How to remove (all) Windows 8 apps using PowerShell

Apps are clearly a focus on Windows 8, not only because the operating system boots into the "apps-interface" on startup by default, but because most of the marketing for the operating system puts it in focus as well. That's however just one side of Windows 8, and I'm not entirely sure if concentrating all efforts on those features is the smartest move by Microsoft.
Anyway, if you are not using the apps at all, or want to remove apps from user profiles so that they cannot launch them, then you may have discovered that it is not really a straightforward operation.
Things get a bit easier in Windows 8.1 with its batch uninstallation feature - right-click multiple apps and select uninstall in the end - but it is still far from what I would consider comfortable.
The Windows PowerShell may look intimidating, or like just another shell environment or command line to most users. It is actually very powerful, and one of the things that you can use it for is to remove some or all apps installed on a Windows 8 system.
PowerShell and Apps
You do need to start the PowerShell before you can get started. Do the following to do just that:
- Press the Windows-key and enter PowerShell using the keyboard.
- Right-click the PowerShell result and select to "run as administrator" from the options.
On to the commands:
Get Commands
Get retrieves app-related information from users on the local PC or a remote domain.
Get-AppxPackage -User [Username] lists all apps installed by the user [username]. [username] can be a domain\user, an email address, a user_name, or a SID-string.
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers lists all apps installed by users on the system
Get-AppxPackage -Name [name] returns all apps that match [name]. You can use wildcards (*) in the command.
Get-AppxPackage -Publisher [publisher name] returns all apps that are installed by the selected publisher(s). Wildcards are again permitted.
Note that it is possible to combine queries.
Example Get queries:
- Get-AppxPackage -Publisher *Microsoft* returns all apps published by Microsoft, and any other publisher that uses Microsoft in its name (likely none).
- Get-AppxPackage -user Martin returns all apps installed under the user account Martin.
- Get-AppxPackage -name *Halo* returns all apps that have Halo in their name.
- Get-AppxPackage -name *Facebook* -User domain/user1 returns all installed apps with Facebook in their name from user1 on the remote computer domain.
Remove Commands
Remove works very similar to Get, but it offers additional parameters.
Remove-AppxPackage [package name] removes [package name] from the account of the currently signed in user.
Remove-AppxPackage [package name] -Confirm does the same as above, but displays a confirmation prompt before the command is executed.
Remove-AppxPackage [package name] -WhatIf displays what would happen if you would run the command.
Example Remove queries:
- Remove-AppxPackage 31098nishrotech.readiy_3.1.1.12_neutral___ap1yy96n767gr Removes the selected package from the current user account
How to remove all Metro apps from all users
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
Microsoft has published a script that removes all Windows Store apps in Windows 8 as well. You can download it from this Technet page.
Additional information about App installation cmdlets are available on Technet as well.
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What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help