Sneaky Product Installed By Windows Update

What version of Windows 10 do you have on these machines. Run winver to find out. For instance, mine is:

mike888 said:

I have a few Windows 10 machines and noticed that after installing the patch Tuesday updates I gained a "Video Editor" in my start list of installed programmes....

The Video Editor isn't a separate new app as such, it's an update for Photos which you would already have in a default install.

as well as the normal Windows Updates it also updates general apps from the Microsoft Store that are preinstalled .This machine for examp[e only had "get help" and "your phone" updated. Made all the more annoying because I don't use them.

The Store apps are not updated by Windows Update, they are automatically updated separately by the Store itself. You can stop it doing that, if you like.

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

mike888 said:

On the slower machines Microsofts Photo App is s-l-o-w to load and I prefer irfanview in any case for image viewing and editing...

You can say that again - it's slow enough even on a reasonably fast machine. It seems to have too many functions crammed into it, cataloguing you locations, building albums and timelines.

I like Irfanview too, but for serious editing I use PaintShop Pro. But for sheer speed of opening just to look at a photo (which is all I need 9 times out of 10) I don't think you can beat the old Windows Photo Viewer. And its still there, even in Windows 11.

Restore Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10

I've noticed in Win10 and its Photos that some of the slowness in opening may be attributed to the Indexing of drives, subsequent closing Photos then opening again is quicker. Shutting down or rebooting appears to start it all over again.