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 Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search results and 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
Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10-app_launch_tracking_disabled-1.jpg Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10-app_launch_tracking_disabled-2.jpg






OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Local Group Policy Editor


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)

Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10-app_launch_tracking_gpedit-1.jpg

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)

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)

Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking in Windows 10-app_launch_tracking_gpedit-2.png


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






OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable App Launch Tracking using a REG file


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

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


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