Windows 10: 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:





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

Thanks,



:)

 

How do I keep Windows 10 from installing on my Windows 8.1 system?

While I previously reserved the Windows 10 upgrade, I now do not want it. The problem is that I now cannot install any other updates because the Windows 10 takes over and begin downloading. I even tried just selecting one upgrade but, again, Windows 10
starts installing. After weeks of frustrated attempts to stop this, I decided to allow Windows 10 to install and then do a reverse back to Windows 8.1 just to put an end to it - ha! After wasting all that time installing and uninstalling I am back to where
I started - unable to get any other updates because Windows 10 starts to install first. I have tried all the hints about removing KB3035583 and KB2976978 which do not work. Many hints seem to apply only to Windows 7 since I cannot follow the steps listed
for that. I should mention that the upgrade never appeared on my computer as an app, it just shows up in the Control Panel under upgrades. I noticed a few hints that refer to clicking on a "hamburger" icon/symbol, but can find nothing like that.

I cannot believe that Microsoft is so desperate to have us install this system that they are literally forcing it on us with no way out. If this continues to be the case, I will definitely be switching to Apple. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if
anyone can help me resolve this problem.

 

How do I keep Windows 10 from installing on my Windows 8.1 system?

Hi Helen,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community. I understand your concern and I am glad to assist you.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Appreciate your efforts in trying to resolve the issue.

Please refer to the post by Canadian Tech and check if the issue can be resolved

How to remove Get windows 10?

Hope this helps. Get back to us for further queries. We are happy to help!

 

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"

 

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!

 

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?

 

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

 

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.

 

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).

 

I just remembered that I did click Windows Update and it downloaded a few Defender definition updates.

 

Just for the record, I uninstalled those two mystery apps and I recovered 500 MBs of disk space:





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