The Programmable Taskbar is a new cloud-based feature that will add different pinned programs on the taskbar depending on what types of accounts a user has or what devices are linked to a computer. The image above illustrates how the cloud-based Programmable Taskbar feature will modify the default taskbar based on whether users on the device are linked to Android phones or have Xbox Live accounts.
Disable Programmable Taskbar in Windows 10
This feature is now live in Windows 10 20H2 and does not modify the taskbar for any existing accounts, but only for new accounts or accounts logging in for the first time. For those who wish to always use the default Windows 10 taskbar, you can disable the Programmable Taskbar feature in either of two ways; Let’s take a look at the description of the process in relation to each of the method.
1] Disable the Programmable Taskbar feature via Local Group Policy Editor
Do the following:
Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.In the Run dialog box type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open Group Policy Editor.Inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:
On the right pane, double-click on Turn off cloud optimized content to edit its properties.In the properties window, set the radio button to Enabled.Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
If at anytime you wish to restore the feature, just repeat the steps above, but this time, set the radio button to Not configured or Disabled. For Windows 10 Home users, you can add Local Group Policy Editor feature and then carry out the instructions as provided above or you can do the registry method below.
2] Disable the Programmable Taskbar feature via Registry Editor
Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:
Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.In the Run dialog box, type notepad and hit Enter to open Notepad.Copy and paste the code below into the text editor.
Now, click the File option from the menu and select Save As button.Choose a location (preferably desktop) where you want to save the file.Enter a name with .reg extension (eg; Disable_Prog_Taskbar.reg).Choose All Files from the Save as type drop-down list.Double-click the saved .reg file to merge it.If prompted, click on Run > Yes (UAC) > Yes > OK to approve the merge.You can now delete the .reg file if you like.
If at any time you wish to restore the feature, do the following:
Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.In the Run dialog box, type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.Navigate or jump to the registry key path below:
At the location, on the right pane, double-click the DisableCloudOptimizedContent entry to edit its properties.In the properties window, set the Value data to 0.Click OK to save changes.Restart your computer.
That’s it!
