K-12 assessment unexpectedly reports apps running in the background in Windows 10

This article helps you work around the problem where K-12 assessments test unexpectedly reports that Apps are running in the background in Windows 10.

Applies to:   Windows 10
Original KB number:   4338725

Symptom

K-12 assessments that are provided by AIR Secure Browser or Take a Test detect that unallowed apps are running in the background, although you didn't start the apps. As a result, you can't start an assessment, or you are kicked out of an ongoing assessment, and you must manually end the apps' task in Task Manager.

Example apps: Microsoft Photos App, Microsoft Edge (starting in version 1803).

Cause

Windows gives Universal Windows Platform (UWP) store apps, such as Microsoft Photos app, the ability to register to prelaunch. Pre-launching helps the performance of Microsoft Edge and minimizes the amount of time that is needed to start Microsoft Edge.

This issue occurs because AIR assessments have a list of apps that aren't allowed to run during or before the assessment, and apps like those cited previously are blocked. Therefore, when the apps are preloaded, the assessment will think there is a breach in security because the apps are running in the background, and kick out the user.

Workaround

To work around this issue, disable the application prelaunch by using a PowerShell command, and Microsoft Edge prelaunch by using a registry key.

To do this, use the following PowerShell cmdlets:

1. Temporarily disable the Window Defender Application Guide service, because the Disable-MMAgent command fails if this service is running or not used.

   Stop-Service -Name hvsics -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   

2. Disable application prelaunch.

   Disable-MMAgent -ApplicationPreLaunch.
   

3. Restart the Windows Defender Application Guard service. If this is not used, the command silently fails.

   Start-Service -Name hvsics -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   

4. Disable Microsoft Edge prelaunch by setting a registry key.

   $registryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\PreLaunch\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge" $Name = "Enabled" $value = "0" New-Item -Path $registryPath -Force | Out-Null New-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $name -Value $value -PropertyType DWORD -Force | Out-Null
   

5. Create a scheduled task that re-enables application prelaunch on a specified date.

   $A = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "powershell" -Argument "-Command `"Stop-Service -Name hvsics -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; Enable-MMAgent -ApplicationPreLaunch;Start-Service -Name hvsics -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue;New-ItemProperty -Path `"HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\PreLaunch\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge`" -Name `"Enabled`" -Value `"1`" -PropertyType DWORD -Force | Out-Null`"" $revertDate = <Specify a date> $T = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Once -At $revertDate $P = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserID "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" -LogonType ServiceAccount -RunLevel Highest $timespan = New-TimeSpan -Minutes 1 $S = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -DontStopOnIdleEnd -StartWhenAvailable -RestartCount 3 -RestartInterval $timespan $D = New-ScheduledTask -Action $A -Principal $P -Trigger $T -Settings $S Register-ScheduledTask DisableAppPrelaunch -InputObject $D
   

   Note

   Set $revertDate to a date when to re-enable application prelaunch. For example, $revertDate = [datetime]"6/28/2020 5:35 PM".