Fix location for Windows 10

Question

Fix location for Windows 10

Slick RCBD 76

Now that the maps app has been retired, how do you get it so that you can allow programs like Firefox to let websites know your current ZIP code if not your full location?

I tried going to Settings->Privacy->Location and choosing to "set default" under "Default Location." I got this as a standard user:

DefaultLocation3

So I used switch user to log in as an admin

DefaultLocation2

That didn't help either.

I keep getting random locations vaguely in the Chicagoland area but almost always a minimum of a dozen miles away and store websites like Jewel, Captuo's and Walmart in particular seem to change the store designation every time I visit. It's not limited to those sites, those are just the three examples off the top of my head that I have to set the location for every time I visit when they used to remember the last store I set it to.

So now that they depreciated the Maps app, how do I set location so they remember the closest stores to the 60005 zip code instead of saying something like Niles or Lansing or Naperville?

It's not just Firefox, it happens in Chrome too when I tested it. I didn't bother to test Edge because Microsoft tends to start nagging me about switching to Edge again if I ever willingly start it just because I was forced to use it once for something.

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Answer 1

Hendrix-V 13,675 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Slick RCBD,

Thank you for sharing the details of your experience. Since the Windows Maps app has reached end of support, the “Set default location” option in Windows 10 no longer opens a map interface, which means Windows cannot store a ZIP‑code–level fallback location for apps and browsers.

When a default location is unavailable, browsers such as Firefox and Chrome determine location using network signals (like IP address and nearby routing hubs). This can result in nearby cities being detected instead of your exact ZIP code, which explains why retail websites may show different store locations on each visit.

Please try the following recommended workarounds:

1, Set location directly on each website

Allow cookies for the retailer’s site
Manually select your preferred store once
Sign in to the site (if available) so the store choice is remembered

2, Check browser location permissions

Ensure the site is allowed to access location
Avoid clearing cookies or site data for those retailers

At this time, Windows 10 does not provide a built‑in way to permanently set a ZIP code for all websites, but the options above can help restore consistent results with minimal effort.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Slick RCBD 76 Reputation points

2026-03-31T06:26:55.1333333+00:00

Unfortunately, I already tried what you suggested. Some stores will remember the last used location. Others will update the location based on what they detect, which might be some place 30 miles away. This wasn't an issue before maps was depreciated, but it didn't occur to me to even check the stored default location until a Windows 11 update on my work laptop wiped out my settings to disable certain annoyances and opting out of certain things. I had the location set more or less since the computer came out of the box before COVID (this is a desktop running windows 10 that I use as my primary home computer and downgrading to Windows 11 caused too many problems and I finally just gave up and restored a backup image I wisely made before downgrading to Win11. No I used the correct word. It was a horrible experience on this desktop).

So I was wondering how to fix the location. Is there a way to install the old pre-crippled version and prevent autocratic updates from disabling it again?
Hendrix-V 13,675 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-31T06:39:33.48+00:00

Hi Slick RCBD,

Thank you for explaining the situation in detail. Based on how location services now operate in Windows 10, what you’re seeing is consistent with recent changes to the platform.

Previously, Windows stored a long‑term default location through the Maps app, which allowed browsers and apps to fall back to a consistent area when precise detection wasn’t available. With the Maps app now reaching end of support, that stored default location can no longer be maintained, even though the setting still appears in Windows. As a result, browsers and some websites rely more heavily on network‑based detection, which can shift between nearby cities and cause store locations to change automatically.

Installing an older, fully functional version of the Maps app and preventing updates from disabling it again isn’t supported. Deprecated system apps and components are automatically managed by Windows updates, and there isn’t a reliable way to keep an older version permanently active.

I understand how frustrating it is when something that worked reliably for years changes without an obvious replacement, especially on a primary home system you’ve carefully maintained. Thank you for your time and effort.

Answer 2

Windows still lets apps and browsers use a device’s location and a default location even though the Maps app is deprecated.

To improve what websites see as the location (ZIP or nearby city):

Turn on Windows location services for the device and account:
1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location (Windows 11) or Start > Settings > Privacy > Location (Windows 10).
2. As an administrator, turn Location services (or Location for this device) On.
3. Under Let apps access your location / Allow apps to access your location, turn it On for the user account.
4. In Choose which apps can access your precise location, make sure the browsers that support Windows location (for example, Microsoft Edge, and any other listed apps) are turned On.
Set or adjust the Windows default location:
1. On the same Location settings page, under Default location, select Set default.
2. When the map experience opens, choose the point closest to the desired ZIP code or type the address, then select Save.
3. This default is used by Windows, apps, and services when a more exact location cannot be detected (for example, when only IP-based location is available).
Understand how websites may still determine location:
- If a site or browser does not use Windows location APIs, it may fall back to IP-based geolocation, which can resolve only to a wider area (for example, a nearby city in the Chicagoland region). In that case, the Windows default location helps only when the app or service honors it; otherwise, the site’s own cookies or account settings must be used to store a preferred store/ZIP.
Manage stored location data if needed:
- If signed in with a Microsoft account and Location services are enabled, the last-known location can be saved in the cloud and reused across devices. This can be cleared from the Microsoft account privacy dashboard if wanting to reset how location is resolved.

These steps ensure Windows is providing a consistent default location and allowing apps that support it to request precise device location, which gives websites the best chance to resolve to the correct ZIP or nearest stores.

References:

Windows location service and privacy

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Fix location for Windows 10

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