News Microsoft's latest bone-headed implementation (Win11): "Smart App Control"

[mikeymikec]

I was setting up a new laptop for a customer today, there's a clean install by me of 24H2 on there. The customer wanted Office H&B 2024 as well as Access 2024, both of which we bought direct from the MS site. I had the H&B installer ISO on a memory stick already so I went ahead and installed that without issue, and we downloaded the offline installer for Access 2024 direct from MS.

When that ISO file finished downloading, I tried to mount it and Windows flat-out refused saying that Smart App Control said no. No suggested workarounds like there is for the setting to only allow apps from the MS store, just flat-out no. I had had a pretty long day by this point and I just needed it to let me install what we had just bought, so I think "fine, I'll just disable it". I searched for it in the Start menu, get a result, open the app, there's an on and off option (with a lot of text, and frankly I rushed at this point to switch it off), then after switching it off I noticed the text telling me that in order to enable it again, I have reinstall Windows.

 

[Steltek]

Yeah, it supposedly compares the app to a Microsoft cloud database of "malicious and untrusted" software to allow installation or not. I consider it to be the height of comedic irony that they have the balls to classify their own software installers to be "malicious and untrusted software".

Them doing this leads me to firmly believe that it will be made mandatory in a future version of Windows to force installation of all software through the Windows Store.

Microsoft just can't give up on the dream of recreating Apple's closed ecosystem, and if the legions of Microsoft's uneducated lemming customers don't object they will have a decent chance of actually pulling it off.

 

[Zepp]

Them doing this leads me to firmly believe that it will be made mandatory in a future version of Windows to force installation of all software through the Windows Store.

Yep, remember S Mode windows 10 that was often installed on cheaper laptops? it was exactly that, only microsoft store apps could be installed

 

[pcgeek11]

I noticed the text telling me that in order to enable it again, I have reinstall Windows.

Damn. That really sucks, reinstall Windows.

So glad I don't use Windows anymore. I just have to keep my wife's Windows 7 going. She refuses to change.

Maybe that is why she keeps me around.

 

[Steltek]

Damn. That really sucks, reinstall Windows.

So glad I don't use Windows anymore. I just have to keep my wife's Windows 7 going. She refuses to change.

Maybe that is why she keeps me around.

And, it doesn't require just a reinstall of Windows, but a totally clean install.

 

[mikeymikec]

Yep, remember S Mode windows 10 that was often installed on cheaper laptops? it was exactly that, only microsoft store apps could be installed

But you could reasonably easily switch out of it, which is often the way with Microsoft.

 

[Quintessa]

SAC is basically a rebranded “Application Control”/Windows Defender Reputation crap with a twist: it blocks unsigned or "unrecognized" executables and installers, even if they’re totally legit. Customers don’t need SAC. Defender + SmartScreen already nag enough. SAC just adds another "NO" layer with zero override.

 

[Zepp]

But you could reasonably easily switch out of it, which is often the way with Microsoft.

Well the last time I had to disable S-Mode on a device, you had to go into the microsoft app store and download an app to unlock it.
Simple enough, but at the time it required a MS account to use the store. (not sure if that is still the case) No one in my family uses MS accounts for windows accounts so I ended up having to reinstall.

 

[mikeymikec]

Well the last time I had to disable S-Mode on a device, you had to go into the microsoft app store and download an app to unlock it.
Simple enough, but at the time it required a MS account to use the store. (not sure if that is still the case) No one in my family uses MS accounts for windows accounts so I ended up having to reinstall.

I think it needs an MS account.

 

[pcgeek11]

Bump Microsoft: