How to Prevent Teams from Auto-Launch

[chenrylee]

Hi guys,

I plan to deploy Teams in my company, and there's a headache.

I don't want Teams auto launches when system starts, and when I install it, I use this script:

msiexec /i "%temp%\Teams_windows_x64.msi" /QN OPTIONS="noAutoStart=true"

It works, and after a reboot, Teams icon appears on desktop but Teams doesn't launch.

And I double-click the icon to start this app, then close it, and then restart my laptop, Teams auto launched, and I found the registry item:

Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Value: com.squirrel.Teams.Teams
Data: %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart "Teams.exe" --process-start-args "--system-initiated"

My Question is:

Is there a way to set "auto-start application" is uncheched as default option?

Thank you in advance. :)

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi @chenrylee

AFAIK, not currently possible. Whilst you can script it or have a user uncheck it in the settings it does not occur by default

There are multiple uservoices of disabling the start up option, such as this

https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/33728680-disable-startup-optio...

There is one here to turn off autostart for the entire tenant which may be closer to what you need.

https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/33922291-disbale-autostart-in-...

If these don't cover exactly what you need I would raise this as a new uservoice. To note however, it could be some time to get picked up and really, I think the general desire from organisations to use Teams is more to have autostart on by default rather than off

Hope that answers your question!

Best, Chris

[#3]

If you want it on demand, you might as well just use the web client version :)

[#4]

Here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/teams-install

Adam

[#5]

Hi @Christopher Hoard ,
Thank you very much for patient help.
I agree with you, autostart is more popular need rather than off, but in some scenarios we do need to turn off autostart. But logically, if I disable autostart when installing the app, I mean that I don't want to auto launch this app, even the user starts Teams manually, this switch should be kept "off".
So I think it's a bug for application design, because it doesn't match the logical requirement.

If you are convenient, please raise this as a new uservoice, I appreciate that very much. :)

Regards,
C. L

[#6]

Hi @adam deltinger 
Thank you for your kind reply, I tried this policy before, and it is equivalent with the switch `OPTIONS="noAutoStart=true"`, Teams won't be auto-launched until someone double click the icon.

I think it's a logical bug, and in my opinion, I turn the autostart off, it means I don't want to auto-launch Teams even someone double-clicks the icon.

Regards,
C. L

[#7]

Hi @chenrylee

See uservoice raised for you

https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/38047747-ability-to-prevent-au...

Would recommend you vote to push it up the agenda!

Hope that answers your question

Best, Chris

[#8]

Hi @Christopher Hoard ,

Thank you very much for helping me~ 

Of course I voted :D

Thank you again. :)

[#9]

I find a workaround. Teams settings are stored in a json file, so after installation, I can change the settings by a post-installation script which modifies the configuration file.

#region: Prevent Teams from auto-start
# If Teams auto-start entry exists, delete it
$entry = $null -eq (Get-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run)."com.squirrel.Teams.Teams"
if ( !$entry ) {
Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run -Name "com.squirrel.Teams.Teams"
}
# Define Teams configuratin file path
$Teams_config_file = "$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Teams\desktop-config.json"
$configs = Get-Content $Teams_config_file -Raw
# If Teams already doesn't auto-start, break out the script.
if ( $configs -match "openAtLogin`":false") {
break
}
# If Teams already ran, and set to auto-start, change it to disable auto-start
elseif ( $configs -match "openAtLogin`":true" ) {
$configs = $configs -replace "`"openAtLogin`":true","`"openAtLogin`":false"
}
# If it's a fresh file, add configuration to the end
else {
$disable_auto_start = ",`"appPreferenceSettings`":{`"openAtLogin`":false}}"
$configs = $configs -replace "}$",$disable_auto_start
}
# Overwritten the configuration with new values.
$configs | Set-Content $Teams_config_file
#endregion

[#10]

@chenrylee 

For single user you can hack the setup.json in their profile.

[#11]

There's an article from Microsoft: 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/teams-install#use-group-policy-to-prevent-microsoft-te...

A policy works with confirmation.

