Is it bad idea to disable apps from running in the background?

Hello,

I reinstalled Windows and I am setting up background apps. I usually turn this off. But I noticed it in OOSU10 shut up - privacy tool. That you shouldn't turn this off. But there was no important reason to not do it. I know that, since some build: it is no longer recommended to uninstall store. Is it fine to disable store from running in the background? I could selectively disabled other apps from running in background. But I would rather turn this off completely!

Thanks!

empleat said:

... I know that, since some build: it is no longer recommended to uninstall store....

No, it's not a good idea to unistall the Store. It can be quite difficult to reinstall it should you change your mind later...

Is it fine to disable store from running in the background? I could selectively disabled other apps from running in background. But I would rather turn this off completely!

I routinely disable virtually all apps from running in the background, including the Store. I've not had any noticeable problems. In fact, on an old netbook with a low-power Intel Atom turning off all background apps makes it... I was going to say 'snappier' ...lets just say 'not quite so slow'.

About the only one I leave running is Weather, and that's only because I like it's live tile on my Start menu to be up to date.

Probably the only 'benefit' of letting the Store run in the background is that it would be able to automatically update all the Store apps. But as I turn that off too it probably doesn't matter.

Turn On or Off Automatic Updates for Apps in Windows 10 Store

Bree said:

a

OK thanks for a great answer!

Keeping the preinstalled apps up to date is probably the least important objective with maintaining Windows if the ones you actually use work normally. The updates can be done once or twice a year.

Keep in mind that most apps aren't even capable to be run in the background, yet, they still also appear on that list that lets you choose to disable them from running in the background. In fact the Microsoft Store app that appears on that list is just nothing more than the GUI element so disabling it from running in the background does exactly nothing. It is perfectly safe to disable ALL apps from running in the background. Only if you want specific things like Mail app checking for new incoming e-mail messages giving you Toast notifications in Action Center and the like, then you might want to let those specific ones run in the background.

i486 said:

Keeping the preinstalled apps up to date is probably the least important objective with maintaining Windows if the ones you actually use work normally. The updates can be done once or twice a year.

Just now, I updated my Intel Graphics Control Center app. There used to be a time when you could just pretend that apps didn't exist on Windows PCs, but these days it's getting more and more comparable to fighting windmills so I am slowly starting to believe that UWP really does stand for Universal Windmill Platform.

RolandJS said:

Guys, Gals, we do have be careful to not disable Microsoft Windows' services unless we are very certain we know the consequences, good and not so good, am I correct? Certain services =/= programs or utilities?

Correct. The whole idea that allowing those specific Microsoft Store apps that are installed on Windows 10 by default to run in the background on a modern PC noticeably consumes system resources only to steal the user's private data is based on pure nothingness, a false rumor that was spread in virulent ways through certain corners of the internet, and that persists to some non negligible extent even today. It is perfectly normal for any modern OS to run many activities in the background. Looking at those apps that are installed by default, not a lot of CPU power is being spent from letting them run in the background. Much to the contrary, their background activities are like second to none in comparison to other background activities inherent of the Windows OS.