Completely uninstall provisioned apps: how-to and detailed explanation

Thanks for the reply Hello @ddelo,, it is appreciated.

ddelo said:

Thanks a lot for taking the time to give this a try and I can't agree more for Shawn. He's the soul of this whole forum!!!

You are VERY welcome, and YES, I wholeheartedly agree.

ddelo said:

It seems though that you don't have installed the "Microsoft.Photos.MediaEngineDLC", which is a new AI thing for Photos, from Microsoft. You can read a short description of it here

Thanks, I will have a look at that.

ddelo said:

So since you don't have it installed (not by choice, but for reasons known to MS, as it was forcibly installed on my system), the number of Bundle and Non-Bundle apps, add up to the number of all Apps!
Now why an app, like this one, does not show in the All Apps, is something that only the Redmond geniuses can answer... what we have to do, is to take into account that there are apps like this one!

Agreed.

As a side note, when I Uninstalled/Removed/Blocked the Apps for my custom install, it was a two pronged process. Firstly, using my User [ AppxPackages ], and then, using Administrator [ AppxPackages AND AppxProvisionedPackages ] so they do NOT get re-installed during a WU or Major Update.

Paul Black said:

Thanks for the reply Hello @ddelo,, it is appreciated.


You are VERY welcome, and YES, I wholeheartedly agree.


Thanks, I will have a look at that.


Agreed.

As a side note, when I Uninstalled/Removed/Blocked the Apps for my custom install, it was a two pronged process. Firstly, using my User [ AppxPackages ], and then, using Administrator [ AppxPackages AND AppxProvisionedPackages ] so they do NOT get re-installed during a WU or Major Update.

Paul,
From what you have read in this thread, this uninstallation process is we're trying to figure out. That's why all this Bundle/Non-Bundle discussion.
I just found a Microsoft article regarding "How to keep apps removed from Windows 10 from returning during an update".
Bottom-line, my understanding is that we have to uninstall apps Offline, in order to have the system create the proper registry entries that prevent re-installation upon new Feature Updates.

Hello @ddelo,

ddelo said:

Bottom-line, my understanding is that we have to uninstall apps Offline, in order to have the system create the proper registry entries that prevent re-installation upon new Feature Updates.

I will try and find my notes on this and post them.

Yes, you are correct, the Internet does play a part. I think [ I will check my notes ] that I Disconnect from the Internet, run the User script that I have, then Connect to the Internet, run the Administartor script that I have.

When I say Administrator, I mean the main Built-In Administrator . . .

Code:

Net User Administrator /Active:Yes

Paul Black said:

Hello @ddelo,




I will try and find my notes on this and post them.

Yes, you are correct, the Internet does play a part. I think [ I will check my notes ] that I Disconnect from the Internet, run the User script that I have, then Connect to the Internet, run the Administartor script that I have.

When I say Administrator, I mean the main Built-In Administrator [ Net User Administrator /Active:Yes .

Paul,
From my research so far (not completed yet) I haven't seen the need for using the Built-in Administrator account for uninstalling apps. So your notes and your comments are more than welcome, on that!

Dimitri

Hello @ddelo,

ddelo said:

From my research so far (not completed yet) I haven't seen the need for using the Built-in Administrator account for uninstalling apps. So your notes and your comments are more than welcome, on that!

These are my notes I made . . .

Code:

################################################################################################
#                                                                                              #
# Remove-AppxPackages AND Remove-AppxProvisionedPackages.                                      #
#                                                                                              #
# Deprovisioning Packages makes sure that the Apps are NOT re-installed when there is a new    #
# Feature Update/Rollout is released.                                                          #
#                                                                                              #
# This needs to be run ONLINE and using the Built-In Administrator.                            #
#                                                                                              #
# When the AppxProvisionedPackage gets removed, a Registry Key gets created that tells Windows #
# NOT to reinstall or update that App the next time there is a new Feature Update/Rollout.     #
# These Registry Keys are stored in a newly created Deprovisioned folder here . . .            #
#                                                                                              #
# HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore\          #
#                                                                                              #
# Running this as the Built-In Administrator also creates the Deprovisioned folder for the     #
# other User accounts.                                                                         #
#                                                                                              #
# If you run this OFFLINE, then the Deprovisioned folder does NOT get created, and therefore   #
# the Registry Keys do NOT get created. This means that the next time there is a new Feature   #
# Update/Rollout, it will re-install ALL the Apps.                                             #
#                                                                                              #
# This also prevents Win 10 Apps from installing for NEW Users.                                #
#                                                                                              #
################################################################################################

