When you use apps in Windows 8, it records how you use the apps and which apps you use the most. This app tracking data is then used by Windows to list the most used apps on the top in search results, search and share panes and drop-down app list in the Picker. If you do not want to have the most used apps to be listed on top and have the app list sorted alphabetically instead, then you can turn off app usage tracking in Windows 8. Here is how:
Method 1 : Using Group Policy Editor
- Press Windows logo key + R. In the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
- In the Group Policy Editor window navigate to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Edge UI. On the right side panel, there would be two settings in the list. Double-click on Turn off tracking of app usage setting in the list as shown.
- In the next window that opens up, select Enabled from the options and then click OK. This would disable the tracking of apps used for the current user in Windows 8.
Method 2 : Using Registry Editor
- Press Windows logo key + R. In the Run dialog, type regedit and press Enter.
- In the Registry Editor window navigate to the following registry key :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
If the subkey EdgeUI does not exist, then right-click on Windows and choose New → Key. Then type EdgeUI as the name of the new key and press Enter.
- Select the EdgeUI, then on the right-side panel right-click and select New → DWORD value and create a value named DisableMFUTracking.
- Double-click on the newly created DWORD value and set its value to 1.
- If you have 64-bit Windows 8, then repeat steps from 2 to 4, for the following registry key as well :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
- That’s it. You have just disabled the tracking of apps used for the current user in Windows 8.