When removing provisioned applications from Windows 10 it is important that you carefully consider which apps you wish to keep - unlike previous Windows 10 releases, apps you had removed from Windows 10 1703 will no longer come back as part of the feature update installation process. Below is a list of applications which are flagged as removable in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update - color coded from Enterprise client standpoint for your convenience. Please be aware, that the decision which applications should be removed can be tricky and very dependent on your usage scenario. Consider the list below - based on my interactions with various customers - as food for thought.
- Microsoft.BingWeather
- Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller
- Microsoft.GetHelp
- Microsoft.Getstarted
- Microsoft.Messaging
- Microsoft.Microsoft3DViewer
- Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub
- Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection
- Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes
- Microsoft.MSPaint
- Microsoft.Office.OneNote (Note: Consider keeping if you are allowing Microsoft Account usage)
- Microsoft.OneConnect
- Microsoft.People
- Microsoft.Print3D
- Microsoft.SkypeApp
- Microsoft.StorePurchaseApp
- Microsoft.Wallet
- Microsoft.Windows.Photos
- Microsoft.WindowsAlarms
- Microsoft.WindowsCalculator
- Microsoft.WindowsCamera
- microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps
- Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub
- Microsoft.WindowsMaps
- Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder
- Microsoft.WindowsStore
- Microsoft.Xbox.TCUI (Note: removing the app breaks the Store and Photos app. See this post for details.)
- Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay
- Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider
- Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay
- Microsoft.ZuneMusic
- Microsoft.ZuneVideo
Explanation:
- Green: "Keep"
- Gold: "Consider keeping in order to ensure full Windows 10 functionality"
- Red: "Consider removing in an Enterprise scenario".
Important: I am yet to come up with a solid reason why Microsoft flags following apps as removable: DesktopAppInstaller, StorePurchaseApp, WindowsStore.
Note: When you build your image, you should also consider removing Quick Support capability using DISM. See my previous blog on how to remove Windows capabilities for more guidance.
Additional considerations: In a multi-language image you may experience issues localizing built-in apps. See my blog for additional details. In this case, you may consider removing most of the built-in apps.
