The calendar on Windows 10 can be accessed by other applications that have the need for calendar or events on it. By default, the People, Cortana, and Mail will want to have access to your calendar. These applications work together to schedule emails and make appointments by using the contacts list. Cortana also accesses the calendar to show you the appointments for today. It also shows the calendar results in the search results. However, calendar access can be disabled if you do not want Cortana or Emails to access the events or appointments on your calendar. This way you can also keep your events on the calendar private from other apps.

How to Prevent Apps from Accessing Calendar on Windows? - 1

Access to Calendar

There are several methods through which you can prevent calendar access for applications. We will be showing the default Windows Settings, Group Policy Editor, and the Registry Editor methods. All the below methods lead to disabling the calendar access for applications.

Disabling Calendar Access for Apps through Windows Settings

In the Windows Settings, you can find the toggle for On and Off the access to the calendar for applications. You can also enable and disable access for a specific application by checking the listed applications in the setting. If you install a third-party application that requires access to the calendar, then that application will also be listed there. Follow the below steps to disable the calendar access:

  1. Press the Windows + I key together to open the Windows Settings . Then click on the Privacy option. Opening Privacy settings in Windows Settings
  2. In the left pane, click on the Calendar option that is listed under the App permissions. Scroll down and turn Off the Allow apps to access your calendar option. This will disable access for all applications that can access the calendar. Changing access settings for the calendar
  3. Down below some applications will be listed, you can also disable for any specific application. Once you change this setting, the apps cannot access the calendar anymore.

Disabling Calendar Access for Apps through the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor does the same job of disabling the calendar with extra options. Here, you can choose the default option for all applications or set a different setting for any specific application. You need to add applications by the Package Family Names (PFNs). You can search for Package Family Names through the PowerShell. We have also included the steps for searching Package Name or Package Family Name.

Note : If you are using a Windows Home version, then skip this method because the Local Group Policy Editor is not available in the Home version.

However, if you have the Local Group Policy Editor on your system, then follow the below guide:

  1. Press the Windows + R keys to open a Run dialog. In the Run dialog, type “ gpedit.msc ” and press the Enter key to open the Local Group Policy Editor . Note : Choose the Yes option for the User Account Control prompt if it appears. Opening Local Group Policy Editor
  2. Now navigate to the following path in the Local Group Policy Editor window: Computer Configuration\ Administrative Templates\ Windows Components\ App Privacy Opening a setting
  3. Double-click on the “ Let Windows apps access calendar ” setting. Modify the toggle option from Not Configured to Enabled . Then provide the Package Family Names (PFNs) of apps in the following three boxes for different options as stated. To apply these changes, click the Apply/Ok button. Note : The PFNs added in the screenshot are just to give you the idea about how it will look like. Disabling calendar access for apps
  4. The Package Family Name (PFN) of an app can be found in the PowerShell. Search PowerShell through the Windows search feature and run it as an administrator . Now type the following command: Get-AppxPackage -Name “Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge” Finding the Package Family Name
  5. Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge in the above command is a package name . To find the package names of apps, you can type the following command in PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName Finding all the package names on your system
  6. By providing the Package Family Name (PFN) in the Force Deny box will disable access to the calendar for those apps.

Disabling Calendar Access for Apps through Registry Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor method will automatically update the Registry for this specific setting. However, if you are directly setting this up in Registry Editor, then you need to create the missing keys and value by yourself. There are different values for each option and if you require only a specific value then you can skip the others. Suppose if you just want a “force deny” value for all applications, then only create that value and not others.

