Windows 10: Allow or Block Automatic File Downloads for Apps in Windows 10

How to: Allow or Block Automatic File Downloads for Apps in Windows 10

How to Allow or Block Automatic File Downloads for Apps in Windows 10


When you use an online storage provider such as OneDrive to store online-only files, some Windows apps might download these files automatically. For example, a music player app such as Windows Media Player might download your online-only music files to play them.

When an app downloads online-only files, you'll get a notification from Automatic file downloads that shows where it's downloading them from and how many it's downloading, as well as the download progress.

When you get these notifications, do one of the following:

• Do nothing, or dismiss the notification - If the download is expected and all's well, let the notification go away on its own after the download completes. Or, select the arrow
  
  in the upper right of the notification to move it to action center.
• Cancel the download - To put the brakes on a download that's already started.
• Block the app - To cancel the download and block the app from downloading online-only files again in the future.

This tutorial will show you how to allow or block apps from requesting automatic file downloads for your account in Windows 10.

*note Blocking apps could make them unstable. If you trust an app and open online-only files with it frequently, don't block it.

If you block any apps from downloading online-only files and you change your mind later, you can unblock (allow) them.

*tip If you do not want notifications for automatic file downloads, then you can turn off Automatic file downloads under Get notifications from these senders on the Notifications & actions page in Settings.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Block Automatic File Downloads for an App
• Option Two: To Allow Automatic File Downloads for All Blocked Apps
• Option Three: Block or Unblock Automatic File Downloads for Specific Apps in Registry Editor

OPTION ONE [/i] To Block Automatic File Downloads for an App
1. When an app downloads online-only files, you'll get a notification. Click/tap on the Cancel download button. (see screenshot below)



2. Click/tap on the Block app button. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] To Allow Automatic File Downloads for All Blocked Apps
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

2. Click/tap on Automatic file downloads on the left side, and click/tap on the Allow button on the right side. (see screenshots below)

*note If the Allow button is grayed out, then it means you have not blocked any apps from requesting automatic file downloads.











OPTION THREE [/i] Block or Unblock Automatic File Downloads for Specific Apps in Registry Editor
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the registry key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\CloudFiles\BlockedApps
3. Under the BlockedApps key in the left pane, each blocked app will have a subkey created which stores the App Name, Path, and Package Name (Microsoft Store app).

4. In the right pane of the blocked app's subkey, double click/tap on the Enabled DWORD to modify it.

5. Change the value of the Enabled DWORD to 0, and click/tap on OK.

*note A value of 1 is for being blocked.

6. When finished, you can close Registry Editor.





That's it,
Shawn

:)

 

Automatic File Downloads

*Wink

Allow or Block Automatic File Downloads for Apps in Windows 10

 

OneDrive not blocking apps from downloading files with Files on Demand

Hello

To save space on laptop I use Files on Demand feature in OneDrive. But every time as I am running some other app, like backup software or some photoediting software like ACDSee, file what are on OneDrive cloud get downloaded. To stop this I try to block
the app to stop automatic file downloads. The problem is the app is not getting blocked not from OneDrive Block App feature, name of the blocked app is not appearing in Settings>Privacy>Automatic file downloads blocked app list. Also changes in registry then
changing HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Spftware\Policies\Microsoft\Cloudfiles\BlockedApps DWORD value Enabled data to 1 (0 is allowing) is not changing anything and the App still downloads files.

Help!

 

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.

 

blocking apps

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to follow the below steps and check if it helps:

• Log in to https://familysafety.microsoft.com/ using your Microsoft Email account.
• Find the user that is correspond to the computer account on the Windows that you are having issue with.
• Click on "App Restrictions".
• Under App Restrictions, click on "App list".
• Here, you can Allow or Block the Apps/Games that you want.

Please let us know if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.