How to Stop Windows 10 from Installing Unwanted Apps?

Help! Windows 10 keeps installing strange apps, can’t stop it!

"Do you guys know how to stop newly updated Windows 10 from installing new app updates? Quite a lot space in my PC has been taken by these app updates. And it even installed some unwanted apps. If you have method to solve this problem, please help me. Thanks very much."

"My computer keeps download and installing new app updates without asking me for permission. I don’t really want to install those strange apps such as Candy Crush. Do you know how to stop it? Please help me."

Windows system will automatically download and install driver updates and app updates after updating Windows system into new version so to avoid compatible issue. And it’s quite normal for Windows 10 to install new app updates after the Windows 10 anniversary update. However, unwanted apps may also be installed in your PC. Here in the following passages, you’ll find effective method to stop Windows 10 installing unwanted apps without losing any data.

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Step 1. Turn off automatic app updates in Windows 10

• Open Store > Click user icon at the top of the screen;
• Click Settings and turn off Update apps automatically in App updates section.

Step 2. Block Candy Crush or other unwanted app in Windows 10

Here you have two access to block app update from Registry tweak or block unwanted apps in Windows 10 update. You can either choose one method to block apps in Windows 10 now.

#1. Block app updates from Registry tweak

Press Windows + R, type: regedit and hit Enter;
Registry Editor file will show up in C:\Windows directory and you can navigate to the folder and run regedit.exe directly;
Then open Registry Editor and go to: 
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

Create a new 32-bit DWORD value named AutoDownload and set it to 2 to disable app auto-update;
After this, restart Windows 10.

#2. Block unwanted apps including Candy Crush from Windows 10 update

• Press Win + R and open Run dialog;
• Type: secpol.msc and hit Enter;
• Local Security Policy app will appear and select Application Control Policies in the letf, then click Applocker;
• Click Packaged app Rules, right click the right pane and select Create new rule;
• Click Next when the Create new rule wizard shows up;
• On the Permissions page, set Action to Deny, leave User or Group as Everyone;
• Click Next, click Use an installed packaged app as reference > Select;
• Select Windows Spotlight(Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager) and click OK in the app list;
• Move the slider to the Package Name option as shown below, then click Create.

After these steps, your PC won’t install automatic updates or apps without permission anymore. If you want to install new updates or apps, you’ll need to manually download and install in your PC. What about those already existed apps? You can removed them! How? Follow Step 3 to do it now.

Step 3. Clean-up junk files including unwanted apps from Windows 10

Those unwanted apps which have already been downloaded and installed in PC won’t be removed by blocking Windows 10 from installing app updates. Therefore, you may have one more step to clean up and remove unwanted apps on PC.

EaseUS CleanGenius will make it simple and easy for you to clean up all junk files including unwanted files by simple clicks: