AppLocker Executable policy breaks Windows 10 Jump Lists

Jump lists, very handy. You’ve pinned a piece of software to the taskbar, and then you can right-click the icon and get a list of pinned and/or recently used files or connections.

I recently enabled AppLocker executable policy and applied it to my Windows 10 (2015 LTSB) PC. I just enabled the default rules, so everyone is allowed to run stuff from Program Files and Windows folders, and administrators can run anything.

Once that had kicked in, as an unwanted side effect, I noticed that the jump lists had stopped working. On looking in the AppLocker event log I saw the following entry:

Log Name: Microsoft-Windows-AppLocker/Packaged app-Execution
Source: Microsoft-Windows-AppLocker
Date: 22/03/2016 11:40:41
Event ID: 8027
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords:
User: RCMTECH\Robin
Computer: PC01.rcmtech.co.uk
Description:
No packaged apps can be executed while Exe rules are being enforced and no Packaged app rules have been configured.

There was one of these logged every time I right-clicked on a pinned app on the taskbar.

So rather like the event description hints at, I created a default AppLocker rule under Packaged app Rules: Allow Everyone to run all signed packaged apps, and once that had applied to my PC, jump lists are working again.

What’s interesting is that I have not enabled Packaged app Rules: they’re not being enforced, the “Configured” box is not ticked (whereas it is for Executable rules).