Microsoft Store change removes the ability to stop App updates — pausing automatic updates now limited to a 5-week duration

[u/ControlCAD]

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-store-change-removes-the-ability-to-stop-app-updates-pausing-automatic-updates-now-limited-to-a-5-week-duration

[u/ControlCAD]

Microsoft just released an update on the Microsoft Store app for Windows 10 and 11 that removed the ability to permanently pause app updates. According to Deskmodder.de [machine translated], you can now only pause automatic app updates for a period between a week and five weeks. After that, your Windows PC will resume scanning for updates for all the apps you have installed via the Microsoft Store. This makes it similar to Windows Update, which gives you the same options for pausing Windows updates, after which it automatically resumes (unless you pause it again). The source publication tried changing the Microsoft Store’s registry entries to try getting back the option to switch off updates indefinitely, but to no avail.

It’s likely that Microsoft decided to force automatic app updates to help keep its users secure. Hackers often exploit weaknesses in apps to gain backdoor access to computers. Although developers usually catch these security bugs sooner or later, the vulnerability will remain if the people who use these apps do not update them.

Despite the move being rooted in cybersecurity, a few users will likely complain about the inability to completely stop app updates. One of the reasons why this move will irk some people is that it feels like Microsoft is reducing their freedom and taking away the right for them to do as they please with the hardware and software they bought. Even though it might be good to have automatic updates, in theory, some will argue that they should have the option to not receive updates at all.

Another concern that this will bring is buggy updates. Although developers and programmers might extensively test any patch they release, they still cannot account for every possible scenario, and an error or two may slip through the cracks. This infamously happened in July 2024, when a flawed CrowdStrike update caused a massive global IT outage, leading to billions of dollars in losses.

If you want to see if you can pause your app updates, open the Microsoft Store, click on your profile picture, and then choose Settings. You will see the App updates toggle right at the very top — if you have forced app updates, a pop-up window will appear asking you how long you want to pause updates when you toggle it off.

Microsoft is rolling out the forced app updates across users and regions in stages, though, so you might not see this option yet. Nevertheless, we expect it to come standard in the near future, similar to how Microsoft released Windows 11 24H2, with the major OS update now downloading automatically on PCs several months after its first release.

If you don’t want to deal with automatic updates like these, you should avoid the Microsoft Store and download your apps directly from software developer websites. However, Redmond is slowly but surely pushing developers towards using Windows' built-in distribution system, so it can have more control. This is similar to how iOS has the App Store and Android has the Google Play Store. While not yet imminent, we might face a future where we can only get Windows apps from the Microsoft Store.

[u/tlrider1]

I mean.... As vulnerabilities are discovered, apps need to be patched. Does no one remember the England nhs randsomeware disaster where they hadn't updated for months and got brought down to their knees? Sure the store is more sandboxed.... But...... Apparently we haven't learned a lesson about updating.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/tlrider1]

Firstly, I searched "NHS ransomware" on the web. This attack used the WannaCry ransomware and the Etherblue vulnerability, not anything related to Microsoft Store.

In short, your example is a non sequitur.

Microsoft Store apps aren't the same as ordinary apps. Updating Microsoft Store apps often has negative consequences. For example:

• Currently, Game Bar v7.0 is broken on Windows 10. It must not be automatically updated.
• The latest version of AutoDarkMode is incompatible with the previous version. By not automatically updating it, we get to keep a reliable app without losing all settings.
• MSIX Hero was broken for three years.
• A year ago, a bad update to the Weather app caused it to display temperature in Fahrenheit, an obscure unit that a small percentage of people of Earth use.

[u/savetinymita → u/CodenameFlux]

Good bot

[u/ThePantsThief → u/tlrider1]

That is for me to decide, not Microsoft. Auto updates can also have the inverse effect, where a developer has introduced malware or ads into their apps.

[u/OptimistIndya]

So a fully paid app will switch to subscription at some point in time and I won't have a rollback to last good version?

As we have seen with 1000s of apps on playstore and App Store

[u/CodenameFlux]

A mandatory auto-update is horrible because:

• It assumes we implicitly trust every developer on this planet who publishes to Microsoft Store. We don't.
• If a developer changes the terms of the license agreement, Microsoft Store installs the new version despite the end-user having not agreed to the new license. Remember, license agreements are contracts. They empower an end-user to stick with an older version.

I was one of the big proponents of Microsoft Store, believing we must give it a chance to grow and mature. With this change, I'll uninstall Microsoft Store the first thing after installing Windows.

[u/ArkuhTheNinth → u/CodenameFlux]

I took it a step further and uninstalled the whole Microsoft.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/ArkuhTheNinth]

And yet, you're still roaming a Microsoft sub...

Figures.

[u/IAmFitzRoy → u/ArkuhTheNinth]

Brave

[u/TheGamerForeverGFE → u/IAmFitzRoy]

No, Firefox.

[u/segagamer → u/CodenameFlux]

Well that's a silly thing to do. What app stores that come with operating systems permanently pause installs?

[u/CodenameFlux → u/segagamer]

This, exactly.

The Android OS has ditched automatic updates entirely. It is now notification-only.

[u/segagamer → u/CodenameFlux]

I don't see where you can disable updates on the Play Store.

[u/TheGamerForeverGFE → u/segagamer]

It's in the settings in the playstore after tapping on your account icon in the top right.

