - I don't think there is - then this would solve the problem also.

Edit: I'm looking to avoid Any user interaction in this. I want something that can be set before syspreping or run as a command on first logon.

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  • Any reason for the downvote on this?
    – Joe Taylor
    Commented Feb 1, 2012 at 12:39

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The easiest way to accomplish this is to just check that little box at the bottom 'Treat all future networks that I connect to as public, and don't ask me again.' You can also get to this screen from the 'Network and Sharing Center' as shown from the screenshot below.

Network and Sharing Center

This solution is much less complicated than trying to cook up a script to do it.

Another possibility, in case the 'Public Network' isn't clickable, is to modify a registry key. The one of interest is this:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\NetworkLocationWizard\
REG_DWORD key: HideWizard

From there you can modify or delete that key as you see fit.

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  • But it still requires connecting to a wireless and user interaction which is exactly what I'm looking to avoid. That registry key may be more promising.
    – Joe Taylor
    Commented Oct 3, 2011 at 16:40
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    Modifying the registry key to 1 will disable this screen and treat all networks as public. Excluding networks that are predefined i.e. Domain networks connected in WDS deployment which is absolutely perfect. Thanks for the tip, I confirmed it using RegShot - softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Registry-Tweak/Reg-Shot.shtml
    – Joe Taylor
    Commented Feb 28, 2012 at 13:22

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