Remove Metro Apps

[Sheridan]

Sorry or is it Modern Apps!

 

I've trying to remove some of the start menu crud like Games and Health and fitness with the powershell commands:

 

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage

and

Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online

 

However, the first command generates errors saying that each app is a part of windows and cannot be installed (really? games?!) and the second completes but the users still get all these apps showingon their start menu.

 

I want to remove these before prepping a Win8 image but can't seem to find any other way of doing it (MS suggest removing them from Add/Remove Features, but they're not in there!)

[AngryTechnician]

Use DISM as outlined in my post here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-8/133164-windows-8-1-keeps-restoring-metro-apps.html#post1140537

[Sheridan]

Does that mean manually removing each one? FFS, did MS ever realise that Windows 8.1 Enterprise might actually be used in a work environment!

[Arthur]

Does that mean manually removing each one?

Nope!

 

# Remove Windows 8.1 RTM provisioned apps.

$AppList = "Microsoft.BingFinance",
          "Microsoft.BingFoodAndDrink",
          "Microsoft.BingHealthAndFitness",
          "Microsoft.BingMaps",
          "Microsoft.BingNews",
          "Microsoft.BingSports",
          "Microsoft.BingTravel",
          "Microsoft.BingWeather",
          "Microsoft.HelpAndTips",
          "Microsoft.Reader",
          "Microsoft.SkypeApp",
          "Microsoft.WindowsAlarms",
          "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator",
          "microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps",
          "Microsoft.WindowsReadingList",
          "Microsoft.WindowsScan",
          "Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder",
          "Microsoft.XboxLIVEGames",
          "Microsoft.ZuneMusic",
          "Microsoft.ZuneVideo"

ForEach ($App in $AppList) {
  $AppxPackage = Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -online | Where {$_.DisplayName -eq $App}
  Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online -packagename ($AppxPackage.PackageName)
  Remove-AppxPackage ($AppxPackage.PackageName)
}

[Sheridan]

Lovely! Didn't fancy trawling through the output to get the exact names.

 

Its got rid of them, but users who already had profiles on the image still get the icons - I assume removing the apps only effects new users, which is fine as this is a new image I'm working on.

[sted]

do it to your source install.wim that way they dont install. my install.wim removes apps i dont want and installs dot net 3.5 from the outset

[Sheridan]

I seem to have also removed the PC Settings app as well - whenever I click the link nothing happens!

 

Is there a way of just restoring that part? I think that and IE are possibly the only ones that would get used.

[william_tropico]

We use this code to remove all the merto apps during sysprep. (Skydrive, Photos and camera won't be removed)

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage –online

 

Don't need to specify names

[Sheridan]

Bu t does that also remove the PC settings part? I'm trying to set a default lock screen etc for the image. Its a shame MS haven't provided group policies for all this stuff.

[william_tropico]

...I'm trying to set a default lock screen etc for the image. Its a shame MS haven't provided group policies for all this stuff.

You can set default lock screen with GPO

 

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization

 

Force a specific default lock screen image.

 

If you are installing 8.1 you can also specify assent colours and start menu background from here as well.

 

William

[Sheridan]

I keep forgetting to make sure I'm editing these policies from a Win8 machine! I use both Win7 and Win8 and sometimes the policy settings don't show on the 7 one.