  1. First, open a Run dialog by holding the Windows key and pressing the R key at the same time. After that, type “ regedit ” and press the Enter key to open Registry Editor . Choose Yes for the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Opening the Registry Editor
  2. Navigate to the following key in the Registry Editor window. If the key is missing, you can just create it by right-clicking on the available key and choosing New > Key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy Creating missing key
  3. Right-click on the right pane, choose New > DWORD (32-bit Value) , and name it as “ LetAppsAccessCalendar “. Double-click on it and change the value data to 2 . Note : The setting in this value will be a default value for all applications. The value data 0 is for the user in control , 1 is for the force allow , and 2 is for the force deny . Disabling access for all
  4. If you want to have the three options similar to the Local Group Policy Editor. You can create the three different values for it by right-clicking on the right pane and choosing the New > Multi-String Value option.
  5. For user in control value, name it as “ LetAppsAccessCalendar_UserInControlOfTheseApps “. For force allow value, name it as “ LetAppsAccessCalendar_ForceAllowTheseApps “. And for the force deny value, name it as “ LetAppsAccessCalendar_ForceDenyTheseApps “. Creating three different values
  6. Then you can open any value and put the Package Family Names (PFNs) in it. By doing that, it will apply that specific setting for only that specific application. Once everything is configured, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes. Can change value data in any of three Note : The PFNs added in the screenshot are just to give you the idea about how it will look like.

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The “ Cannot change fingerprint or PIN ” problem in Windows 11 happens when the options to change these settings are greyed out in Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options. Even if you are the administrator, you can’t update your Windows Hello credentials. You might also see a message like “ This option is temporarily unavailable. ”

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

This usually happens because Windows Hello’s stored data (in the Ngc folder) is damaged or not in sync. Other reasons include security rules set by your workplace or school, connected work accounts, or restrictions set in the registry or group policy.

Now that you’re aware of the potential causes, let’s go through some steps that have helped other users fix or work around this problem:

1. Change the PIN or Fingerprint the Conventional Way

If your goal is to remove the fingerprint or PIN without setting up another sign-in method, please note that this is not possible on Windows 11.

Windows 11 requires you to have at least one Sign-in option enabled. The Remove button will remain grayed out if you only have one active sign-in method.

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

For example, the Remove button for your PIN will stay unavailable until you add a different sign-in option (like Facial Recognition, Fingerprint, or a Security Key).

If you want to stop using your PIN or Fingerprint, you’ll need to set up an additional way to sign in.

Below are step-by-step instructions to set up a new sign-in option and then remove your current one:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. Inside the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the vertical menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If the left menu is hidden by default, click the menu button (top-left corner) to reveal it.
  3. Once in the Accounts menu, move to the right-hand section of the screen and select Sign-in options. Accessing the Sign In Options menu
  4. Now, choose which sign-in method you’d like to set as a fallback. Sign-in Options Note: Your available options depend on your device. If your PC doesn’t support facial recognition or you don’t have a security key, you can switch between PIN and fingerprint.
  5. After you pick your new sign-in method, follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
  6. Once your second sign-in option is set, you’ll be able to click the Remove button to get rid of your previous sign-in method. You can also choose Change PIN or Change Fingerprint to update, rather than remove, your sign-in credentials. Modify the current PIN or remove one of the configured sign-in options

2. Remove PIN or Fingerprint Requirement by Using a Local Account

If you want to completely remove all sign-in options like PIN or Fingerprint, you will have to switch to a local account .

We generally don’t recommend this unless you really need to, as it can limit the functionality of some built-in Windows features (like Windows Update and the Microsoft Store).

If you still want to remove your PIN or Fingerprint sign-in, you’ll need to set up a local account with a password instead. Keep in mind, this means you’ll need to stop using your Microsoft account on your PC.

Important: This method isn’t available if you’re enrolled in the Windows Insider program.

To change from a Microsoft account with PIN or fingerprint to a local password, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. In the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If you don’t see the left menu, click the menu icon (top-left corner).
  3. Inside Accounts , click on Family & other users on the right-hand side. Accessing the Family and other users tab
  4. In the Family & other users tab, check for any accounts listed under Other users. If you find any, remove them before moving on.
  5. Next, return to the main Accounts menu and click on Your info on the right. Accessing the Your Info tab
  6. Scroll down to Account Settings and click on Sign in with a local account instead . Sign in with a local account instead
  7. On the next screen, click Next .
  8. When prompted, enter your current PIN or use your fingerprint as requested. Inserting the PIN
  9. Then, you’ll be asked to create a username and password for your new local account, along with a password hint in case you forget. Configure the local account
  10. Finally, click Sign out and finish to complete the switch.