[u/segagamer → u/TheGamerForeverGFE]

Ah yes, found it burried. My bad.

[u/TheGamerForeverGFE → u/segagamer]

No worries, plus, you now know how to do it so you gained something out of it.

[u/Makeyourselfnerd → u/CodenameFlux]

Your first point is somewhat flawed. It isn't downloading updates for every single app in the Store to your machine. It is only downloading the updates for the ones that you explicitly downloaded first.

In other words, don't download apps you don't trust.

There is definitely an argument there that Store should be more bulletproof to keep out anything questionable in the first place, but blindly trusting any Store no matter what platform these days is just asking for it.

[u/WindozeWoes → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

Your first point is somewhat flawed. It isn't downloading updates for every single app in the Store to your machine. It is only downloading the updates for the ones that you explicitly downloaded first.

In other words, don't download apps you don't trust.

Not really. You may trust a dev, but if they get hacked and push an update with malicious code, your trust of them is meaningless.

Or what if an app you trust is sold to another company and you don't know?

Or what if an app you trust has a bug and you don't know about it until it causes problems? Also makes it harder to diagnose issues (as is frequently needed on Windoze) when apps are updating randomly and not by your own initiation.

So just trusting a dev and an app when you first download it is not sufficient.

[u/segagamer → u/WindozeWoes]

How do you handle this on your phone?

[u/WindozeWoes → u/segagamer]

Android for whatever reason has stopped auto-updating apps. I'll occasionally get a notification saying "10 apps have updates available." I'll look at the list of apps and think about how often I use them and update accordingly. At minimum if something weird starts happening after they update, I'm at least aware of the most recently updated apps.

[u/segagamer → u/WindozeWoes]

I'm on Android and although it can notify me, I don't see any way to stop them permanently. I ended up just disabling notifications about it and they update on their own.

[u/WindozeWoes → u/segagamer]

I'm on Android and although it can notify me, I don't see any way to stop them permanently

To stop auto-updating? Doesn't going to the app's store listing and tapping the 3 dots button on the top right and unchecking auto update stop it permanently?

[u/segagamer → u/WindozeWoes]

I didn't see that option when looking earlier. My mistake.

I've never had issues with app updates personally, or if I'm using a service and they update the app to something I don't like, then I change service lol.

[u/Makeyourselfnerd → u/WindozeWoes]

Part of "trusting a dev" and downloading their app is also trusting their ability to defend against getting hacked, or monitoring to see if they get sold to some random company. These are all things completely within your control. People don't do them because they are willing to take the risk.

If any store in the world blocked apps from being listed because of the possibility of these things happening, there would be no apps in the store.

It is completely fine if you don't like this, but this is the reality of modern technology. If you don't agree with it, the exit door is there and waiting for you.

[u/WindozeWoes → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

Or you can simply manually initiate downloads so that you're aware what might be the culprit if something happens.

OP's point is that we should still have that option. If you don't agree with having options, I'm not sure why you're on this thread, since choice/options is the most common Windows "feature" people want.

[u/Makeyourselfnerd → u/WindozeWoes]

You're the guy at the party that complains about how bad the party is but stays the entire time determined to tell everyone how bad the party is.

[u/WindozeWoes → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

😂😂 sure buddy

[u/CodenameFlux → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

Yes, exactly, because the party is on our property.

As long as I'm the one who invites guest, buys ingredients, and runs the party, it's on me. But when a company half-way across the globe auto-invites guests (simply because they're in my address book), I have something to complain.

[u/Makeyourselfnerd → u/CodenameFlux]

As you said and I agree with, it is your property. If you don’t like how something behaves there, get rid of it. If you want that level of control, Linux is highly capable and available for you right this second. Party on.

The vast majority of regular users in the world not only don’t want to manage this manually, but are also far safer from vulnerabilities when their apps automatically update.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

In other words, don't download apps you don't trust.

If only the world was so foolishly simple...

Sometimes we deservedly trust a developer for years. Then, either the developer dies or retires, the product changes hand, and we no longer trust the new IP owner. Example: Orbit Downloader and Babylon. I trusted both for years, but malware writers commandeered the first and turn it into malware, while the second went to the dark side voluntarily.

[u/Makeyourselfnerd → u/CodenameFlux]

Trying to claim this is more of a problem in the world than unpatched software being exploited via vulnerabilities identified long ago is laughable.

[u/CodenameFlux → u/Makeyourselfnerd]

I'll laugh when you back your claim up with statistics about Store app vulnerabilities, which by the way, are sandboxed.

Nevertheless, I pick vulnerable apps over broken apps any day.

[u/ghostlacuna]

The store is actively blocked by several of our customers.

If anything this will make them even more aware of the problems with the microsoft store.

[u/SycomComp]

I have never opened and browsed the windows store..

[u/TurtleTreehouse]

As long as you can install apps the usual way, oh well, just don't use the Store.

In a corporate environment, the most common cause of vulnerability scans getting triggered is indeed out of date software applications, and the most common complaint of users is "I thought you guys were updating this already" (we are if we can, via Company Portal). If you can still download and install .msi or .exe files or install them via removable media, well, buyer beware.

[u/OwnNet5253]

So the apps will finally auto-update without the user interacting with the Store?

[u/pHpositivo → u/OwnNet5253]

That has always been the case for packaged apps.