Disable the Windows Store in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

By Ian W
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Joe User

Posted
Posted

Thanks. I was thinking the same, but was wondering why he didn't specifically limit the scope of his warning to exclude the official deactivation method.

 

Dunno. I'll chalk it up to being a little lax on a forum, no big deal. 

Grand Master

Brandon Live Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Using group policy to disable the store will hurt the system? If so, why is this option included in the OS?

 

I was mainly referring to the part about disabling random services. Hiding the store icon using group policy on your own machine is just silliness. Just unpin it if you really don't want to try any of the great apps on offer. The point of group policy is to allow IT admins to force settings on users on their domains. There's no reason to force something on yourself, just do it the normal way!

 

Also, if you completely disable the store, how will you install OS updates like 8.1?

  • Romero and Anibal P
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Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

I was mainly referring to the part about disabling random services. Hiding the store icon using group policy on your own machine is just silliness. Just unpin it if you really don't want to try any of the great apps on offer. The point of group policy is to allow IT admins to force settings on users on their domains. There's no reason to force something on yourself, just do it the normal way!

 

Also, if you completely disable the store, how will you install OS updates like 8.1?

Whether or not one should use group policy is up to them. I just wanted to be sure that there wasn't something wrong with this option.

 

That is a valid question. If I were to disable the store via Group Policy how would the update be pushed? Or even more directly, how is an update like this pushed out in the enterprise setting? Surely, the individual employees wouldn't be using personal Microsoft accounts to request an update for their work issued machine...

Veteran

Order_66

Posted
Posted

I remember the old days when some netscape zealots came up with a way to completely strip ie out of windows 98 or 95, can't remember which version.

 

I wonder if it would be possible to do something similar to windows 8.x, strip out all of the offending metro junk before the os is even installed or run a program to rip all the junk out directly after the install, it would definitely make for a much less user-hostile experience with windows 8.x and might free up some resources in the process.

 

Edit: Ahh here it is http://www.litepc.com/98lite.html

 

Veteran

Joe User

Posted
Posted

Whether or not one should use group policy is up to them. I just wanted to be sure that there wasn't something wrong with this option.

 

That is a valid question. If I were to disable the store via Group Policy how would the update be pushed? Or even more directly, how is an update like this pushed out in the enterprise setting? Surely, the individual employees wouldn't be using personal Microsoft accounts to request an update for their work issued machine...

 

For 8 to 8.1 it's a new OS, so the usual OS upgrade tools, same way they went from 7 to 8. For the upcoming 8.1 Update 1, it's essentially a roll up hotfix, so WSUS.

Grand Master

Ian W

Posted
  • Author
Posted

those like me who don't need it? I have no need for it. I'm just a simple consumer user

Chrisj1968, you certainly do not want to disable the Task Scheduler. I did not know about Task Scheduler's dependency on System Events Broker at the time of writing this topic . . . My apologies to anyone who decided to disable the service based on my original post.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/askpfeplat/archive/2013/07/15/why-you-shouldn-t-disable-the-task-scheduler-service-in-windows-7-and-windows-8.aspx

If you have not already done so, please do not disable System Events Broker. If you have disabled the service based on my original post, you can enable it by setting the value of the Start key located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SystemEventsBroker to 3.

Veteran

Joe User

Posted
Posted

those like me who don't need it? I have no need for it. I'm just a simple consumer user

 

 It's the scheduler for the entire operating system, you absolutely need it.  

 

If you want to use a car analogy, it's like randomly removing belts from your car because you only use the car for commuting.

Chrisj1968, you certainly do not want to disable the Task Scheduler. I did not know about Task Scheduler's dependency on System Events Broker at the time of writing this topic . . . My apologies to anyone who decided to disable the service based on my original post.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/askpfeplat/archive/2013/07/15/why-you-shouldn-t-disable-the-task-scheduler-service-in-windows-7-and-windows-8.aspx

If you have not already done so, please do not disable System Events Broker. If you have disabled the service based on my original post, you can enable it by setting the value of the Start key located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SystemEventsBroker to 3.

 

Shouldn't that be 2?

  • 2 weeks later...
Veteran

Joe User

Posted
Posted

The default is 3.

 

Actually, it's 2. It don't think it makes a difference since the task scheduler is going to force start the service if it's manual or delayed start.

Grand Master

Ian W

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Actually, it's 2. It don't think it makes a difference since the task scheduler is going to force start the service if it's manual or delayed start.

Where are you getting this information? A fresh Windows 8 installation has the Registry values for System Events Broker and Time Broker set to 3. The Services snap-in lists the default setting for System Events Broker and Time Broker as Manual (Trigger Start).

Veteran

Joe User

Posted
Posted

Where are you getting this information? A fresh Windows 8 installation has the Registry values for System Events Broker and Time Broker set to 3. The Services snap-in lists the default setting for System Events Broker and Time Broker as Manual (Trigger Start).

 

I checked two installs, one is automatic the other is manual trigger. I guess something changes it as needed (Office, most likely)

 

It doesn't matter, they are dependent services, they will always start unless disabled, there's no point wasting time on it.

  • 9 months later...
  • 4 months later...
Neowinian

Corgano

Posted
Posted

For everyone reading, I have a warning

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you disable System Events Broker!!

It is NOT just part of the store, but as It turns out a core part of windows. Disabling it has resulted in ALL driver installations failing (from "invalid data"), ALL networked computers becoming inaccessible, as well as completely breaking Task Scheduler. Those are only the issues I've found so far, there's bound to be more stuff going on in the background that has been broken

I'm also finding that it is practically impossible to re-enable System Events Broker, even after changing the registry key back to default it still refuses to start. I've spent the last day an a half trying to fix this. I also strongly suggest removing the suggestion of disabling it from the OP.

This was on windows 8.1 64 bit. If anyone disabled their system events broker, and was able to fix it, please let me know how.

Grand Master

Anibal P

Posted
Posted

Seems to me this is way too much work for something that is easily ignored and never opened 

 

 

I see no valid reason to ever need to go through all this effort, corporate environments already have the needed tools to bypass the Store, so again pointless and likely prone to end up breaking more that doing any real good 

Neowinian

xyle666

Posted
Posted

so many posts in this thread saying that you shouldnt do this, that it shouldnt matter, that it doesnt take any resources. i dont understand why people who dont want to do it and will not do it would be posting in this thread. its like everyone has to share their opinion no matter how pointless it is. kind of like an athiest wandering into a church, standing in front of everyone, and yelling about how bad the people there are and how great he is.

  • 5 months later...
Grand Master

Eric Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Can you please tell me how to undo this. No matter what i change the registry values to, it will not let me enable windows store again. I even imported the original values but nothing is working including all of the apps.

Refresh your PC from settings.

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