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Windows 10 Will Soon Let Users Block Desktop Apps From Installing

Windows 10 Will Soon Let Users Block Desktop Apps From Installing

By Sanket Vijayasarathy | Updated: 28 February 2017 18:48 IST

Photo Credit: MSPoweruser

Highlights

The feature is found in Insider Preview build 15042
It warns users from downloading Win32 apps
The feature will help prevent malware and bloatware

Microsoft will soon roll out Windows 10 Creators Update. Insider Preview builds so far have given us a fairly good look at all the features and improvements one can expect once the final build rolls out. The latest Preview build 15042 now reveals that the company is testing out a feature for Windows 10 that will prevent users from installing Win32 apps.

The new feature seemingly hopes to phase out the older desktop apps in favour of apps from the Windows Store, apart from increasing security by blocking apps that may have come from unverified sources. Once the feature is enabled, users will be notified with a warning whenever they try to install a Win32 app. The warning message will read that apps from the Windows Store will help keep the PC "safe and reliable," according to a report by MSPoweruser.

The new feature is disabled by default and users can manually enable it by heading to the Apps and Feature category in Settings. The feature is available only for users of the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build and it is yet to be confirmed whether it will make it to the Creators Update.

Microsoft is stressing on security and is trying to push users to download safer apps from the Windows Store. Understandably, the feature will prevent bloatware and malware caused from downloading older Win32 apps. However, this also means that users will not be able to install apps not listed on the Windows Store, like Adobe Photoshop and Google Chrome.

Notably, many Win32 apps can be found on the Windows Store, while the rest can be converted via Microsoft's Desktop App Converter.

Last week, Microsoft confirmed that the second major feature update announced for 2017 will be rolled out later this year.

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