Windows 10: Allow or Block Access to Microsoft Store App in Windows 10

How to: Allow or Block Access to Microsoft Store App in Windows 10

How to Allow or Block Access to Microsoft Store App in Windows 10


The Microsoft Store app in Windows 10 offers various apps, games, music, movies & TV, and books that users can browse through, purchase, or get for free to download and install for their Microsoft account in Windows 10 PCs and devices.

If you like, you can turn off the Store app to deny users access to the Store.

This tutorial will show you how to allow or block access to the Store app for all users in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to allow or block access to the Store app.



Note Access to the Store is required for users to install app updates, so you may wish to make sure that automatic app updates are turned on before blocking access to the Store app.


UPDATE: This policy will now only work in the Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education version 1511 and later.

For more details, see:

• Microsoft no longer allows to block Store access in Windows 10 Pro
• Can't disable Windows Store in Windows 10 Pro through Group Policy - KB3135657

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Allow or Block Access to Store App in Group Policy
• Option Two: To Allow or Block Access to Store App using a REG file

EXAMPLE: The Store app is blocked







OPTION ONE [/i] To Allow or Block Access to Store App in Group Policy
*note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education Option TWO below instead.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store




3. In the right pane of Store in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Turn off the Store application policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (allow) or step 6 (block) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Allow Access to the Store App
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

*note Not Configured is the default setting.

6. To Block Access to the Store App
A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] To Allow or Block Access to Store App using a REG file
*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and change the registry key and DWORD value below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

RemoveWindowsStore DWORD

delete or 0 = allow
1 = block

1. Do step 2 (allow) or step 3 (block) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Allow Access to the Store App
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Allow_Access_to_Store_app.reg

Download

3. To Block Access to the Store App
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Block_Access_to_Store_app.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Re-register the Store in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and Windows 10
• Add or Remove 'Look for an app in the Store' in Open with in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Video Autoplay in Microsoft Store App in Windows 10
• How to Use AppLocker to Block Running Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 10

:)

 

Microsoft no longer allows to block Store access in Windows 10 Pro

Read more: Microsoft no longer allows administrators to block Windows Store access in Windows 10 Pro | ZDNet




Note Reference: How to Allow or Block Access to the Store App in Windows 10

 

Allow or Block Access to Store App in Windows 10

For Home or Pro users you can enable the "Microsoft Store" outbound rule in the firewall (for private profile is enough) and then double click and change to "Block the connection".

This will make the store unable to access internet so nothing can be downloaded.

 

Microsoft no longer allows to block Store access in Windows 10 Pro


Kaspersky Internet security still allows you to block the store from opening, in application control.

 

Windows Firewall blocks App Store from downloading new apps

Hi,

Let's try to check if the app store you're referring to if it's really blocked by Windows Firewall. See these steps:

• Open Windows Firewall from the taskbar >
  Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall.
• A new window will show up containing the list of the apps that ca be allowed through Firewall.
• Look for the app you want to be accessed, and make sure that the Domain, Private and Public are ticked. That would allow the app store to be accessed.

Let us know what happens after doing the suggestion.

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

As you may already know, Windows 10 (as well as Windows 8) allow you to log in with a valid Microsoft account, instead of creating a local account that only works on your machine. However, you may prefer to keep a local account for privacy reasons. If you do, though, some Windows 10 features—like Cortana—may not work. Despite the default behavior, the Windows 10 Store is not one of them. You can still log in to your Microsoft account for just the Store without switching to a full Microsoft account. The process, however, is not terribly obvious. To do so, follow these steps:

• Launch the Store from your Start menu.
• Click the user icon next to the search box.
• Click “Sign-in” from the menu that appears.
• Choose “Microsoft account” and log in like normal.
• When the “Make it yours” box appears do not enter your password. Instead, click “Sign in to just this app instead.”

from Lifehacker