Turn windows store off

Microsoft’s app store has been struggling in recent years, but it’s still a useful tool from which you can install apps and games or download music and TV shows. For various, reasons, though, you may want to disable the Microsoft Store, preventing children from downloading non-approved apps or removing bloat from your system.

Conversely, some users run into “Microsoft Store is blocked” or “The store app is blocked” errors. This can happen when someone disables the Microsoft Store and doesn’t realize it will affect everyone on the PC. This guide will show you how to unblock or disable the app to suit your preferences. Instead of blocking, you can also completely uninstall the Microsoft Store as explained in this separate tutorial.

Unfortunately, due to a policy change from Microsoft disabling the Microsoft Store via the Group Policy editor is now only possible via Windows 10 Enterprise and Education. You can toggle the switch in Windows 10 Pro, but it doesn’t actually do anything. We’re going to cover unblocking and blocking the Microsoft Store with both the registry editor and GPO, but both take the policy route, meaning you may need one of the above editions. You’ll also require an administrator account to make these changes.

How to Unblock or Disable the Microsoft Store via Group Policy

How to Unblock or Disable the Microsoft Store via Regedit

Do you want to stop Microsoft Store from opening and running in the background on Windows 10 or 11? Then, here are different ways to try.

With the introduction of Microsoft’s app store in Windows 10, users can install various third-party applications without visiting their websites. Yes, this makes things easy, but sometimes users must block the Windows Store for a few seasons.

Maybe they want to fix app-related problems or prevent other users from downloading apps.

Here are a few possible reasons that could be behind the need to disable Microsoft Store:

• To stop unwanted notifications.
• Save data by restricting the Microsoft store’s background process
• For improving security or privacy
• To troubleshoot some problems related to the store or its installed apps.
• Restrict children, family members, or other users from downloading apps without permission.

Steps for Disabling or Enabling Windows Store

Before following this tutorial, disabling the Microsoft store will also stop installing any application that requires its service. To use the store, users need to enable its services the same way they have blocked it.

1. Block Windows Store background service

Let’s start with the easy method of restricting the Microsoft store from running as a background service. This saves your system’s necessary data and RAM usage and stops you from receiving necessary notifications.

1. Go to Windows 10 or 11 search bar, or click the Start button.
2. Search for Settings and when the gear icon appears for it, click the same to open it.
3. Click on the Apps option given on the left side. Now, from other right-hand side options, select “Installed Apps.”
4. Search for the Mircosoft store either by scrolling down or using the search box given at the top to search it.
5. As you find the store as an installed app, click on the three horizontal dots in front of it.
6. Select “Advanced options” from the pop-up menu.
7. Scroll down to “Background Apps permissions.”
8. Click on the drop-down given under the “Let’s this app run in background” text.
9. Select the Never option. This will block the Windows store service from running in the background.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

Although, by default, the service of the Store is set to run in an optimized mode, if you want to disable it, select ‘Never.’ Whereas in the future, to allow it to run in the background again, you can do that from the same place and option.

2. Use Local Security Policy to disable Microsoft Store

Those who want to deactivate the Windows store’s functions completely can use the Local Security policy feature of the OS. Here are the steps you can use to enable or disable the Microsoft Store app.

1. Click on the Windows search or start menu button, then type Local Security Policy there to open it.

1. Alternatively, you can use the RUN box command, press Win+R and then type – secpol.msc and press the OK button.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

1. After that, find the “Software Restriction Policies” folder and right-click on it.

1. Select “New Software Restriction Policies” to create a new one.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

1. On the right side, under Object Type, you will see a folder icon with “Additional Rules” Text. Right-Click that and select “New Path Rule...”.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

1. To disable the Microsoft Store, in the Path, type the path where the store app is installed on Windows 10 or 11. To make things for you, here, we have given it. Just copy and paste it.

