Windows 10 Apps Installing by Themselves: Stopping Games and Promoted Apps From Appearing in Start

You open the Start menu and find games such as Candy Crush, a streaming app, or a social media app you never installed. You remove them, and a few weeks later new ones appear. When Windows 10 apps installing by themselves clutters your PC, it is usually Windows’ own suggested apps feature at work.

Windows 10 includes a feature that shows “suggested” apps in the Start menu and can automatically install promoted apps from the Microsoft Store. These are delivered through a component called the Content Delivery Manager, and they often arrive after feature updates or when a new user account is created.

Some apps that appear are only tiles waiting to download, while others are fully installed.

Turning off suggestions and removing the apps stops most of them returning. Unexpected slot mahjong desktop programs, however, may indicate bundled software or adware.

What Usually Triggers It

Apps appear by themselves for these reasons:

• “Show suggestions occasionally in Start” is turned on.
• Windows installs promoted Store apps after updates or for new users.
• Free programs you installed bundled extra software.
• Adware installs programs without clear permission.

Store apps that appear in Start are usually promotions; unknown programs in Control Panel’s program list deserve more suspicion.

First Steps to Try

Turn off suggestions and remove the apps.

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Start.
2. Turn off “Show suggestions occasionally in Start.”
3. Right-click each unwanted app in Start and choose Uninstall.
4. Open Settings > Privacy > General and turn off “Allow apps to use advertising ID.”
5. In the Microsoft Store, open Settings and check the app update options.

Reinstalls often happen after a feature update or when a new user account signs in for the first time, so recheck the Start menu after major updates.

If the Problem Continues

Block promoted installs and check for bundled software.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager.
2. Set SilentInstalledAppsEnabled to 0 and SystemPaneSuggestionsEnabled to 0.
3. Restart the PC.
4. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, sort by installed date, and remove programs you did not choose.
5. Run a Full scan in Windows Security and a scan for potentially unwanted apps.

On Pro editions, the policy “Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences” under Cloud Content stops many promoted apps, although some versions only honour it on Enterprise and Education.

Protect Your Data First

Back up the registry key before editing it. Read every screen when installing free software and choose Custom install to untick extra offers.

The Bottom Line

Apps that install themselves are usually Windows suggestions. Turn off Start suggestions, uninstall the apps, disable silent installs in the registry, and remove bundled programs.