"New App Installed" Notification - Disable in Windows 8

How to Disable "You have new apps that can open this type of file" Notification in Windows 8​

   Information

The file type and protocol association model has changed in Windows 8. Apps are no longer able to programmatically set themselves as the default handler for a file type or protocol. Instead, now the user always controls what the default handler is for a file type or protocol.

For more information, see: File type and protocol associations model (Windows)

By default in Windows 8, users will see the "You have new apps that can open this type of file" notification displayed for a short time in the upper right corner of your main display if a new Windows 8 compatible application (Store or desktop) has been installed that supports opening the file type of a file opened by the user.

This "new application installed" notification allows the user to either keep using the current default program for the file type of the opened file, or select the new application to open the file with by default instead.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the "You have new apps that can open this type of file" notification for all users in Windows 8 and Windows RT.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: "You have new apps that can open this type of file" notification
NOTE: For example, installed a new image viewing app (ex: Picture), and opened a .jpg file.

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OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable "New App Installed" Notification using a REG file

   Note

The .reg files below are for the registry key and value below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

NoNewAppAlert DWORD

0 = Enabled
1 = Disabled

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1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. To Enable "New App Installed" Notification​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

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Enable_New_App_Installed_Notification.reg​

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3. To Disable "New App Installed" Notification​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

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Disable_New_App_Installed_Notification.reg​

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4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.​

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5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to Merge it.​

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6. Click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.​

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7. Either restart explorer, sign out and in, or restart the PC to apply.​

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8. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.​

OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable "New App Installed" Notification in Group Policy

NOTE: This option for using group policy is only available in the Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise editions.

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1. From the Start screen, start typing gpedit.msc and press Enter when finished.​

NOTE: You could also press Windows+R to open the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc, and click/tap on OK.​

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2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.​

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3. In the left pane, click/tap on to expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and open File Explorer. (see screenshot below)​

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4. In the right pane of File Explorer, double click/tap on Do not show the 'new application installed' notification. (see screenshot above)​

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5. Do step 6 or 7 below for what you would like to do.​

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6. To Enable "New App Installed" Notification​

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A) Select (dot) Disabled or Not Configured, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 7A)​

NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.​

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7. To Disable "New App Installed" Notification​

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A) Select (dot) Enabled, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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8. You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor window if you like.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Remove "New" Apps Installed Message on Start and Apps Screen in Windows 8.1
• How to Enable or Disable App Toast Notifications in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change Default Program of a File using "Open with" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Set Your Default Programs in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Associate a File Type or Protocol with a Program in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Default File Extension Type Associations in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Unassociate a File Extension Type in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Create a "Default Apps" Shortcut in Windows 8.1

 

[Vadikan]

Hi Shawn,

I'll add my 2c, since the tutorial doesn't address the reasons why this notification:

1. Has been introduced in Windows 8
2. Doesn't always show after you install a new program

I've covered the first point in a different post, so I'll copy-paste to keep all relevant info in one place.

The file type associations model has changed in Windows 8. In short, if a file type is already associated with a program, you can't change it from within another program. Everything must be handled through system dialogs, such as

• Default Programs in the Control Panel
• Open With dialog
• a new notification "You have new apps..."

The idea is to put the user in control and prevent other programs from changing file associations without user approval.

IrfanView is an example of incompatibility with Windows 8. You can set checkboxes during or after install, but they won't affect file types already associated with other software. It can only take over file types that have not been associated. The dialog shown below is deceptive.



Firefox is an example of compatibility with Windows 8. If you have, say, IE as default and try to set Firefox as default from its settings, you'll see a system dialog. In other words, Firefox calls a system dialog, so you can set the default browser, which is basically HTTP/HTTPS protocol handling and HTML/HTM file association.

If you want to associate file types with another program, you've got three main options:

1. In "Set your default program" make it default for all types its registered for or choose defaults
2. In "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" choose a program for a specific file type
3. Right-click a file - Open With - choose a program

There's another option in a form of a new program notification that you see first when you install a compatible program. But if you skipped it, these three options work. And they work pretty much the same way as in Windows 7

The explanation for the second point is that an application must register in the system correctly. If it does not, it's not fully compatible with Windows 8, and you won't see the notification. Going back to the IrfanView example, it does register for its file types.