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore*

1. Select level- Disallowed and hit the Apply button.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

Now, when anyone on the system tries to open the Microsoft Store, it will say, “This app has been blocked by your system administrator.” In the future, if you want to enable the Microsoft Store again, follow the same steps, and instead of “Disallowed,” select the Unrestricted option and Apply the changes.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

3. Enable or Disable the Store App via Edit Group Policy

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a graphical user interface on the Windows operating system that provides a single interface to edit and manage Local Group Policy. Here we will use it to deactivate or activate the Microsoft Store feature.

1. Open Local Group Policy Editor; for it, go to the Windows start menu and type “Edit Group Policy.” Alternatively, we can use the RUN command by pressing Win+R; and in it, type gpedit.msc and hit the OK button.

1. From the left side, under Local Computer Policy -> select Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Store.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

1. You will see “Turn off the Store Application” on the right side; double click it, select Disabled, click Apply, and then the Ok button.

1. In the future, if you want to enable the Windows store again on your system, then open the same Settings on Win 11 or 10 and select the “Enable” option.

4. Stop Microsoft Store from opening using Regedit Method

This method uses the Registry Editor of Windows 11 or 10 to enable or disable the Microsoft Store application.

Well, although the previously given methods are enough, here is one more to use:

1. Open Windows Registry Editor by clicking on the Windows start button and typing its name.

1. Run the Editor with Administrative rights, and click Yes when it asks for it.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

1. Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then select SOFTWARE. After that, click on Policies, find Microsoft, and right-click on it.

1. Select New Key and give it the name WindowsStore.

1. Once you are done with it, select your created key and again right-click on it to select New -> Dword (32-bit) Value.

1. Name it – RemoveWindowsStore, and after that, double-click the created Dword and set its value to 1. This will stop the Microsoft store from opening on Windows 10/11 platforms. Later, in the future, to enable access to the Store app again, change the value from 1 to 0 or delete the created DWORD key.

1. Don’t forget to Restart your system to apply the changes.

Картинка с сайта: www.how2shout.com

FAQ

How do I download without opening the Microsoft Store?

Using the Winget package manager, we can download apps available in the Microsoft Store without opening them. It is a command line utility available on Windows 10 or 11 systems. It allows the installation of various apps using a single command. Learn more about Winget.

Is Microsoft Store the same as Google Play?

Almost Google Play and Microsoft Store are similar because both provide an easy way to install the applications. However, Play Store owns by Google and supports Android Apps, whereas Microsoft Store is for Windows platforms only.

Why are there no Google apps in Microsoft Store?

Google apps are available on the Microsoft store because it is meant to host APK for Android platforms, and Windows is not an Android operating system.

Other Articles:

The Microsoft Store is an awesome tool that helps you download your favorite games and other apps. However, there are times when you might want to disable this tool.

For example, you could disable the Microsoft Store if other people use it to download apps without your permission. Or, you could disable the tool if it keeps sending you random notifications (no matter how many times you disable those notifications.)

As such, let’s explore the solutions for disabling and enabling the Microsoft Store.

1. Use the Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE)

You can apply this method only if you’re using Windows Pro, Education, and Enterprise versions. If you’re using the Home edition, you’d first need to apply some tricks to access the LGPE on Windows Home.

Otherwise, here are the steps for disabling or enabling the Microsoft Store using the LGPE:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the LGPE.
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Store.
4. Double-click the Turn off the Store application option on the right-hand side pane.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

To disable the Microsoft Store, select Enabled. Otherwise, select Not Configured or Disabled to enable the Microsoft Store app. Finally, click Apply and then click OK to save these changes.

2. Use the Registry Editor

The Registry Editor is an incredible tool that can help you configure various system settings. In this case, we’ll check out how you can use it to disable or enable the Microsoft Store app.

Before you get started, back up the Registry just in case something goes wrong.