Paul Black said:

Hello @ddelo,




These are my notes I made . . .

Code:

#######################################################################################################################################################
#
# Remove-AppxPackages AND Remove-AppxProvisionedPackages.
#
# Deprovisioning Packages makes sure that the Apps are NOT re-installed when there is a new Feature Update/Rollout is released.
# 
# This needs to be run ONLINE and using the Built-In Administrator.
# 
# When the AppxProvisionedPackage gets removed, a Registry Key gets created that tells Windows NOT to reinstall or update that App the next time 
# there is a new Feature Update/Rollout. These Registry Keys are stored in a newly created Deprovisioned folder here . . .
# 
# HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore\
# 
# Running this as the Built-In Administrator also creates the Deprovisioned folder for the other User accounts.
# 
# If you run this OFFLINE, then the Deprovisioned folder does NOT get created, and therefore the Registry Keys do NOT get created. This means that 
# the next time there is a new Feature Update/Rollout, it will re-install ALL the Apps.
# 
# This also prevents Win 10 Apps from installing for NEW Users.
#
#######################################################################################################################################################

Hey Paul,

Thanks for the note.

Without testing it, according to Microsoft, this has been fixed in 1803

When you remove a provisioned app, we create a registry key that tells Windows not to reinstall or update that app the next time Windows is updated. If the computer isn't online when you deprovision the app, then we don't create that registry key. (This behavior is fixed in Windows 10, version 1803. If you're running Windows 10, version 1709, apply the latest security update to fix it.)

Furthermore they also say:

Note

If you remove a provisioned app while Windows is online, it's only removed for new users—the user that you signed in as will still have that provisioned app. That's because the registry key created when you deprovision the app only applies to new users created after the key is created. This doesn't happen if you remove the provisioned app while Windows is offline.

From all that, I'm not sure if you need to deprovision using the built-in Administrator account. But we need to test it!

Hello @ddelo,

ddelo said:

Without testing it, according to Microsoft, this has been fixed in 1803.

Interesting, I had to do this on 1909, but I would have to check my notes further at some stage!

Hello @ddelo,

When you remove a provisioned app, we create a registry key that tells Windows not to reinstall or update that app the next time Windows is updated. If the computer isn't online when you deprovision the app, then we don't create that registry key. (This behavior is fixed in Windows 10, version 1803. If you're running Windows 10, version 1709, apply the latest security update to fix it.)

If you remove a provisioned app while Windows is online, it's only removed for new users—the user that you signed in as will still have that provisioned app. That's because the registry key created when you deprovision the app only applies to new users created after the key is created. This doesn't happen if you remove the provisioned app while Windows is offline.

I knew the implications [ difference ] of running the script either Offline or Online were different. As this ONLY applies to New Users, this is why I also run the script against the User Account being AppxPackageNames. The Administrator being ProvisionedAppxPackageNames.

@Paul Black

We have to test that Paul, without the Administrator account.
Unfortunately I cannot do it during the week, as my free time is limited, due to work schedule.
I'll try it, hopefully this weekend, on a 1909 VM and then let it, upgrade to 2004/20H2, to see how it behaves.

ddelo said:

@Paul Black

We have to test that Paul, without the Administrator account.
Unfortunately I cannot do it during the week, as my free time is limited, due to work schedule.
I'll try it, hopefully this weekend, on a 1909 VM and then let it, upgrade to 2004/20H2, to see how it behaves.