How to Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and 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 disable pinning the Store app to the taskbar for users. This will remove Pin to taskbar from the context menu of the Store app, and remove Store from the taskbar.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable users from being able to pin to taskbar the Store app in Windows 8 and Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to enable or disable uninstall apps from Start.


 CONTENTS:

  • Option One: To Enable or Disable Pin Store to Taskbar using a REG file
  • Option Two: To Enable or Disable Pin Store to Taskbar in Group Policy

EXAMPLE: "Pin to taskbar" Store enabled and disabled
Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and 10-store_pinned_to_taskbar.jpg
Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and 10-store_pinned_to_taskbar_disabled.jpg






OPTION ONE

To Enable or Disable Pin Store to Taskbar using a REG file



The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

NoPinningStoreToTaskbar DWORD

0 or delete = Enable
1 = Disable

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


 2. To Enable Pin Store to Taskbar for All Users

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_Pin_Store_to_Taskbar.reg

Download


 3. To Disable Pin Store to Taskbar for All Users

If the Store app is already pinned to the taskbar, it will be removed from the taskbar the next time the user signs in.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_Pin_Store_to_Taskbar.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. Restart explorer, sign out and sign in to Windows, or restart the PC to apply.

8. You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.






OPTION TWO

To Enable or Disable Pin Store to Taskbar in Group Policy



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

All editions can use Option One above.

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and 10-pin_store_to_taskbar_gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar, double click/tap on Do not allow pinning Store app to the Taskbar 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 Pin Store to Taskbar

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.


 6. To Disable Pin Store to Taskbar

If the Store app is already pinned to the taskbar, it will be removed from the taskbar the next time the user signs in.

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

Enable or Disable Pinning Store app to Taskbar in Windows 8 and 10-pin_store_to_taskbar_gpedit-2.jpg

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

8. Restart explorer, sign out and sign in to Windows, or restart the PC to apply.


That's it,
Shawn