Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar Description
If you enable this policy setting, you can configure Start menu to show or hide the list of user's most used apps, regardless of user settings. Selecting "Show" will force the "Most used" list to be shown, and user cannot change to hide it using the Settings app. Selecting "Hide" will force the "Most used" list to be hidden, and user cannot change to show it using the Settings app. Selecting "Not Configured", or if you disable or do not configure this policy setting, all will allow users to turn on or off the display of "Most used" list using the Settings app. This is default behavior. Note: configuring this policy to "Show" or "Hide" on supported versions of Windows 10 will supercede any policy setting of "Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu" (which manages same part of Start menu but with fewer options).
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ShowOrHideMostUsedApps ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ShowOrHideMostUsedApps Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0 (Default)- Don't enforce visibility of list of most used apps in Start; user can control via Settings app (default behavior equivalent to not configuring this policy). -
1- Force showing of list of most used apps in Start; corresponding toggle in Setting app is disabled. -
2- Force hiding of list of most used apps in Start; corresponding toggle in Setting app is disabled.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
Applying both scopes creates an ambiguous configuration (computer takes precedence over user). Only do this intentionally.
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
; State: Enabled
; Scope: Computer (HKLM)
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"ShowOrHideMostUsedApps"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ShowOrHideMostUsedApps' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Start/ShowOrHideMostUsedApps
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="ShowOrHideMostUsedAppsDropdown" value="1"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'ShowOrHideMostUsedApps' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ShowOrHideMostUsedApps' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer' -Name 'ShowOrHideMostUsedApps' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Show or hide "Most used" list from Start menu
# State: Enabled
# Scope: Computer (HKLM)
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 2106
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ShowOrHideMostUsedApps' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.