Windows 10: Turn On or Off Automatic Updates for Apps in Windows 10 Store

How to: Turn On or Off Automatic Updates for Apps in Windows 10 Store

Turn On or Off Automatic Download and Install of App Updates by Store 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.

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off the automatic download and installation of app updates by Store for your account or all users in Windows 10.

*note Make sure that you have the correct time set to avoid the Store having syncing issues.

*note You will need to have the Storage Service service running and set to Manual (Trigger Start) for Store updates to work properly.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store app for only your Account
• Option Two: To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store for All Users using Group Policy
• Option Three: To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store for All Users using a REG file

EXAMPLE: App Updates Available in Store









OPTION ONE [/i] To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store app for only your Account
1. Open the Microsoft Store app.

2. Click/tap on the See more (3 dots) button, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)



3. Under App updates, turn on or off Update apps automatically to what you want. (see screenshots below)



4. When finished, you can close the Store app if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store for All Users using Group Policy

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Three below that does the same thing.

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 Automatic Download and Install of updates policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (default), step 6 (always on), or step 7 (always off) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Let Users Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store (default)
A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot belowstep 7)

6. To Always have Update Apps Automatically Turned On in Store for All Users
*note This step will override whatever users have set in Option One above.

A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot belowstep 7)

7. To Always have Update Apps Automatically Turned Off in Store for All Users
*note This step will override whatever users have set in Option One above.

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)




8. You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





OPTION THREE [/i] To Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store for All Users using a REG file

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option does the same thing as Option Two above.

The .reg files below will add and change the registry key and DWORD value below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

AutoDownload DWORD

delete DWORD = default
2 = always off
4 = always on

1. Do step 2 (default), step 3 (always on), or step 4 (always off) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Let Users Turn On or Off Update Apps Automatically in Store (default)
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

User_Choice_Store_Automatic_Download_Install_Updates.reg

Download

3. To Always have Update Apps Automatically Turned On in Store for All Users
*note This step will override whatever users have set in Option One above.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Always_On_Store_Automatic_Download_Install_Updates.reg

Download

4. To Always have Update Apps Automatically Turned Off in Store for All Users
*note This step will override whatever users have set in Option One above.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Always_Off_Store_Automatic_Download_Install_Updates.reg

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

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

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

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

9. If the Store app is open, then close and reopen it to apply.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Check for App Updates in the Store in Windows 10
• How to Sign in to Store with Different Account in Windows 10
• How to Uninstall Desktop and Windows Apps in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Automatic Updates for Windows Update in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Automatically Installing Suggested Apps in Windows 10
• How to Limit Bandwidth to Download and Upload Windows and App Updates in Windows 10
• How to See OS and Store Update Network Bandwidth Usage in Windows 10 Activity Monitor
• How to Turn On or Off Video Autoplay in Microsoft Store App in Windows 10

:)

 

svchost.exe taking absorbing the internet speed on windows 10

svchost.exe is part of windows and is used to update Apps

If you have slow broadband like mine it will hog all the bandwidth.

To turn off automatic apps update go to.

Start

Store (opens up windows app store)

Click on the Person symbol next to the search box

select Settings

Turn off Update Apps automatically

I also turn off Show products on tile

You can wait for current downloads to finish or

go to downloads and cancel them.

 

Windows 10 installing apps without permission

Hi Biagio,

App publishers sometimes update their apps to add new features and fix problems. The Windows Store can automatically install app and their updates. Here are the steps to permanently turn off the automatic installation of apps in your Windows 10:

• On the Start screen, select Store to open the Windows Store.
• Select the account menu (next to the search box), then select Settings.
• Under App updates, set Update apps automatically to
  No.

Keep us posted.

Regards.

 

Shawn, there was an update to Store today or yesterday(Note: I have Home version):

 

Hey Cliff, *Smile

I'm sorry, but???

 

Your note at the top:

 

Ah, great news. Now if they will just do the same for Windows Update.

 

*ThumbsYeah that would make a ton of people happy. I don't need it but, I respect choice 100%. And who knows maybe there will come an update that isn't good for one of my machines, so to have a choice(at least for non-critical or security updates) would be good.

 

BTW - if Store Settings - App updates is set to "Off" - will then the "Store" entry be gone?
( gpedit.msc -> Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Store)

will that then again result in Event Log 'Warnings'
like
[Warning]
Event ID 3
Source: Windows-ApplicationModel-Store-SDK
Description: slot 'versionNotes' is not parented
Function: MoveSlotToNewParent
Source: D:\TB\6052\8375\src\src\Shared\UX\Controls\PDP\PageLayout.xaml.cs (86)

or

[Error]
Event ID 1
Source: Windows-ApplicationModel-Store-SDK
Error loading user profile picutre: Url: hxxx//cid-efa795a44.users.storage.live.com/users/0x95a44/myprofile/expressionprofile/profilephoto:UserTileStatic/ProfileImage?ck=1&ex=24 Error: E_NETWORK_ERROR
Error Code: -2147483648
Function: UpdateHamburgerIdentityButtons
Source: D:\TB\6052\8375\src\src\Shared\UX\Controls\HamburgerControl.xaml.cs (87)

(note, the above http link has been edited)

=





=

 

Hello tfwul, *Smile

The group policy should not go away no matter what it's set to.

 

Puzzled ...





Checked the eventlog - there was a 'warning' very soon after the first install (retail usb on a formatted SSD) reading

"
Windows cannot find the resource package manifest in the bundle file: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_2015.7.1.0_neutral_split.language-nl_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml
"

Really don't know if that has something to do with it.

there are a lot of 'store' entries in the event log though.

Question is ... now what?

=

 

Interesting. I don't see this group policy anymore in build 10547.

 

I checked what I did (kept screenshots of virtually all steps I take when installing WIndows and Windows applicatons,- not apps):
right-click 'store' on taskbar
to go settings
auto update [off]
store on taskbar again
unpin this program from taskbar

Maybe... this results in removing it from group policy(?)
and maybe this removal leads to all the event log entries
verrry long shot though.

=

 

No. It must have been a change made by Microsoft in some update. Group policies don't go away on their own like that.

What build are you running?

 

Build 10240. Insider Preview builds aside (think they are at 10525 or so) I assume this is the latest 'official' version.