Why Is CompatTelRunner.exe Constantly Running After Using Just the Browser?

Updated

CompatTelRunner.exe (the Windows Compatibility Telemetry / Application Experience process) can spin in a CPU loop when Just the Browser's uninstall shortcuts are present in the "Installed apps" section of Windows Settings. This is a Windows bug, not intended behavior of the project. The current Just the Browser installation script and registry files do not include those shortcuts, so a fresh install should not trigger it. If you see the process running constantly, check whether leftover uninstall entries from an earlier version exist and remove them.

What is actually happening

Just the Browser works by applying hidden enterprise-style settings to desktop browsers to strip out AI features, telemetry reporting, sponsored content, and product integrations. Older versions of the project registered uninstall shortcuts so the configuration could be removed from Windows Settings. Those shortcuts are what Windows' compatibility telemetry process chokes on, causing the CPU loop.

Two things follow from the project's own documentation:

  • The bug is on the Windows side; the project cannot fix the telemetry process itself.
  • The current installer and registry files no longer create those shortcuts, so the trigger has been removed going forward.

Check whether you are affected

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps (or "Apps & features" on older builds).
  2. Search the list for entries related to Just the Browser.
  3. If you find uninstall shortcuts there, you are likely on an older install and hitting the known bug.
  4. Confirm the process behavior in Task Manager: CompatTelRunner.exe consuming sustained CPU is the symptom described in the project's FAQ.

If no Just the Browser entries appear in Installed apps, the CPU usage is probably unrelated to this project and you should treat it as a general Windows telemetry issue.

What to do

  • Remove the old shortcuts. Uninstall the older Just the Browser entries from Installed apps, then reinstall using the current script or manual guide so the registry files without shortcuts are applied.
  • Prefer the current installer. The project states the current installation script and registry files do not include the uninstall shortcuts.
  • Use manual guides if scripts are a problem. If you don't want to run scripts with administrator/root access, or the script fails, follow the manual configuration guides for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Brave instead.
  • Re-check after reinstalling. Reopen Installed apps and confirm no Just the Browser uninstall entries remain, then watch Task Manager for a while.

Installation commands (current version)

Windows — open Windows PowerShell from the Start Menu, right-click, choose Run as administrator, paste, and press Enter:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/main/main.ps1")))

On older Windows versions you may need to run this first:

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol=[Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12

Mac and Linux — open Terminal, paste, and press Enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/main/main.sh)"

Expected result: the configuration files are installed for your browsers. Verify by checking that the unwanted features are gone and that no Just the Browser uninstall shortcuts were added to Installed apps.

Staying ahead of fixes

The project publishes changes to its configuration files, documentation, and scripts through its releases feed:

https://github.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/releases.atom

You can read it in Feedly, Inoreader, The Old Reader, Feedbin, or any other RSS/Atom reader. With a GitHub account you can also open the repository, click Watch, then choose Custom → New releases.

If the problem persists

If you have removed the old shortcuts, reinstalled with the current files, and CompatTelRunner.exe still runs constantly, the cause is likely outside Just the Browser. In that case, ask for help through the project's GitHub issue tracker or its Discord, as noted in the project's FAQ — and include whether any Just the Browser entries still appear in Installed apps, since that is the specific condition tied to this bug.