For example, ff you changed file associations from IrfanView settings, they wouldn't apply, but when you try to open such file type, you'll get a new app notification.

As a side note, these notifications aren't perfect, because they are displayed for a short period of time, and it's easy to skip them. However, they are an important part of the UX, because they simplify file and protocol association for the end user.

While I understand that some people find them annoying, completely disabling them makes you jump through additional hoops in order to associate a file type or protocol with a new program. The hoops aren't that bad, because the dialog shown below still pops up when you try to open file that can be opened with a new app.



For more technical info, see File type and protocol associations model (Windows)

Vadim

 

[Brink]

Thank you for the addition Vadim.

Yes, indeed this notification can make it quite helpful to make any newly installed Windows 8 compatible app/program the default program of a file type. For those that wish to keep using it, the tutorial below allows you to adjust the stay open time of notifications to how long you like.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/14512-notifications-change-stay-open-time-windows-8-a.html
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[Vadikan]

Thanks, Shawn! I think somebody was asking here about extending the period of toast display just recently

I looked at my old blog post to see what else was wrong with these notifications in terms of UX

1. It's not clear that a notification is a result of installing a program. Yes, you can figure it out, but it'd better name the particular program. This a technical limitation, though.

2. It's not obvious you should react to it now. Yeah, I have new apps, so what? And then it's gone before you comprehend what the message said

3. The message text is deceptive sometimes. If you install a browser, it will say "you have new apps for opening web pages". So far, so good. But if you click and associate, you change HTTP/HTTPS associations, but not HTM/HTML

4. They are inconsistent. If you install a program for the first time, you get that notification. If you uninstall it, reboot and install it again, you won't get the notification.

Thus, it's obvious MSFT tried to mitigate possible issues with the new file association model, but these notifications were not the perfect answer.

 

[Brink]

Agreed, but at least for now it's something to work with.

 

[Andreea]

Hi,

I have tried both options on several 8.1 VMs, but only on one it worked. Not sure why on the other 2 it doesn't, do you know anything that can interfere here? Anything related to environmental variables maybe? Unfortunately the 3 machines didn't use the same template/don't have the same settings, that's why I ask.

I have restarted the explorer, logged off and even restarted the machines. After restart, in gpedit I still have the option Enabled, but when I install Firefox for example, I still get the notification.

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Andreea, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Just to clarify, did you get the exact same message as in the examples at the top of the tutorial, or was this the "Do you want to make this your default program" type message instead?

 

[Andreea]

It's the exact message.

To add more details, the machine I'm currently trying to set this is Win 8.1 Pro, 64 bit, if this helps somehow.

 

[Brink]

Odd. As a test, set the policy in GPEDIT to "not configured", apply, then back to "enabled", and OK to see if that may toggle it to work.

 

[Andreea]

It didn't help

Looked for this option in the User configuration from gpedit too, but it's not there. Although the user has Administrator privileges.
Could other settings affect this?

 

[Brink]

It didn't help

Looked for this option in the User configuration from gpedit too, but it's not there. Although the user has Administrator privileges.
Could other settings affect this?

Yeah, this policy is only in "Computer configuration" in gpedit.

I tested with Firefox in 8.1, and I still got the message as well. Do you still get the message with any other program?

 

[Andreea]

Hm, interestingly no, when installing Opera or Chrome I didn't get the notification.

 

[Brink]

Interesting, that seems that Firefox or a program may be able to override it.

 

[jonrichco]

Good One!

Thanks Brink

On my system “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer” did not exist. However, I downloaded and ran your .reg file, and it kindly added Explorer to Windows. Hopefully the message will now be permanently dead.

 

[Brink]

Hello Jon,

Yeah, the policy is not in the registry by default. Once added by the .reg files, it should stop them for you.