InitialConfiguration
This task belongs to the Windows Recall feature and performs its initial configuration.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Identifier: \Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI\Recall\InitialConfiguration
Setup Foundry disables this scheduled task; the task remains registered in Task Scheduler.
This task belongs to the Windows Recall feature and performs its initial configuration. Recall is a Copilot+ PC feature that makes previously viewed screen content searchable by analyzing snapshots stored locally on the device.
Microsoft documents Recall and its management policies but does not publish a dedicated technical reference for this individual task. Its exact triggers and internal configuration operations therefore are not publicly specified. In particular, the task should not be treated as the process that continuously captures or analyzes Recall snapshots.
Notes
Privacy and security
Microsoft does not document the task itself as collecting or transmitting user content. When a user explicitly opts in to Recall, Windows stores encrypted screen snapshots and derived search information on the local device and processes them locally. Microsoft states that these snapshots are not sent to Microsoft or shared with other users of the device. Depending on the Windows privacy settings, diagnostic data may still be provided, and Recall may occasionally retrieve website metadata such as favicons from the internet.
Disabling this initialization task does not delete existing snapshots or change the user's Recall consent and policy settings. It therefore does not, by itself, establish that subsequent Recall data processing has stopped.
Effects of the change
Once the task is disabled, Task Scheduler cannot start InitialConfiguration through its registered triggers. The task is not deleted, and its definition remains present.
If initial configuration has already completed, disabling the task is not expected to produce an immediate change to existing Recall settings or snapshots. If Windows needs to run the task again after provisioning or an update, initialization of the Recall component may remain incomplete. Microsoft does not document the resulting user-visible behavior for individual Windows releases, so a specific symptom—such as missing provisioning or configuration that is not refreshed—cannot be stated reliably.
This change does not disable Recall as a whole and does not guarantee that Recall will stop saving snapshots. Recall availability and snapshot storage also depend on the installed optional component, compatible Copilot+ hardware, applicable policies, and explicit consent from each user.
Notes
Microsoft supports Recall on eligible Copilot+ PCs. On managed commercial devices, the component is disabled and removed by default until the organization allows it to be available. The presence of this scheduled task in a Windows installation or update does not by itself mean that Recall is active.
Microsoft documentation
Microsoft Learn: Manage Recall for Windows clients
Microsoft Support: Retrace your steps with Recall
Microsoft Learn: Enabled element for scheduled tasks