Stop Windows 10 from Downloading Unwanted Apps

by Rian

Windows 10 picked up the installing bloatware tactic from its competitor. Windows is now installing Candy Crush Saga without user permission, and it even comes preinstalled on some machines. Now the game itself can be easily removed, but you would want to stop Windows 10 from installing further application without asking you. Obviously Microsoft did not provide a check box to turn this off however. So follow the directions:

1. Press ‘Windows Key’ + R, and type regedit and enter.
2. Go to the following path in Registry Editor:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

3. Create a new 32 bit DWORD value named ‘AutoDownload’ and set it to 2.
4. Restart.

Now Windows 10 will not auto download apps on your work computer. This decision to download apps in the background is just a shooty behavior. We may or may not see this spreading to other Microsoft-owned apps, but until then, hopefully this will block the intrusions.