Windows 10: Stabilize WindowsApps (Windows Store) - Setting Environment Variables

As we all know, many desktops and desktop workstations have multiple controllers for hard disks, and often not all of them function at the same speed. Most people use the available high speed ports for secondary hard disks for running anything from games to high-end software development, high-end photo, video and audio editing software, and even engineering applications like AutoCAD/Ricket etc.

Additionally, Windows 10 is practically a new OS every 6 to 9 months, and often WindowsApps and the Windows Store corrupt whenever Microsoft puts out a major update through Windows Update or even a new Windows build. This year for example started with 16299.125 and now we're on 16299.334. Also, often corrupted are Machine Administrators security tokens for software that's been licensed through the Windows App Store that are located in the C:\Users directory and obviously this same problem affects standard end-user accounts.

Along with Microsoft's updates also come all kinds of fresh sets of User Environment Variables that weren't around for previous builds.

We talked with Brink a bit about this too, and cited the following article written by Brink that is extremely informative:

Environment Variables in Windows 10

Here's a picture of some of the newer User Environment Variables we think need a bit of attention from the community in order to discover settings that would allow for more consistent stability of Windows 10's performance:





Full disclosure; our experience with Windows 10 is Enterprise 1709 (in the past we've used 1607 & 1703) & Pro (same series of builds we're familiar with as Enterprise for Pro) Official Builds Only, so when it comes to Preview Builds, those are basically left out of this thread because ultimately, nobody except for Microsoft's developers can be sure about what will and won't be included in future Official Builds that might be featured in current Preview Builds. Also, we use Windows in a WorkGroup configuration without ever making use of HomeGroups that are made unavailable per the settings we apply, and do not use domain services of any kind with Windows since they're all non-Microsoft domain services. We do have domain services and systems, but they're all non-Microsoft, and Windows itself perceives each workstation as being in a standalone environment.

As it stands, any particular and specific User Environment Variables that are most ideal remain unknown, but the goal of this thread is so people in the Ten Forums community can come together, share knowledge, and perhaps arrive at more stable User Environment Variables with the goal of achieving the following:

1 - Setting UEV's in advance allows installers that may function via their own proprietary installers to function as intended by default while using locations that are accessible to Administrators and even Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus scanning endpoints.

2 - Setting UEV's in advance allow for easier reinstallation of WindowsApps including the Windows Store itself that frequently becomes corrupted after Windows Updates and Windows Build Upgrades.

3 - Setting UEV's in advance prevents corruption of Administrator profiles' and end-user profiles' security tokens during App upgrades, Windows Updates, and Windows Build Upgrades.

As we all know, many larger programs will use their own proprietary installers that are created by the developers of those specific programs, and often those same installers are embedded into programs vended by the Windows Store in such a way that the Windows Store is not handling 99% of the processes involved with installing the program while the program's proprietary installer is doing almost all of the work in the way it was designed to that for backward compatibility, doesn't even look at the "Storage Setting" in the "Settings" module of Windows 10 or is even affected one way or the other by the "Disable installation of applications on non-system drives" being set to "disabled" or even "enabled" status in "Group Policy. For Group Policy, we use the "disabled" setting to allow applications to be installed to whatever location is considered the most efficient by machine administrators (More info about Group Policy under "Option One" on another great article written by Brink here Enable or Disable Changing Save Location of Apps in Windows 10 ) .

So, definitely tons of benefits to figuring out more stable settings to use as a default set of User Environment Variables that would have to be manually configured upon completing installation of Windows 10 and the creation of at least one user profile.

Let's all put on the coffee, tea, or Red Bull if that's your thing, and let's share our experience with one another to see if we all can't come up with something that works more permanently for Windows 10 now and in the future.

- SLI - IT-IS

:)

 

Edit Environment Variables of Standard User Account

In Windows 10, how can I set user-level (not system wide) environment variables for a standard user account? To clarify: I'm not talking about editing system environment variables. Also, just running the System app in Control Panel as admin won't work because
that would set the environment variables for that admin user.

When I go to Control Panel -> User Accounts, then click the "Change my environment variables" link in the left-hand action pane, nothing happens.

If I go to the search box on the task bar and type "environment", then click "Edit environment variables for your account", nothing happens.

Currently I have JAVA_HOME set to an incorrect value in my user account, which is a standard user not an admin. If I edit environment variables as admin, it does not show up in the system environment variables nor in the user environment variables (since
the Administrator account is a different user).

 

Can't edit environment variables in windows 10

Unfortunately, the work around only lets you set environment variables for the administrator account. You cannot set environment variables for you local non-administrative account.

You can normally set local environment variables in two ways:

• Search for "environment" and select "Edit environment variables for your account".

• Select Control Panel > User Accounts > User Accounts > Change my environment variables

but in both cases you get no response.

This has been broken in Windows 10 for about a year. How has it not been fixed by now? I wonder if Microsoft even knows it is broken.