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Microsoft No Longer Allows Admins To Block Windows Store Access In Windows 10 Pro (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the windows-woes dept.

If you're an administrator, you will no longer be able to block Windows 10 Pro users on your watch from accessing the Windows Store. Mary Jo Foley reports for ZDNet: Up until a month ago, admins could use Group Policy to shut off employees' access to Windows Store if they were running Windows 10 Pro. Controlling this access is a requirement for some businesses. But last month, Microsoft changed that option, claiming that Store access was required for all versions of Windows 10 except Enterprise and Education "by design." Admins still can use AppLocker or Group Policy to block access to the Windows Store if their employees (or students) are running Enterprise or Education.

24 of 407 comments (clear)

  1. God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This company SUCKS.

  2. Par for the course by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You don't own your computer. redmond does.

    1. Re:Par for the course by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is increasingly apparent. My computer constantly bugs me about installing something I don't want, and I keep hearing stories of people whose computers decide to update anyway without their explicit permission, and of people who try to revert after the upgrade but have problems doing so. I paid for Windows 8. I don't really care for it, I preferred the last version, I liked the Start menu is much more useful than whatever the hell I've got now is called, but that's what I've got on my machine, and if it is really my machine, than I get the choice to do what I want, how I want, when I want, and if I want. Microsoft it seems does not appear to agree with that and can't take no for an answer. I don't care if Windows 10 is the best thing ever; it's my property and my choice.

      I've for years been one of those uncommon people who has had experience and done work on Mac and Linux systems but still preferred Windows. Next computer I get, and I'll likely be in that market soon, I do not think I will get a Windows machine. This is too much humbug, and I don't like where Microsoft is taking things. If this story is accurate, this is more of Microsoft trying to control what should be under your sole command and ownership, and that's not acceptable.

    2. Re:Par for the course by inode_buddha · · Score: 4, Interesting

      " If this story is accurate, this is more of Microsoft trying to control what should be under your sole command and ownership, and that's not acceptable."

      I switched to linux full-time in 1997 (same year I started hanging out here) and this is the EXACT reason why. Their whole business model and philosophy just pissed me off no end when it shows in their products and marketplace behavior. Still going strong with slackware on the desktop, every day.

      --
      C|N>K
    3. Re:Par for the course by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 4, Informative

      You don't own your computer. redmond does.

      I can name the date we lost control, April 4th, 2015. The update KB3035583 was listed as only to make converting to Win10 easier, more of a description has been added to it since

      For seven days my HOSTS file blocked a 600K file collected over a 24 hour time from being to sent to a third party. Every malware protection on the market let it pass.

      The captured material which in my case starts:

      C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera15\28.0.1750.48\osmesa.dll 2,950.00 KB 4/3/2015 4:16:32 PM
      C:\Windows\Temp\CProgram Files (x86)Opera15\installing\osmesa.dll 2,950.00 KB 4/3/2015 4:16:32 PM

      Goes on for 4000 more lines ending in

      C:\Users\Tone\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\4msw7c4t.default\thumbnails\cdd6f9ceb15e02a0a36b6164ce79484e.png 2.00 KB 4/4/2015 11:48:49 PM
      FFFFF

      Just today in the event viewer I found error entries saying GWX can't negotiate it's action (I've long ago deleted the X:windows/GWX directory).

      When I found it, it had three more config.cfg files so wasn't done, it was the file responsible for installing the icon that let one download and installed Win10 for one; and viewing the GWX errors in the event viewer shows it's not done.

      GWX is a pet peeve of mine. While I warned of GWX, the question I was always asked was how come I was the only person in the world to have this so called collected file, and the thread pretty much over, hey I tried. I was regulated to /.'s journal for some badly written attempts.

      Because of it none saw why a hosts file is ones main defense from malware and the more one builds on it (hosts file) the better it becomes; and their loss.

    4. Re:Par for the course by pla · · Score: 4, Informative

      Because of it none saw why a hosts file is ones main defense from malware and the more one builds on it (hosts file) the better it becomes; and their loss.

      Microsoft (and malware authors) can - and have - simply rolled their own DNS clients to get around hosts-based blocking.

      If you trust any solution running on the same machine as the malware itself (whether that means a cryptolocker or GWX), you will eventually lose.

  3. This is the year of the Linux Desktop by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Funny

    This time, I can actually believe it.

    There is a reason now to switch.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:This is the year of the Linux Desktop by Harlequin80 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes it does. If you were to try Linux Mint MP3s will play out of the box, on the assumption you download the international version. Due to legal issues the USA version has mp3 playback removed in the default install, but can be added with 3 clicks after install. The part that is removed is the codec to allow MP3 playback.

