Microsoft warns against uninstalling the Microsoft Store

H Microsoft wanting to get ahead of the events surrounding the Microsoft Store, it warns users not to uninstall the app from their operating system.

The The Microsoft Store is part of Windows, allowing users to install applications in the Store and additionally offers a range of options, such as automatic updates and improved security, thanks to this controlled environment.

Originally launched on Windows 8 and since then the Microsoft Store has evolved to include more than just apps and games and is now home to more content, such as music, movies and browser extensions.

But despite these improvements, the Microsoft Store has not yet become the peak Microsoft expected as many users simply forget that it exists and adhere to Win32 software, just like traditional Windows.

There have even been some instructions recently on uninstalling the Microsoft Store completely from Windows 10, although this is not an easy process. However, this is something that can be done, and for this reason, in a recent Microsft technical support document, the company recommends not doing so.

In other words, Microsoft does not recommend removing or uninstalling the Microsoft Store app. And cites two main reasons.

First of all, Microsoft says that the option to uninstall the Microsoft Store application is not supported. The phrase seems a bit strange, since the method of uninstalling the Microsoft Store was actually implemented in Windows 10, so most likely, Microsoft means that uninstalling the Microsoft Store application is not recommended but not supported.

Second, Microsoft states that there is no workaround for reinstalling the Microsoft Store, other than reset or reinstalling the operating system. In other words, if you remove the Microsoft Store app from your device and at some point in the future you want it back, the only way to get it back is to reinstall Windows 10 or reset your device.

This may be possible for some users, but for the most part it is possible to restore the Microsoft Store with a simple PowerShell command. To do this, start PowerShell with Administrator privileges, and then type the following command:

Get-AppXPackage * WindowsStore * -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$ ($ _. InstallLocation) \ AppXManifest.xml"}

After a system reboot, you will need to revisit the Microsoft Store application on your Windows 10 device.

Continuing them tips Microsoft suggests that those who want to remove the Microsoft Store app entirely do not do so and instead recommends that users restrict access to the app, although these are usually methods aimed at companies rather than home users.

Of course, removing the Microsoft Store comes with a number of side effects, such as your modern apps not receiving updates on your Windows 10 device (since they run through the Microsoft Store in the first place). On the other hand, if you don't use modern apps and just want to stay on the traditional side of Windows and rely solely on Win32, removing the Microsoft Store shouldn't bother you problems stability in Windows 10.

If for some reason you want to refresh or restore Windows 10, you can do so from the Setup option by following this path:
Settings> Update & Security> Recovery> Reset this PC

According to Microsoft, the above recommendations apply to all versions of Windows 10, including recent version of 1909 (Also called "Windows 10 November 2019 Update" and currently available with manual check for updates in Windows Update).

If you are convinced and want to disable (not uninstall) the Microsoft Store from Windows 10 you can do so via regisrty. Go to:

KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ WindowsStore

and there make a new D-WORD (32-bit) value named RemoveWindowsStore. Then double-click on it and set it to 1.
If you then want to restore them, set the value to 0 or simply delete the RemoveWindowsStore key.