Now, here are the steps for enabling or disabling the Microsoft Store using the Registry Editor:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type Regedit in the search box and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Copy-paste the following command into the address bar and press Enter:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\
    

From there, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the Microsoft key and select New > Key.
2. Name the new key as WindowsStore and then press Enter.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Next, right-click on the WindowsStore key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. From there, name the value as “RemoveWindowsStore” and then press Enter.

To disable the Microsoft Store, double-click on the RemoveWindowsStore value and set its Value Data to 1. Otherwise, set the Value data to 0 (zero) to enable the Microsoft Store.

From there, press the OK button. Finally, close the Registry Editor and restart your device to save these changes.

3. Use the Software Restriction Policies in the Local Security Policy

The Software Restriction Policies option in the Local Security Policy can help. Here’s how you can use this feature to enable or disable the Microsoft Store:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type secpol.msc in the search box and press Enter to open the Local Security Policy.
3. Click the Software Restriction Policies option on the left-hand side. Next, right-click on Additional Rules on the right and select New Path Rule.
4. Type %programfiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore* in the Path box.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

To disable the Microsoft Store, click the Security level drop-down menu and select Disallowed. Alternatively, click the drop-down button and select Unrestricted to enable the Microsoft Store. Finally, press Apply and then press OK.

4. Use the AppLocker Settings in the Local Security Policy

The AppLocker tool also makes it easy for you to enable or disable the Microsoft Store. In fact, this is a brilliant feature to use in case you want to enable or disable any Windows app.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Type Local Security Policy in the Start menu search bar. Next, right-click on the Best match result and click Run as administrator.
2. Navigate to Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged app Rules.
3. Right-click on a blank space on the right-hand side and select Create New Rule.
4. Click the Next button in the Before You Begin screen.
5. Check the Deny button in the Permissions screen to disable the Microsoft Store. Alternatively, click the Allow button to enable the tool.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Click Next to continue. From there, follow these steps once you land on the Publisher screen:

1. Check the Use an installed package app as a reference option. From there, click the Select button to search for the Microsoft Store.
2. On the next screen, check the Microsoft Store box and then click OK. This should take you back to the Publisher screen.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Click Next on the Publisher screen, and then click Next again when you get to the Exceptions screen.

Finally, type a name in the Description: (Optional) box on the Name and Description window. For example, you can type something like “A tool for enabling or disabling the Microsoft Store.” Otherwise, you can skip this step.

Finally, click the Create button.

If you selected “Deny” in the Permissions screen, the Microsoft Store should be disabled. To re-enable the Microsoft Store at a later stage, follow these steps:

1. Open the Local Security Policy and navigate to the Packaged app Rules option as per the previous steps.
2. Double-click the Microsoft Store option on the right-hand side.
3. Navigate to the General tab.
4. Check the Allow button to re-enable the Microsoft Store. Finally, press Apply and then press OK to apply these changes.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

5. Use the System Settings to Enable or Disable the App From Running in the Background

There are times when you don’t want to completely disable the Microsoft Store. Instead, you might only be interested in stopping the app from sending you tons of notifications.

In this instance, you can disable the tool from running in the background. That way, the app won’t send you notifications randomly.

Here are the steps for disabling the Microsoft Store from running in the background:

1. Type Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match. Alternatively, try the various ways to access the Windows settings.
2. Select Privacy from the options. Next, scroll down on the left-hand side and then select Background apps.
3. Scroll down and locate the Microsoft Store on the right-hand side. To disable the tool from running in the background, turn off the button next to this option. Alternatively, turn on the button to allow the app to run in the background.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Enabling or Disabling the Microsoft Store Isn’t Complicated

Disabling the Microsoft Store prevents others from downloading unwanted apps on your device. Meanwhile, enabling the app can help you get rid of error messages like, «Microsoft Store is blocked.»

Now, whether you want to disable or enable the Microsoft Store, try any of the tips we’ve covered. If you can’t run the app while it’s enabled, then you need to try a few other solutions.