      At first boot it will be using the opensource drivers for your video card but a box will pop up saying "proprietary drivers are available for some of your hardware" it will list all of them and ask you if you want to install them or not. Hit yes and your machine will install the nVidia / amd drivers and reboot once. From there you are done. I haven't run into any media that won't play on a default install, it comes with LibreOffice which will do 99% of what people use MSOffice for, firefox, DVD burning software, audio recording software and image editing software.

      There is always the possibility that you may have an edge case with your hardware that may cause you issues. However I haven't run into any other those in the past 5 years. I am running Mint on Dell latitudes, E6420 i7-2640m, NVS 4200m graphics, as their primary O/S, as well as multiple AMD processor (x2, x4 & x6 AM3 machines) on gigabyte boards with Nvidia graphics. I also have 3 Atom based machines with a mixture of Nvidia Ion and AMD Radeon cards that run without any hitch, including wireless, and ethernet. These are Shuttle XS35 machines and an ASUS EEbox.

      All of these machines boot off the live cds with all hardware working. No hacks, grub parameters, hacking, compiling of drivers, downloading of anything weird, touching terminal or anything else required.

      I have also installed mint on my MIL's crappy HP laptop which is an AMD Radeon and it worked perfectly. I can't remember any more of its specs though.

    2. Re:This is the year of the Linux Desktop by KlomDark · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That did used to be the case. That's one thing that made Linux suck back in the day.

      But these days, I've got no problems getting any of my stuff to work. Including a couple things that don't work on Windows anymore. I've got an old legal-paper size HP scanner, there haven't been Windows drivers for it since (!!!) Windows 2000. Works just fine on Linux Mint, I was amazed. Also an old thing that lets you use an SD card as an external drive via a USB cable, hasn't worked since around Windows Vista, also works just fine on Mint. An older 8-core 64 bit Xeon box (Dell Precision 690) that I had no driver issues with.

      It's really gotten better. I'm sure the Mac guys will vehemently disagree, but I'd say the latest version of Linux Mint is better than anything from Apple or Microsoft.

      Try it again!

  4. I really liked Windows 7 by flopsquad · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why are they continuing to aggressively push invasive, paternalistic, and generally super-assholey "features" that make me never want to go back to a Microsoft OS?

    --
    Nothing posted to /. has ever been legal advice, including this.
    1. Re:I really liked Windows 7 by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      MS realized that corp america will be stuck with them for still quite a while. home users user whatever comes installed; they mostly are just sheep and do what they are told. we are a tiny tiny exception. and beyond that, mac people are their own strange kind that will never consider using windows (most hate linux, too).

      MS can do whatever it wants and it will still have business' loyalty.

      the key was entrenching Word format and getting it so complicated that it simply cannot be made interoperable with free alternatives.

      when all your docs are locked to MS formats, you know the result. you have no choice anymore.

      MS stopped trying to get us to CHOOSE windows. they now have decided to say 'fuck it' and just force whatever they want on people and with win10, they remove all your choices. little by little, the frog is slowly cooked and users are having all their choices taken away, for rejecting updates and for setting policies on their own.

      you and I will reject windows, but again, we are not big enough ($$) to even register on the pocket-change o-meter that MS has. MS is kept alive by business licenses and the home stuff is just to keep you 'trained' on using windows so that business will continue to think that their userbase needs to continue with that same old os.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    2. Re:I really liked Windows 7 by mhkohne · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Because renting you stuff and getting a steady revenue stream is a WAY better business model than trying to get you to buy a new version every few years.

      The truth is that selling the OS & Office the way they have been is a sucky way to make money - you have to put out a bunch of cash making the new version, then hope you can con enough suckers into buying it to make your money back at the end. Much better to sell monthly subscriptions to Office 365 through your controlled App store. Plus, you can charge a fee to let other people sell through your app store.

      I'm waiting for the day that they try to block non-app store installs.

      --
      A thousand pounds of wood moving at 300 feet per minute. Don't get in the way.
  5. Coming soon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Candy Crush Pro Business

  6. I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by AbRASiON · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not your normal /. "#$%! Microsoft" kinda guy. I've been an MS guy my whole life, only dabbling in other OSs briefly.

    Often you see people (here) chanting about #@$%^ Microsoft or "are you surprised" or any other snarky remark, I traditionally dismiss these as the extreme tinfoil people who would hate whatever they do, regardless.

