How Do I Keep MS From Installing New Apps Without My Permission?


  1. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
       #1

    How Do I Keep MS From Installing New Apps Without My Permission?


    Hello guys and gals,

    My hard drive used space jumped from 15.9 Gbs to 16.4 GBs (for no apparent reason) while I was just sitting at my PC.

    So I used WizTree to find any recently created files and that search led me to these two new apps being installed:

    How Do I Keep MS From Installing New Apps Without My Permission?-apps.jpg

    Is there any way to keep Microsoft from deciding which apps are best for me?

    Thanks,

    aardvark
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 4,201
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Latest RP
       #2

    This is a difficult one from a legal and technical point of view, Due to the fact that the user never actually owns windows - They purchase a licence to use it under strict conditions ans actually agree to Microsoft's right to modify the code as they please The End User Licence Agreement that you have to agree to to install windows contains quite a few of these possible problem points

    It may be possible to uninstall these additional unwanted games using the uninstall option on the right click menu on the app which may be available.

    Where these apps do not have uninstall options there are techniques that can still achieve this

    All apps in Start menu - Add or Remove Items in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

    and also CCleaner from Piriform has some ability also

    Of course even if you do remove them there is a possibility that they will return with a future "Update"
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi Barman58,

    Thank you for your prompt and detailed response. I guess that digital entitlement license (as you so eloquently described it) is the "gotcha" here. So, I will take your implied advice and just uninstall new apps as they appear. Thanks a bunch!

    aardvark
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #4

    aardvark said:
    My hard drive used space jumped from 15.9 Gbs to 16.4 GBs (for no apparent reason) while I was just sitting at my PC.

    So I used WizTree to find any recently created files and that search led me to these two new apps being installed:
    Microsoft doesn't just install apps by themselves (other than apps that come with the default Windows install). Someone must have installed them. Regardless, those two apps aren't going to account for 500MB of disk space (Apps are typically very small)

    Are you sure that nobody else has used your computer?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 4,201
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Latest RP
       #5

    I did hear that these two games were due to be part of the standard Windows 10 Home install, which would explain them but not the delivery method. I use either Pro or Enterprise so have no personal experience of Home versions
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Mystere said:
    Microsoft doesn't just install apps by themselves (other than apps that come with the default Windows install). Someone must have installed them. Regardless, those two apps aren't going to account for 500MB of disk space (Apps are typically very small)

    Are you sure that nobody else has used your computer?

    Hi Mystere,

    Well then, the boogie man must have done it! This happened while I was sitting right at my computer. No one else uses it but me. I did nothing but browse a few folders in between the time the new apps were not there and the time I noticed the increase in used space. I never said the apps used 500 MBs of space but that was the trigger for me to look. Nobody installed them.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Barman58 said:
    I did hear that these two games were due to be part of the standard Windows 10 Home install, which would explain them but not the delivery method. I use either Pro or Enterprise so have no personal experience of Home versions
    They showed up on my desktop Pro version. No sign of them on my laptop Home version yet (which is sitting right in back of me that no one else uses).
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
    Thread Starter
       #8

    aardvark said:
    Hi Mystere,

    Well then, the boogie man must have done it! This happened while I was sitting right at my computer. No one else uses it but me. I did nothing but browse a few folders in between the time the new apps were not there and the time I noticed the increase in used space. I never said the apps used 500 MBs of space but that was the trigger for me to look. Nobody installed them.
    I just remembered that I did click Windows Update and it downloaded a few Defender definition updates.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 164
    Pro x64 Desktop v1607 14393.51, Home x64 Laptop v1607 14393.51
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Mystere said:
    Regardless, those two apps aren't going to account for 500MB of disk space (Apps are typically very small)
    Just for the record, I uninstalled those two mystery apps and I recovered 500 MBs of disk space:

    How Do I Keep MS From Installing New Apps Without My Permission?-screenshot-14-.png

    Which essentially puts me back to where I started before the apps were mysteriously installed.
      My Computer


 

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