How to turn off Microsoft-verified apps in Windows 11

While installing a third-party app on your Windows computer, you might have come across “The app you are trying to install is not a Microsoft-verified app” message which at times prevents the installation of the app Is.

This message usually appears for third-party apps that you download from the Internet. Thankfully, it’s not the end of the world, and you can easily bypass that wall.

There are several ways to do this depending on the version of Windows you have. But before we get to that, let’s understand what Windows really means by “Microsoft-verified” apps.

What are Microsoft-Verified Apps?

It simply means apps that come from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft allows third-party developers to digitally sign their apps using Microsoft Authenticode technology to ensure the integrity of the data and prevent any dialog boxes from appearing when you’re trying to install the software. Let’s stop even from.

However, since not every developer opts for this, you may occasionally experience warning pop-ups. This does not mean that the app is harmful or malicious, but also shifts the responsibility onto your shoulders to ensure that the app is not malicious.

Now that you understand what Microsoft-verified apps are, let’s see how to disable the message.

Disable Microsoft verified apps from the Settings app

First, go to the Start menu and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.

After that, click on the ‘Apps’ tab from the left sidebar to proceed further.

Next, click on the ‘Advanced App Settings’ tile from the right section.

On the next screen, click the dropdown on the ‘Where to get apps’ tile.

Then, click on the ‘Anywhere’ option from the list.

You should now be able to install any app from anywhere on your system. But remember that the onus is now on you to make sure that these apps are safe for your system.

Use Group Policy Editor

If you’re more comfortable using this or if you need to change a setting for a group of PCs in your organization, you can also use Group Policy Editor to make those changes.

First, go to the Start menu and type ‘group policy’ to search. Then, click on the ‘Group Policy Editor’ tile to proceed.

After that, click on the ‘Computer Configuration’ section to expand it. Then, double-click ‘Administrative Templates’. Finally, expand the ‘Windows Components’ section.

Next, locate the ‘Windows Defender SmartScreen’ folder and click on it.

Then, double-click on the ‘Explorer’ folder to proceed.

After that, click on the ‘Configure App Install Control’ setting to proceed. It will open a new window on your screen.

Now first click on the ‘Enable’ option. Then, click on the dropdown menu under the ‘Options’ section and select the ‘Turn off recommendations’ option. Finally, click on the ‘Apply’ and ‘Ok’ buttons to save the changes.

Disable Microsoft Store Completely

If you came here looking for a way to completely disable Microsoft Store, follow the instructions below. You can achieve this by using the ‘Registry Editor’, ‘Group Policy Editor’, or ‘Local Security Policy’ tools. For your ease, we have listed all of them here.

using registry editor

First, go to the Start menu and type ‘registry’ to search. From the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile.

Then, copy+paste or type the below address in the address bar and press Enter to navigate to it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\

Next, right-click on the ‘Microsoft’ key and hover over the ‘New’ option. Then, click on the ‘Key’ option and rename the new key WindowsStore,

After you’ve created a key, go to the right side of the window and right-click to bring up the context menu. Next, hover over the ‘New’ option and select the ‘DWORD’ option. Make sure you rename the DWORD file RemoveWindowsStore,

Once done, double-click on the ‘RemoveWindowsStore’ DWORD file and hit Enter 0 in the price range. Then, click on ‘Ok’ to save the changes.

Once done, restart your PC to let the changes take effect.

Use Group Policy Editor

Go to the start menu and type ‘group policy’ to search. From the search results, click on the ‘Group Policy Editor’ tile.

After that, double-click on the ‘Computer Configuration’ option. Then, expand the ‘Administrative Templates’ option. Next, double-click on the ‘Windows Components’ section.

Afterward, click on the ‘Store’ option. Then, from the right part of the window, double-click on the ‘Store’ option.

Next, double-click on the ‘Turn off Store apps’ setting. This will bring up an overlay window on your screen.

On the Properties window, click on the ‘Enabled’ option and then click on the ‘Apply’ and ‘Ok’ buttons to save the changes. Once done, restart your PC to let the changes take effect.

Use Local Security Policy

Go to the start menu and type ‘local security’ to proceed. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Local Security Policy’ tile.

Then, make sure that you have selected the ‘Security Settings’ option from the left part of the window. Next, double-click on the ‘Software Restriction Policy’ section to expand it. After that, click on the option ‘Additional Rules’.

Finally, right-click in the right section of the window and select the option ‘New Path Rule’ from the menu. This will bring up an overlay window on your screen.

Afterwards, type or copy+paste the following directory into the ‘Path’ field. Next, click on the ‘Security Level’ dropdown and select the ‘Deny’ option. Finally, click on the ‘Apply’ and ‘Ok’ buttons.

%programfiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore*

Restart your PC after completing the previous step for the changes to take effect.

It’s easy to turn off the warning message for not installing a Microsoft-verified app. Furthermore, using the above-mentioned method, you can also disable the Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 computer, if you were looking for it. Whatever You Need, This Guide Has It