    That being said, Microsofts moves with Windows 10 have gone from "hmm ok that's questionable, but I can see past it" and "this looks desperate, it's kinda shitty, but oh well" and "well that's definitely dumb, but I'm sure some great nerd will hack up an awesome all-in-one little 'fixit' tool for Windows 10 to take out all the crap"

    It's now at a point where it's outright sounding BAD. Like proper, bad. The things they keep doing are worse and worse, more and more intrusive. I thought the pushy installer was rough but ok, once it's on, they aren't going to abuse it too much, they are getting their data, from most people who aren't clever enough to turn stuff off.
    Nope! It's getting SO bad, I'm really thinking of sticking with 7 as long as humanly possible. Maybe I really will end up a Mac guy after all, or something?

    Super unimpressed at this point.

    1. Re:I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by cfalcon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Basically, if you can pay the Mac tax, consider it. Also consider Linux and BSD.

      I've always had a real beef with Microsoft's many shady dealings. If you have followed them closely, they did a lot of really shady stuff, and had legal pushback. Eventually, they settled into a path where they were making plenty of money and were sort of easy to predict- when they screwed up, which was sometimes, they would try to make it right. This long gentle summer of Microsoft had its peak with Windows 7. Windows 8 didn't feature any of the strange drama we see in 10, but we saw the designers essentially say "we want to move casual users away from the old UI". That's why they pretty much did everything they could to ruin it- if it was still there and easy to turn on, power users would run a script for their friends, and everyone would have the old UI. But this decision was ACTIVE and MALICIOUS. Windows 10 is an absolute nest of drama, as you've noticed.

      Basically, the reason you weren't a "screw Microsoft" guy is that you weren't paying attention. I was fine with 7- it offers way less freedom than non-Windows OSes, but it ultimately belongs to the user. Windows 10 breaks that totally. Microsoft sometimes briefly releases the coils. That's just to get you to inhale and exhale so it can clamp down tighter next time. Stop falling for it. Use another OS for everything you possibly can. Evaluate carefully each demand from those around you to install a new MS-only thing. Push back where you can. If you really can discard Microsoft completely, good. But you'll never see how hard it is until you try, how thoroughly they have themselves wrapped tight around anything that they can.

    2. Re:I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by vux984 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      " Maybe I really will end up a Mac guy after all, or something?"

      Ok. Since the presence of the 'forced' app store on Windows 10 offended you so much that you are considering switching to Mac.

      What is the Apple supported way to remove the App Store in OSX El Capitan?

      The app store in OSX is, if anything even more integrated than the App Store in Windows is, as it delivers OS updates as well. I look around a bit and found a few articles from circa 2011 when they first introduced it in 10.6. and even back then the removal instructions amounted to hacks where "you can do a-b-c to remove it but its not supported by apple at all". And that was several releases ago now.

      So here we have a case of Microsoft doing a thing that everyone has seemingly already accepted from Apple years ago... but hate Microsoft doing it so much that they threaten to switch to Apple over it... so...um... yeah.

    3. Re:I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      "Restrict App Store to MDM installed apps and software updates only": "When this option is on, the App Store can only be used to update apps installed by MDM and Apple software updates. The default is Off."

    4. Re:I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by vux984 · · Score: 4, Informative

      under Windows 10 and the spying stuff (which is sadly, mostly true) you're the product.

      It's really not much different in OSX.
      1) Spotlight has been in OSX forever and can be used to search web so potentially 'local search terms are sent out to the internet'. Same issue as windows search.

      2) "Microsoft Accounts" to sign-in; again just retreading a feature OSX *already* has, where OSX prompts you to create an account tied to your AppleID with itunes, appstore, and icloud links.

      3) App Store you can't remove... as discussed OSX had it years ago.

      4) Telemetry -- ok windows got here first; but honest to goodness telemetry really isn't the bogeyman its made out to be. Yes, its truly irritating microsoft hasn't been transparent enough, and bizarre they won't just let you turn it off. (Most people won't even bother so why not just let that vocal group turn it off and avoid the circus I don't know.)

      5) "Spying"; ok... lets stop there and talk Cortana first. Because again OSX did it first, with siri. But so far Siri is only on your phone -- and a TON of the information that is so-called spying (and part of why the EULA is such a wide cast net) is related to the cortana "feature"... to function as designed it "needs" to know who your contacts are, your search terms, your calendar, document meta data, etc, etc. And it needs to be in the 'cloud' so it can be processed and available on other devices you use, etc, etc. And further for Cortana to be be any use she needs to be pretty integrated into the OS... so where am I going with this? Siri is exactly the same, on IOS. All the same problems are there. Microsoft's only 'innovation' is to put it on the desktop.

