Disable background apps globally for the system account

Purpose

Show registry keys (1)

• HKU\.DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications\GlobalUserDisabled

GlobalUserDisabled is a per-user DWORD value governing background access for Windows apps. In an interactive user's registry hive, a value of 1 indicates that background activity is globally disabled for the apps covered by the setting. Those apps can no longer perform their usual background operations, such as synchronization, content updates, or notification processing. Traditional desktop applications are not governed by this Windows setting.

The specified path, however, is under HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT. This hive belongs to the Windows LocalSystem account; it is not the default user profile stored under C:\Users\Default. Consequently, this value does not disable background apps for every interactive user and does not establish the setting for newly created user profiles.

Microsoft documents GlobalUserDisabled in the per-user HKEY_CURRENT_USER location, but does not document this value in the system account hive as a supported management policy. A specific effect on background apps running in the LocalSystem context therefore cannot be established reliably.

Notes

Notes

This registry value is not equivalent to the Let Windows apps run in the background computer policy. That policy uses the separate LetAppsRunInBackground value under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy and has its own value semantics.

The .DEFAULT name is potentially misleading: it does not identify the template from which new user profiles are created. Changes in this hive are not automatically copied into the personal registry hives of new users.

Microsoft documentation

Microsoft Support: Windows background apps and your privacy

Microsoft Learn: Troubleshooting the VDI 2.0 solution for Teams

Microsoft Learn: SaveSystemAcctInputSettings — HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT system account hive

See also

• Entry in the reference