Policy

Block launching desktop apps associated with a file.

This policy setting lets you control whether packaged Microsoft Store apps can open files using the default desktop app for a file type. Because desktop apps run at a higher integrity level than packaged Microsoft Store apps, there is a risk that a packaged Microsoft Store app might compromise the system by opening a file in the default desktop app for a file type. If you enable this policy setting, packaged Microsoft Store apps cannot open files in the default desktop app for a file type; they can open files only in other packaged Microsoft Store apps. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, packaged Microsoft Store apps can open files in the default desktop app for a file type.

Policy
Pack Microsoft Windows
Category Windows Components / App runtime
Policy ID 6965b39203ea
Internal name AppxRuntimeBlockFileElevation

Registry

Copy registry mappings

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations\BlockFileElevation (enabled) = 1
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations\BlockFileElevation (disabled) = 0
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations\BlockFileElevation (enabled) = 1
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations\BlockFileElevation (disabled) = 0

Policy notes

This policy setting lets you control whether packaged Microsoft Store apps can open files using the default desktop app for a file type. Because desktop apps run at a higher integrity level than packaged Microsoft Store apps, there is a risk that a packaged Microsoft Store app might compromise the system by opening a file in the default desktop app for a file type. If you enable this policy setting, packaged Microsoft Store apps cannot open files in the default desktop app for a file type; they can open files only in other packaged Microsoft Store apps. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, packaged Microsoft Store apps can open files in the default desktop app for a file type.

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