Disable Automatic App Installs via Regedit

Windows frequently downloads and installs suggested third-party applications, games, and promotional software in the background without explicit user permission. This article provides a concise, step-by-step walkthrough on how to disable the automatic installation of these suggested apps using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit).

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant administrator privileges.

Step 2: Navigate to the ContentDeliveryManager Key

In the Registry Editor, use the left sidebar to navigate to the following path, or copy and paste it into the address bar at the top:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager

Step 3: Modify the SilentInstalledAppsEnabled Value

  1. With the ContentDeliveryManager key selected, look for the DWORD value named SilentInstalledAppsEnabled in the right pane.
  2. If the value exists:
    • Double-click SilentInstalledAppsEnabled.
    • Change the Value data from 1 to 0.
    • Click OK.
  3. If the value does not exist:
    • Right-click an empty area in the right pane.
    • Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
    • Name the new value SilentInstalledAppsEnabled.
    • Double-click it, ensure its Value data is set to 0, and click OK.

Step 4: Disable Additional Suggested Content (Optional but Recommended)

To ensure Windows completely stops pushing promotional apps and suggestions across the Start menu and lock screen, verify or create the following DWORD (32-bit) values within the same ContentDeliveryManager key and set their data to 0:

Step 5: Restart Your Computer

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes. Windows will no longer automatically download or install suggested third-party apps in the background.