Windows 10: How to Stop Windows 10 Metro Apps from Automatically Installing?

In researching another problem, I discovered that on one computer (haven't checked others) we have several apps installed.

Farmville 2
Candy Crush Soda
Asphalt 8
Netflix
Pandora
etc

All were installed on Aug 13.

I use IOBit Uninstaller and do not have them listed as installed. When reviewing Apps & Features under Settings > System, I see that these are installed on that Aug 13. Yet, the last Windows Update was August 10. Not good.

I realize now that they are part of the Play and Explore section of Windows Metro apps. Ugh!

I can uninstall each of them one by one by right clicking on them and selecting uninstall - on all but one...

"XBOX - Age of Empires" - it does NOT have an uninstall option.

Any other options for uninstalling it?

How does one stop this auto loading of MS Metro apps in Win 10? Need to know for both standard and Pro Win 10, if different.

:)

 

wanting to change desktop start up screen

I have windows 10 installed.

I have the old desktop start up screen come on automatically instead of the new metro icon start up screen.

I would like to stop this.

How do I go about doing this?

 

Getting windows 7 games back

The windows 10 metro apps for app games are terrible how can we get the games from windows 7?

 

You can uninstall the apps you don't want for each user. That XBox app may be an advert from MS.

To stop apps updating automatically, run Task Scheduler then review the Task WindowsUpdate/Automatic App Update and edit it to do what you want. I disabled the At logon of any user option.

You should update apps manually from the Store periodically.

 

Thank you for the advice Steve. *Smile

However, transplanted99's last question "How does one stop this auto loading of MS Metro apps in Win 10?" should be researched more thoroughly for a better solution.

Microsoft is guilty of automatically installing select UWP applications that are not part of Windows 10 core AppX provisioned packages and more importantly, without asking. The advertisement link tiles on Start are also an annoyance and cannot be removed en masse. For Microsoft to add these without giving the end user the choice to opt-out, e.g. under the Customize Settings section of the Windows 10 setup was a poor decision. This is really no different than allowing the OEMs to install their crapware on most retail purchased computers and you unfortunately still have these same UWP apps to contend with on a Microsoft Signature Edition computer.

Most of these applications and links are of little or no value to those using Windows 10 Pro in businesses that do not want and/or cannot afford to use Windows 10 Enterprise, it simply creates unnecessary work for admins. I don’t have an answer (yet) on how to prevent the automatic loading of these unwanted apps, but the solution I use after fully updating Windows 10 (14393.67), both the OS and Store apps, is two PowerShell scripts to remove the unwanted apps. The first script lists (and pipes out to a text file) all of (installed) AppX packages via the Get-AppxPackage command. From there the second script, using select entries from the Appx package list that was generated by the first script, removes the packages and their corresponding tiles (from the current user profile and every subsequent new user) with the exception of the Suggested App tiles. Those still must be removed manually one-by-one. I've searched this on those quite a bit and cannot locate where they reside in the OS to delete them from Start.

I hope this generates further discussion. *Biggrin

 

See if this helps:

Store Update Apps Automatically - Turn On or Off in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Thanks. Tried these both. Perhaps they will prevent future installs, but hard to tell so far. Now need to figure out how to uninstall.

 

Hope the suggestions here work, but as mentioned in my recent comment... hard to tell. Maybe if I don't see any new apps over a 30 day period, I can declare success.

Yes, this caught me by surprise, and thought had things under some control. Evidently, not.

Might try cooking something up like that, thanks for the tip.

Still, I have that pesky "XBox: Age of Empires" metro app that has not manual means. It might be an "advertisement", since clicking on it brings me to a page with a big blue "Free" button on it (presume it is for downloading). Still, don't want it and there seems no means to get rid of it.

I noticed, under "Play and Explore": Groove Music, OneNote, Movies, and just "XBOX" alone also do not have an uninstall menu item.

While, under "Life at a Glance": Twitter, Pandora, and Skype Preview can be uninstalled, while the rest (including "XBox: Minecraft) cannot be.

 

The XBOX App lets you stream and play games from your XBOX to your PC. IT's basically a Remote Desktop to your XBOX. If you own an XBOX. It looks like you can't uninstall it. Turning the live tile part off will stop the game adds though. It's what I do, I have an XBOX ONE and actually use that App. Or just unpin it from your start screen.

 

Forgot to mention. candy Crush etc, aren't actually installed right away. The tiles are for lack of a better term, just place holders. Unless they changed things, click them and it will install them. Right click them and Unpin the tile quick enough and they won't ever install.

 

Remove Specific Windows Apps from Current Account in PowerShell

Remove Specific Windows Apps from All Accounts or New Accounts in PowerShell

Remove All Windows Apps Except Store Specific from All Users in PowerShell

Full tutorial: Apps - Uninstall in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Please don't take this the wrong way! But will any of that stop them from coming back on the next build upgrade? The reinstall on a build upgrade is what pisses me, and a lot of people off. *Devil

 

I meant to include that caveat in my post - I appreciate that you posted the information *Cool

I think the All or New option does, but I'm not certain. The way the build upgrates get installed might ignore the fact that App provisioning has been removed.

I did a clean install of 1607 so, I can't say for sure. I did an update for 1511 and the Apps were installed again.

Yes, it is frustrating, but a single Powershell command cleans up all crApps for all users - the Store will NOT update those. You can always reinstall an App if you want it back after using the All command. I think the number of Apps people want are small enough to manage it this way.

Bill
.

 

It's all good info. I Just don't have time to test it all to see if it actually stops the reinstall. Wasn't sure what you yourself did or didn't do. It annoys me, but not enough to make me did deep in the bowels of Windows to stop it.

 

May have done the trick for future installs ... one month and no new apps / ads added to Metro.