      So what about apple? Watch for the June WWDC where Apple annouces Siri availability for OSX... and then check out the accompanying EULA that has to go with it.

    5. Re:I really can't beleive it at this point,....... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      >1) Spotlight has been in OSX forever and can be used to search web so potentially 'local search terms are sent out to the internet'. Same issue as windows search.

      When you disable spotlight's web search it stays disabled.

      >2) "Microsoft Accounts" to sign-in; again just retreading a feature OSX *already* has, where OSX prompts you to create an account tied to your AppleID with itunes, appstore, and icloud links.

      And you can freely ignore this with no real drawbacks.

      >3) App Store you can't remove... as discussed OSX had it years ago.

      It's not that you can't remove it, you stupid fuck. It's that MS won't let the admin block it. Apple *does* allow MDM to restrict the app store to updating MDM installed apps and the OS only. Which is what MS just removed from their platform.

  7. Re:I am guessing by rudy_wayne · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's probably technical reasons for this

    No, there isn't.

    additional revenue.

    The *ONLY* reason it's being done.

  8. Bullshit... by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you're an administrator, you will no longer be able to block Windows 10 Pro users on your watch from accessing the Windows Store.

    Works just fine with some firewall rules on the core router in the office.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Re:Opinions on upgrade...potentially off topic. by vux984 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been using Windows 7 for a long time and i haven't seen much of a compelling reason to upgrade to 10.

    Most of the worst bits of windows 10 telemetry etc have been backported to 7 so unless you are spending more than normal amount of time inspecting updates there's no advantage to 7 on that front.

    Better and simpler IMO to update to 10 and just install one of the telemetry blockers.

    Ok... as for compelling reasons to upgrade..
    .
    DirectX 11.3 / 12.0 -- whether that's compelling is up to you.
    HyperV -- and better virtualization support in general
    Multimonitor -- better than 7, better than 7 with 3rd party addons IMO
    Sleep / Wake / Reboot -- markedly better/faster than 7
    Task Manager -- much improved over what's in 7
    Antivirus -- built in good enough to run without more
    SystemTray -- much better system tray/notifications setup
    Security -- More OS hardening features
    Smaller footprint -- smaller on disk, smaller in memory

    There's a bunch of features (built in) and addons (like classic shell) you can use to make 10 look more like 7; but IMO sticking with the look of 7 vs 10 really just amounts to "resisting changes" for the sake of "resisting changes". I know people who jumped through hoops to make XP look like 98, then to make 7 look like XP etc... I don't think its productive or worth the effort, and you do miss out on some of the actual improvements by being close minded to the idea that maybe just may the windows 7 really might not be the pinnacle of user interfaces. (Not that windows 10 is... but it took little effort to adjust to it)

    As a user of several windows versions 3.1 onward, Mac os7 thru X, and several linux desktops I can say that windows 10 desktop has some flaws (the confusing mix of old control panels and new "settings" to set things is probably the worst; and the a bunch of the defaults are idiotic; -- the default start menu tiles for example; I unpinned all of them; or the default file viewers for a few things being useless "modern apps" but that is all easily and quickly tamed. )

    Is 10 a big upgrade from 7? No. But it is an upgrade, and it doesn't cost anything but some time and effort.

  10. Re:Company is good by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    According to TFS, they removed the feature from Windows Pro only, not Enterprise. Home users don't care about group policy and enterprise users are already using Enterrpise; this move is to get small / medium businesses to move to the more expensive Enterprise version as well.

    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  11. Re:Company is good by ilsaloving · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Right, and OEMs are not allowed to sell machines with Windows 10 Enterprise. So companies have to license enterprise at it's full retail price, which is about 500 dollars a unit. This puts Enterprise outside the price range for most small/medium businesses.

    Microsoft is essentially doubling down on an already dangerous precident: You either buy Microsoft's ridiculously inflated prices for the Enterprise version, or you allow Microsoft to dictate how you deploy and manage your computers. First with the telemetry, and now with the app store.

    What's the quote? "I have altered our agreement. Pray I do not alter it any further."

    As a sysadmin, the computers under my care are MY responsibility. That means *I* control what happens to them, and I will not be forced to almost double our upgrade costs just to satisfy Satya Nadella's "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine" freak fetish.

    We've experimented with a couple of machines running Windows 10, but at this point it's become painfully clear that I will never upgrade our machines to Windows 10 because Microsoft has has demonstrated that despite all their hand wavy "I got better!" bullshit, they're still just as monopolistic and ruthless as ever.