Location apps can't retrieve the correct GPS location data in Windows

View products that this article applies to.

Symptoms

When you are in a GPS-only scenario (for example: no cellular or Wi-Fi), some location apps, such as Bing Maps and Google Maps that call the GeoLocation API to get GPS location information can't retrieve the correct GPS data from the GPS sensor in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2. The apps show the user in last location they were at instead of their current location.

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Cause

This issue occurs because the GNSS location sensor takes longer to get a reading than the cellular or Wi-Fi sensor. The original API doesn't wait long enough for this GNSS-only scenario.

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Resolution

To fix this issue, install the May 2016 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3156418).

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Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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Registry information

After you install this update, you must add the following registry entry:

In Registry Editor, locate and then select the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Location
Press and hold (or right-click) Location, point to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the new registry entry as WaitLongerForGPS.
Double-click the WaitLongerForGPS registry entry.
In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, enter 1 in the Value data field, and then click OK.
Exit Registry Editor.