Windows 10: Microsoft no longer allows to block Store access in Windows 10 Pro

I think only accredited educational institutions qualify to obtain the Education version, so really this means that businesses need to license the Enterprise version. And that means working through Microsoft's Volume Licensing operation. Sigh.
--Ed--

PS: I just checked on Licensing terms for Windows 10 Education, and they must also go through Volume Licensing to obtain this stuff. Pricing and qualification are kind of opaque, though -- probably by design.

 

It's real easy folks, if they use the Family safety:

Just set the age as far down as possible.

Also: Completely Protect Your Windows PC with Microsoft Family Safety

Family Settings - Manage for Child in Windows 10

 

Education can also be activated with Retail (non VL) keys. I have both types of keys available on my MSDN subscription for the Education version. You can upgrade from Pro to Education just by doing a change key. From Home too, I think? I've done the Pro to Education upgrade. No install media is needed, all you need is a valid Education key and the extra features are unlocked. Like going from Home to Pro with a change key.

 

Thanks, Alphanumeric! I didn't realize it was a key upgrade only. That said, I do think one must purchase keys for business use from MS anyway (of any kind -- MSDN keys are only good for test/non-production systems, which is how I found myself buying 5 Windows 10 keys from the VLSC earlier this year, following an audit here). It might be an easy upgrade, but there will still be cost involved! Thanks for sharing your insight.
--Ed--

 

Yeah, you will still have to pay to upgrade, but it is an easy upgrade. It's no big deal for me to use my MSDN keys for testing, as it's only home use for me. I'm retired. You'll get your knuckles rapped though if they catch you using them on production systems. That's a big no no. When I saw Education listed on MSDN I grabbed a Key and did a change key on my Pro setup. It upgraded no problem with no need for any install media. I wanted to see what it offered that Pro didn't. It has the official Windows To Go utility just like Enterprise has. I can't remember any other differences at the moment. I'm not involved in IT stuff so I'd have go looking for changes. I think it has more features than Pro but not as many as Enterprise. I would think it should be cheaper than Enterprise too.

 

Hey Kerry,

Here's a feature comparison between Windows 10 editions to help. *Smile

Compare Windows 10 Editions

 

Thanks, looking here from the link in your tutorial, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Wind...siness/Compare They have almost the same features. Easy Upgrade from Home to Education Edition is one difference. It looks like you can't upgrade Home to Enterprise, only Pro to Enterprise. And no LTSB for Education. There may be a few other things if you dig deep. One weird thing is Education has a watermark, even when its fully activated?

 

Hi there

surely this is a big storm in a tea cup -- I'm not sure what gets taught in schools these days but couldn't any competent I.T admin simply enable a Proxy Server for acessing the Internet (IMO most businesses tend to have some type of Proxy server for blocking acesses to what they deem as "undesirable sites etc).

If the laptop is in lockdown mode the user wouldn't be able to change the settings.

Am I missing something here -- I'm an Engineer not an IT admin but this seems so bleedin obvious to me I can't see why it's a problem.

Maybe an IT admin could explain to me if I've missed something or not understood the original Post properly.

Cheers
jimbo

 

The Store is an App, it doesn't use a web browser to access the displayed info. Same as all the live tiles. It's likely not as easy as just blocking a web site. And setting up a proxy only works while said device is on the company network. It's a mobile world. Once they take the device home, they could access the Store and install all the Apps they wanted. Then the IT Pro has to uninstall them or block each one from accessing its info for the live tiles.

 

One can still use the registry option to allow and block access, or is that now also blocked.?

What about local settings? Do they work? ....

 

It was mentioned early on that the reg option does not work. What local settings?

 

Sorry, missed it ..

BUT, I have an "MS Insider" on another forum telling everyone that .reg still works and talking about that it is still possible to use local settings to block Store ....


As I am not an insider and are still on the latest public release build I can't check his statements, hence my query ....

 

I'm not running an insider build either. Brink tried it and reported it didn't work, early in this thread. I assume its the reg edit in his tutorial on disabling the Store, that he linked to in his post. That's all I know about it.

 

Hi there aramil

How do you dig down to that, i cannot find store anywhere ?

 

If the employee user accounts were standard users and not administrator users, what could they do from the Microsoft Store anyway?