Disable Changing Save Location of Apps in Windows 10

How to Disable Changing Save Location of Apps in Windows 10

In a previous article, we have seen how to configure Windows 10 to install Store apps to another partition or hard drive and save space on your system partition. If you are system administrator, you may need to prevent users from changing the pre-configured drive for Store apps. Today we will see how it can be done.

Like Android has Google Play, and there's the App Store in iOS, the Microsoft Store app (formerly Windows Store) adds the ability to deliver digital content to the end user in Windows.

Modern UWP apps can be installed and updated with one click thanks to the My Library feature of Microsoft Store. It saves the list of apps you have installed and purchased, so you can quickly get the required app on another device you own without searching for it again in the Store. When you have signed in to the Store with your Microsoft account on a new device, you will be able to install the apps you already own (which you previously purchased from another device). Microsoft Store saves the list of your devices for that purpose. This works when you are signed in with your Microsoft Account.

If you disable the option to select app save location in Windows 10, users will no longer be able to change the new app save location, and the default save location will be set to This PC (C:). Apps installed to a different location or drive will become inaccessible.

To disable changing save location of Store apps in Windows 10, you can use at least two methods, a Group Policy option, and a Group Policy Registry tweak. The first method can be used in editions of Windows 10 that come with the Local Group Policy Editor app. If you are running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition, then the Local Group Policy Editor app is available in the OS out of the box. Windows 10 Home users can apply a Registry tweak. Let's review these methods.

To Disable Changing Save Location of Apps in Windows 10,

1. Open the Local Group Policy editor app, or launch it for all users except Administrator, or for a specif user.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment.
3. On the right, double-click on the Disable installing Windows apps on non-system volumes entry to change it.
4. Set it to Enabled.
5. Restart Windows 10.

You are done.

To undo the change, set the mentioned policy to Not configured.

Tip: See How to Reset All Local Group Policy Settings at once in Windows 10.

Alternatively, you can apply a Registry tweak.

Disable Changing Save Location of Apps in Registry

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. Go to the following Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Appx. Tip: See how to jump to the desired Registry key with one click.
3. If you do not have such a key, then just create it.
4. Here, create a new 32-bit DWORD value RestrictAppToSystemVolume. Note: Even if you are running 64-bit Windows, you still need to use a 32-bit DWORD as the value type.
5. Set its value data to 1 to disable changing Windows Apps save location.
6. To make the changes done by the Registry tweak take effect, restart Windows 10.

You are done. To undo the change, delete the RestrictAppToSystemVolume value and restart the OS.

Interested users can download the ready-to-use Registry files:

Download Registry Files

The undo tweak is included.

Tip: You can try to enable GpEdit.msc in Windows 10 Home.

Articles of interest

• Hide or Show Apps in Microsoft Store My Library
• Disable Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 10
• How to Terminate Store Apps in Windows 10
• Create Check for Store Updates Shortcut in Windows 10
• Create Shortcut to App Page in Microsoft Store in Windows 10
• Hide or Show Apps in Microsoft Store My Library
• Install Apps from Microsoft Store My Library in Windows 10
• Remove Windows 10 Device from Microsoft Store Account