Windows 10: Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10

How to: Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10

How to Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10


Windows can personalize your Start menu based on the apps that you launch. This allows you to quickly have access to your list of Most used apps both in the Start menu and when you search your device.

If you disable app launch tracking, it will disable and gray out the Show most used apps settings.

Disabling app launch tracking will also clear and disable the AutoSuggest history for apps in the drop down list of Run (Win+R) and File Explorer (Win+E) address bar. This does not affect file, folder, drive, network, and URL paths in AutoSuggest.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable app launch tracking to improve Start and search results for all users in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Two: Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking using a REG file

EXAMPLE: "Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search results" and "Show most used apps" grayed out when app launch tracking is disabled











OPTION ONE [/i] Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Local Group Policy Editor
*note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two below.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Edge UI. (see screenshot below)



3. In the right pane of Edge UI, double click/tap on the Turn off tracking of app usage policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

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


5. To Enable App Launch Tracking
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 Disable App Launch Tracking
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] Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking using a REG file
*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD values in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\EdgeUI

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\EdgeUI

DisableMFUTracking DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable


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


2. To Enable App Launch Tracking
*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.

Enable_app_launch_tracking.reg

Download

3. To Disable App Launch Tracking
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_app_launch_tracking.reg

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

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

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

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Turn On or Off App Launch Tracking in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable AutoSuggest in Explorer address bar and Run dialog in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Most Used Apps on Start Menu in Windows 10

:)

 

Cannot enable "track app launches" for "most used apps" list

Both settings below are greyed out with the message "Some settings are hidden or managed by your organization"

1. Privacy/Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search results

2. Personalization/Start/Show most used apps

I cannot find a way to enable them. Tried sfc /scannow in Safe Mode, setting Data collection to Full, disable/enable Cortana. Also verified the following group policies, leaving them to 'Not configured' (and also trying 'Disabled'):

"Turn off user tracking"

"Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu"

"Turn off personalized menus".

Don't know what else I can try, apart from reinstalling Windows which would be an over-the-top solution. Using the latest W10 x64 Pro (stable version).

Thanks for any help.

 

Turn On or Off App Launch Tracking in Windows 10


Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\All Settings: these are the changed ones:





I compared the above with my other PC, and they are exactly the same. On that PC however, App Launch Tracking works normally and can be enabled/disabled.

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\All Settings: all is 'Not configured'

I couldn't find something relevant in the Resultant Set of Policy.

 

Turn On or Off App Launch Tracking in Windows 10


I found another person with the same issue below. Did you use any 3rd party programs to disable features in Windows 10?

*Arrow Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search - Microsoft Community

 

Turn On or Off App Launch Tracking in Windows 10


It is version 1709, build 16299.192

 

"Show most used apps" is disabled and it affects the "Run" history?

The new tutorial below should help when Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search results is grayed out and disabled. *Smile

*Arrow Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10 | Tutorials