Windows Push-to-Install Registry Key Guide

The Windows Push-to-Install service allows users to remotely trigger application installations on their Windows devices via the Microsoft Store web interface. This article explains the exact Windows Registry keys used to configure, enable, or disable the Push-to-Install behavior and manage the underlying service configuration on a system.

Registry Key for Push-to-Install Policy Behavior

To control whether the Push-to-Install feature is active on a system, Windows uses a dedicated Group Policy registry key:

• Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PushToInstall
• Value Name: DisablePushToInstall
• Data Type: REG_DWORD
• Values:
  • 1 = Push-to-Install is disabled (blocks remote app deployment).
  • 0 = Push-to-Install is enabled (default behavior).

If the PushToInstall key does not exist under Microsoft, it can be created manually to enforce the policy.

Registry Key for the Push-to-Install Service

To manage the startup and operating parameters of the underlying Windows service directly, use the service configuration key:

• Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PushToInstall
• Value Name: Start
• Data Type: REG_DWORD
• Values:
  • 2 = Automatic
  • 3 = Manual (Demand start, default)
  • 4 = Disabled

How to Modify the Settings in Regedit

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\.
3. Right-click Microsoft, select New > Key, and name it PushToInstall (skip if it already exists).
4. Right-click inside the right pane of the PushToInstall folder, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it DisablePushToInstall.
5. Double-click DisablePushToInstall and set its value to 1 to disable the feature or 0 to enable it.
6. Restart the computer to apply the changes.