MS delivers unknown programs without my knowledge

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Today, I had to use Malwarebytes Windows Firewall Control in order to allow an update to Foxit Reader. When I happened to look at some of the other programs that were recently installed when I upgraded Windows 20H2 I was a surprised to find so many programs I knew nothing about. I am attaching a partial screenshot so you can see the many MS and Windows programs that got installed without my knowledge. (I blocked them so they show up in pink in the attachment.) I did a search of a few of the programs and couldn’t understand how my system would use them. I also checked my task manager to see if any of the programs were running and it appears that none are nor are they activated as start up programs.

I do not sign in with a MS account and have no MS applications installed except for Windows updater which I control with Windows show/hide. I have a local account and that’s how I sign in.

Given my lack of an MS account and lack of MS applications should I unblock any of the programs that I have blocked? I look forward to your assistance.

Peace, CAS

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What makes you think those are programs which were recently installed?

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The reason for my concern is that I found all of the programs in Program Data section of my C drive. Perhaps I should have used the term “delivered” rather than “installed” since I none of the programs seem to be running.  Good point; thanks.

Peace, CAS

Win 20H2 (OS Build 19042.1110)

 

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What makes you think those are programs which were recently delivered?

Microsoft Edge is in C:\ProgramData?

Along with which others?

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b, I know you’re much more computer literate than I am, so if you know something that I don’t know, just tell me instead of playing cat and mouse games.  When I checked the program data files where these programs are located there were several dates.

My point is that I had no idea that these files existed. Perhaps you’re letting me know just how lame this post is.

Peace, CAS

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Not lame at all.  If you open up the Windows firewall you’ll see all of these rules set for programs you probably never launch.  These are all default stuff that I can see, Microsoft store apps that are on your machine even if you never launch them.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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CAS

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CAS wrote:

just tell me instead of playing cat and mouse games.

I’m not the one who has chosen to not answer four questions in this thread.

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b, if I could have answered your four questions I would have. I didn’t chose not to respond; I couldn’t. Thankfully, the other replies didn’t require me to jump through your hoops but offered kind and easily understandable responses.

I recall when I first came to this site that there was an understanding that there were no dumb questions. I believe that the process of education/learning requires the more intelligent to share their wisdom with the ignorant when questions are posed rather than embarrass the questioners so that they will continue to remain in the dark.

Thank you Susan, Paul and Doriel. I now understand a lot more than I did before about these programs.

Peace, CAS

 

 

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CAS, you had already blocked those 20 System apps in your firewall, but I was trying to understand why you had concluded that they had been added recently, since you upgraded to version 20H2 nearly four months ago.

Then I was trying to understand whether you had really found them in “Program Data”, because they should be in C:\Windows\SystemApps.

It’s not easy to advise or help anyone who ignores any questions intended to clarify the issue(s); and although your question was whether you should unblock those apps, your topic titles were more about why they had “arrived”.

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CAS

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b, let me tell you what’s not easy for me: It’s not easy for me to understand technical questions or answers. That’s why I couldn’t respond to your questions as you described. I responded to the programs location as I did is because that’s where Malwarebytes WFC indicated they were located.

My bad for being delinquent in keeping more up to date on what’s on computer. When the questionable programs that I blocked in WFC appeared on my screen it was literally the first time I noticed their existence. (I’m not saying they weren’t there before.)

The responses from Susan, Paul K and Doriel were much easier for me to understand. I do appreciate your trying to help me and have thanked you for your last reply because it helps me to understand how you communicate.

I hope that if you respond to any of my future posts, or replies, that you do so in a manner that is consistent with my capacity to understand them. I did not intentionally ignore your questions. I did the best I could to respond.

Peace, CAS

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There is misunderstanding here. There are three folders in C:\ with similar names:
[ Program Files ] – the home of 64-bit programs
[ Program Files (x86) ] – the home of 32-bit programs
— but: either -bit will run just fine wherever it may have been installed
[ ProgramData ] – data/reference files used/needed-by installed programs
— It would be very unusual for operating programs actually to reside here.

The screen shot is labelled
[ Malwarebytes Windows Firewall Control – Rules Panel ]
This appears to be a ‘reference’ file that was installed by MWB. It contains a ‘blanket set’ or ‘template’ of things that MWB may be concerned with.

Poor simile – In your kitchen you have recipe books. But there are recipes for dishes that you have never made, and in fact, which call for ingredients that you don’t have and which you even may detest.

My Win 7 system has 1400+ files in 1200+ folders in ProgramData. There are 31 *.exe and *.dll files. All of them relate to the process of installation of programs, 23 dated to when I initially installed Windows and added major applications.

See Susan’s reference to [ Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Advanced Settings ].

Conclusion – Not to worry.

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CAS

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Its usual, to “deliver” resources, thay you may need in the future, but at the same time, you may never need them, or they support services, thus you may never launch them directly.

I understand and I second the emotion, that Windows does something without your consent, but thats what we have seen recently. We call that “bloatware”. I understood, if those were some usefull tools, but at the same time other things are delivered – such Candy Crush saga and other .. whats the word Im looking for.. time-killing junk for kids.

You did right to block them in order to protect your resources. If Windows wants something, it will launch the sevice/app anyway no matter what you intend.

Dell Latitude 3420, Intel Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, W10 22H2 Enterprise

HAL3000, AMD Athlon 200GE @ 3,4 GHz, 8GB RAM, Fedora 29

PRUSA i3 MK3S+

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CAS

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