AppLocker - Packaged App Rules
Controls which Windows Store (MSIX/AppX) apps can run.
- Policy path
- Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged App Rules
- Supported on
- Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016 and later
Controls which Windows Store (MSIX/AppX) apps can run. Security baselines recommend setting it to Allow signed apps from Microsoft Store.
Description
AppLocker - Packaged App Rules is a Windows Group Policy setting located under Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged App Rules. It applies to the Computer Configuration branch and is classified as a Informational-level policy in the AppLocker & Software Restriction category.
Controls which Windows Store (MSIX/AppX) apps can run.
Microsoft sets the default value to Not configured while industry security baselines (CIS, NIST, DISA STIG) recommend Allow signed apps from Microsoft Store.
In-depth explanation
This is primarily an operational or user-experience setting. It does not directly raise or lower the security posture, but it standardizes behavior across the fleet, which is important for predictable support, training, and troubleshooting in an MSP-managed environment.
The policy is grouped under AppLocker & Software Restriction, which means it is typically applied through a domain-wide GPO linked at the OU level. In a multi-tenant MSP context, scope it through WMI filters or security group filtering rather than linking at the domain root, so that you can roll out progressively (pilot OU → wider rings → all production).
The setting takes effect after the next Group Policy refresh (gpupdate /force for immediate testing, or by default within ~90 minutes for workstations and ~5 minutes on domain controllers). For computer-side policies a reboot may be required; for user-side policies, a sign-off/sign-on cycle is enough.
Use cases
- Apply organization-wide hardening of applocker & software restriction on all domain-joined Windows endpoints.
- Roll out a CIS Benchmark-aligned baseline targeting 'AppLocker - Packaged App Rules' via a dedicated GPO.
- Reduce attack surface for accounts that handle privileged credentials or sensitive data.
- Standardize the configuration across multiple customer tenants for an MSP-managed fleet.
Security implications
This control is primarily about consistency and supportability rather than security. The main risk of leaving it unconfigured is divergence between machines, which makes troubleshooting and standardized imaging harder, especially across multiple customer tenants in an MSP context.
How to configure
- Open Group Policy Management Console (
gpmc.msc) on a domain controller or a workstation with RSAT installed. - Create or edit a GPO linked to the OU containing the target computer configurations. We recommend a dedicated baseline GPO (e.g. SEC – AppLocker & Software Restriction) instead of editing Default Domain Policy.
- Navigate to
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged App Rules. - Open AppLocker - Packaged App Rules and set it to
Allow signed apps from Microsoft Store. - Click OK and close the editor.
- On the target endpoint, run
gpupdate /force(or wait for the next refresh cycle), then verify withrsop.mscorgpresult /h report.html.