[#12]

Can this help?
https://osddeployment.dk/2019/08/10/use-admx-policy-to-prevent-microsoft-teams-from-starting-automat...

[#13]

The GPO option only works before Teams is installed.  Yes, you need to use a GPO to manage a not-installed application before you install it, since it automatically configures itself for auto-launch after the user does it.  Afterwards, it's a per-user setting.

@Jonas Bøgvad 

[#14]

@Christopher HoardHi, this may not be the right place, but I am having issues working with team conversations. When we replay to a conversation, it gets moved down as the most recent. We need it to stay in the order which was received and not move as the most recent.... Any help? Thanks

[#15]

Yeah :) a new post would be better!

Anyway, no you can’t change this I’m afraid

[#16]

@chenrylee 

You can create a GPO to delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run com.squirrel.Teams.Teams

[#17]

@MrJoshuaThat sounds great, but not sure what GPO is or how to do that, will the change work on all devices example an Ipad, we see is happening on the desktop app and the ipad app, if more information will be appreciated! thank you

[#18]

To get around this I am applying the GPO now, so the September or October release of Office does not perform the auto-start. I am also creating a scheduled task to be deployed to all users before this rolls that will delete the Teams shortcut from their desktop. If a user clicks on this shortcut they have now passed the first logon for Teams and the auto-start becomes active (even after implementing the GPO). We are not licensing everyone in the company for this right now, so you can imagine the tickets it will generate for a failed launch each and every logon.

[#19]

@Alejandro1111 

My response was to the original post.

[#20]

@Robert James Reber 

That GPO should run each time the user logs in and it should delete the registry key again if the user launches the Teams Application.

[#21]

That was my concern, not understanding what defined 'launching'. So I tested this and the GPO does stop the auto-launch. However, if a non-licensed Teams user clicks that desktop icon the GPO becomes null and void, and Teams (even in an unlicensed state) will try to start on every consecutive logon. For me that would generate a huge amount of tickets from users that have not been introduced to Teams.

[#22]

@Robert James Reber 

Are you implementing the GPO that Microsoft Released or the one I posted?

[#23]

The one that comes with the ADMX from MS HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\teams preventfirstlaunchaterinstall (1)

[#24]

@Robert James Reber 

Got it.

That's the same issue I found with Microsoft's release. That's why I created the one I posted above.

Create a GPO like this:

• User Configuration >> Preferences >> Windows Settings >> Right Click Registry >> New >> Registry Item
• Change "Action:" to Delete
• Change "Hive:" to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
• Change "Key Path:" to SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Change "Value Name:" to com.squirrel.Teams.Teams

[#25]

That's a good approach, too.  I blogged about scripting a GPO logoff script to remove the HKCU and modifying the JSON desktop config values here: https://www.undocumented-features.com/2019/08/12/disabling-teams-autostart/

A GP Preference is definitely a solid way to go, too, and pretty clean.

@MrJoshua 

[#26]

@Christopher Hoard 

Sorry. I am completely at sea. I now get the "Teams" pop-up everytime I start Edge. I do not need nor want "Teams." The two links you provided did not really help me. How can I stop "Teams" from appearing everytime I try to access Edge? Thanks.  oilinvestor13@outlook.com

[#27]

On July 9, Microsoft released new ADMX template files (4882.1000) to prevent Teams from starting automatically after installation (on every logon) until the user starts the program manually. Instructions can be found here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/teams-install#use-group-policy-to-prevent-microsoft-te...

GPO name is "Prevent Microsoft Teams from starting automatically after installation" under User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Teams

[#28]

Correct, I have the GPO in place but I will tell you it does not stop the install from placing a Teams icon on the users desktop. If the user clicks on this they have initiated a start regardless if they are licensed or not. That action nullifies the auto-launch and will auto-launch from that time forward unless you deal with the icon. I am working on applying a scheduled task to delete the Teams.lnk on the users desktop so they are not in this situation. There is another option listed in this thread as well that takes a more programmatic approach. Have a look at that one as well.

