Block Users From Uninstalling Apps in Windows 8

Microsoft has launched Windows 8. Windows 8 provides much more from Microsoft. It is full of rich features and Metro apps that make a good user interface experience. By default in Windows 8 any user can easily uninstall the Metro application from the system. The user has the option to right-click on the particular application displayed in the start screen to uninstall it. This leads to removal of the apps from the system as well.

Windows 8 provides more security features for the system administrator, organizations and businesses to control the ability of other PC users to do things to the system. Since Windows 8 is rich with apps and it its mainly working of the Metro user interface apps, it is necessary to take care of apps from uninstalling from the start screen or the computer system. The system administrator can control from uninstalling of Windows 8 apps from the system. He is able to control what types of authorization is given to a particular user and what a user should not do.

In this article we are going to learn how to prevent the user from uninstalling apps in Windows 8. Basically there are two ways to prevent the user from uninstalling the Metro application from the system. In order to do this setting you need to make the change in the local group policy setting.

Steps to be followed

Step 1 Go to Start Screen, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.

Step 2 Type gpedit.msc in the search box and select apps from the bottom.

-search-apps-in-windows8.gif

Step 3 Then, select the gpedit.msc from the right side bar.

-gpedit-in-windows8.gif

There is another option to open the gpedit.msc from the run command.

Step 4 Press the Windows key+r from the keyboard. Run command menu is opened.

Step 5 Enter gpedit.msc keyword in the given area to be open.

-gp-editor-in-windows8.gif

Step 6 Then, expand the User Configuration, and select the Administrative Templates.

Step 7 Select Start Menu and Taskbar from the left side menu.

Step 8 From the right side bar locate and double-click on the "Prevent users from uninstalling applications from Start".

-local-group-policy-in-windows8.gif

Step 9 By default this setting is Not Configured. You have change it's state by selecting the enabled radio button from the right side. If you enable this setting, users cannot uninstall apps from Start.

prevent-apps-from-uninstall-in-windows8.gif

Step 10 Then, restart the PC to reflect the changes to the system.

Step 11 After restarting the PC the user does not have the option to uninstall the Metro application from the start screen.

Before the settings, The Uninstall option is available in the bottom bar of the start screen.

start-screen-in-windows8.gif

After Configured the setting.

start-screen-in-windows8(1).gif

You can also reset the default setting again by using the step 9. Now, you have to select the not configured button to allow the other user to uninstall the Metro apps from the start screen or system.

Next Recommended Readings