PolicyConfiguration
This Windows system task is part of policy processing for Recall.
since 0.9.8.11
Purpose
Identifier: \Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI\Recall\PolicyConfiguration
Setup Foundry disables this scheduled task; the task remains installed, but its triggers no longer start it.
This Windows system task is part of policy processing for Recall. Recall is a Copilot+ PC feature that, after each user explicitly opts in, periodically saves and analyzes snapshots of the screen locally.
The task processes changes to the effective Recall configuration. Depending on the Windows version, the relevant policies can cover Recall availability, snapshot saving and retention, app and website filters, integration with a DLP provider, and export of Recall data. This is not the task that continuously captures the screen.
Notes
Additional effects
Policy processing is particularly relevant on managed devices. An organization can remove or make Recall available, prevent snapshots from being saved, and impose further restrictions.
The presence of this task therefore does not mean that Recall is available or that snapshots are being saved.
Privacy and security
The task does not itself create Recall snapshots. Microsoft also documents no separate transfer of user content by this task. Its privacy effect is indirect: it supports policies that can prevent snapshot saving, exclude specified apps or websites, or restrict the export of Recall data.
Recall normally processes snapshot content locally and stores snapshots and derived data in encrypted form on the device. Snapshots are not automatically sent to Microsoft or third parties. Diagnostic data can be provided according to the Windows diagnostic-data settings, and Recall can occasionally retrieve favicons or other metadata from the top-level domain of a snapshot URL.
Disabling PolicyConfiguration does not delete existing snapshots and does not stop Recall or the saving of new snapshots. It is therefore not a reliable substitute for a Recall policy or the user's snapshot-saving setting.
Effects of the change
The task remains registered in Task Scheduler, but its triggers no longer run it. If the Recall configuration does not change, or Recall is unavailable on the device, users will generally notice no immediate difference.
On a device where Recall is active, automatic processing of later Recall policy changes can be delayed or fail to occur through this task. Depending on the policy and Windows version, the previous Recall availability, filter lists, storage limits, retention periods, DLP configuration, or export setting might initially remain in effect. Other Windows components can still evaluate some settings directly or apply them after a restart, so disabling the task guarantees neither that policies will remain unapplied nor that Recall will be turned off.
This distinction is particularly important for policies intended to block snapshot saving or delete existing snapshots: disabling the task does not perform either protection. Conversely, the task cannot independently enable Recall or turn on snapshot saving without the user's consent.
Notes
Microsoft does not publish a separate task reference describing every trigger and processing step of PolicyConfiguration. The exact result of suppressing its execution can therefore vary between Windows versions. The published Recall policy documentation specifies the intended policy outcomes but does not identify which outcomes depend exclusively on this task.
Microsoft documentation
Microsoft Learn: Manage Recall for Windows clients
Microsoft Support: Privacy and control over your Recall experience