[#29]

@chenrylee we can make use of GPO/intune (if the devices managed by intune) to enable or disable the teams auto startup for users .http://eskonr.com/2018/11/how-to-disable-or-enable-auto-start-of-teams-application-using-gpo/

Thanks,

Eswar

www.eskonr.com

[#30]

@chenrylee 

Right Click on Teams tray icon, go to settings > General and uncheck "Auto-start application. Please refer attacged screenshot.

Hope this helps!

[#31]

I just open Task Manger and click on the startup tab, then right click on MS Teams an set it to disable. Works on every computer I have done it on.

[#32]

@MattGrantMaybe there is a way to get defender to classify it as a PUA and delete it during the download process, that would be what one would call symmetry.

[#33]

To stop Teams from launching automatically, click on Start / Settings / Apps / Startup. Turn off Microsoft Teams. If that doesn't work or if Microsoft Teams is not in that list, sign in to Teams with your business Office 365 email address and password

[#34]

@alenezi That only works if teams is installed. To test, uninstall it. It will install itself again and run. After that you can, of course, probably disable it in startup. The OP said "His Company" the assumption there is that he is IT and is looking for a solution that does not require all the users to know how to disable startup programs. I personally am quite annoyed at Teams startup spamming all my users at the same time. That was not cool, Microsoft.

[#35]

There are new ADMX templates for this!! Thanks Microsoft.. :) 

[#36]

@MrJoshua 

I tried the GPO / Registry delete method, but after a reboot the automatic restart resumes.

[#37]

Hallo @chenrylee 

Hope all is well :) 

This is one of those interesting topics which app "coulda-woulda-shoulda" part of auto-start and which is not :). I don't think there is any easy-peasy default option to disable the switch. I think its just by design, and am not sure or i won't comment if it's a design flaw. I think Microsoft has deliberately kept it on since the beginning in 2017's end if am not wrong. It is all about how users want the app to behave. Lot of great minds have proposed solutions via script, gpo etc. in their replies which is great.  Appreciate it and it adds to my knowledge base too Thanks to all of them. I have couple of Adoption stories and thru my experience I have worked closely with lots of customers with different mindsets.

for instance

** some people like every daily application to be turned on default, they don't want to click button/icons. JUST POP. LOL.

** some people know their application usage and smart enough to think which apps they want ON by default as the system starts and which can be put on/off on demand. 

** some people just don't want any apps to switch-on at the start... They want system to be in control of them.. and i like it .... HEHE 

I would suggest if you don't mind to do some survey with some of your most trusted PILOTS thru different departments who can give you the honest feedback about the behaviour and usage and that might open up the thoughts to what to put up as a standard policy and implement solution and silent rollout in batches (since we are talking about enterprise rollout) if its not gonna be noisy one.... e.g. you don't want some VP bounce in his/her seat one fine morning when coffee is still hot and yell .. why Teams is not opening by default ... aoouch ... panic button pressed... 

[#38]

@YadleyB" It is all about how users want the app to behave" Wrong, its about how MS wants the users to behave. It should be up to Management and IT as to what applications are rolled out, MS has diverged with Teams by forcing Teams down everyone's throat whether they want it or not. Those people that want to have everything running automatically when they start their computer have always needed to find a way to do so, why then is Teams the exception? Any administrator can write a GPO to enforce policy, but even admins are having trouble keeping Teams off, if necessary. Ridiculous.

[#39]

@econcepts  I totally agree. I think it is scandalous how Microsoft is operating here. Forced-installing and forced-autostart is unacceptable for any software house, and I am deeply disappointed in Microsoft for succumbing to the temptation, for instance using AppsData to get around admin rights. I have taken this up with my Account Manager, but the response only showed how completely uninterested is in their actual customers. What I really don't understand is why Google and Facebook get hauled over the coals for less, and Microsoft can get away with this kind of practice. Now Edge is also being autoinstalled and hard set as default browser - I thought they lost that legal battle many years ago with IE, but apparently that has now been forgotten. If anyone from Microsoft is reading and interested, I would welcome a meaningful dialogue.

[#40]

@chenrylee Just Click Microsoft Teams small icon  in right bellow, click right and choose settings, general, Uncheck AutoStart Application