What do these Apps do?

very_452001 · Jul 1, 2024

XxXxX said:
there is an explanation on MSIX here.

Don't worry about the mysterious Copilot app that suddenly showed up on your Windows PC, says Microsoft

Microsoft has explained that the strange Copilot app recently installed on some Windows PCs is harmless.

www.xda-developers.com

it looks like MS will be removing themselves .. but .. unknown when.
hope this helps. Steve ..

They said they will remove it in a few days but that article is from few months ago April

very_452001 · Jul 6, 2024

Hi coming back here, any advice on what to do for these 3 apps?

Bizarre · Jul 7, 2024

very_452001 said:
Hi coming back here, any advice on what to do for these 3 apps?

You should probably just leave them alone. I don't know about Windows CoPilot MSIX Pack (because I don't have it), but if you try to remove the other two Apps, they will just re-install themselves again.

very_452001 · Jul 8, 2024

Okay still unsure on the CoPilot.

Bizarre · Jul 8, 2024

very_452001 said:
Okay still unsure on the CoPilot.

If you're not using CoPilot, you can try to remove it.
With that said, I'm not using CoPilot so I don't have it.

Marcus Vinicus · Jul 8, 2024

I'm using Windows 11 24H2 26100.1000 and Windows CoPilot MSIX Pack is nowhere to be found.

The standard Copilot app (version 1.0.4.0) is installed on my PC and by default attached to a process named Indentity_Helper.exe which helps deliver service functions to PWA applications in Windows. Helper_Identity.exe was in Windows 10 and seems very harmless.

I don't think the Windows CoPilot MSIX Pack is worth getting all worried about.

UPDATE:
There is an update from MS about this dating from April 24 and June 13.

Windows 11, version 23H2 known issues and notifications

View announcements and review known issues and fixes for Windows 11, version 23H2

learn.microsoft.com

Here is a screen capture of the relevant information (see under the April 2024 section on the page linked above).

Bizarre · Jul 18, 2024

Update:

@very_452001, you can go ahead and uninstall these apps:

Just make sure to install the latest version of Photos (2024.11070.15005.0).
I uninstalled those two Apps on my system and they didn't come back.

very_452001 · Jul 19, 2024

Bizarre said:
Update:

@very_452001, you can go ahead and uninstall these apps:

Just make sure to install the latest version of Photos (2024.11070.15005.0).
I uninstalled those two Apps on my system and they didn't come back.

Still a mystery to what these apps do?

Everything should be clear with updates, if everything was clear no mystery then it could have prevented the whole global cyber outage today. Still cant understand whether Microsoft is outsourcing its Business Windows to CrowdStrike or is CowdStrike just a 3rd party who manages its business clients on behalf of Microsoft when it comes to cyber security?

garlin · Jul 19, 2024

There's no real mystery. As previously explained, they're run-time libraries that are installed on behalf of Windows Default Apps that require them. Just like you may be required to install a copy of .NET or Visual C++ to run certain Win32 apps.

If you remove those packages, and a future installed app needs them to run, they will be silently reinstalled. Not everything you see listed is an "user app". Several examples of the normal UWP libraries:

Code:

Microsoft.Advertising.Xaml
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime
Microsoft.Services.Store.Engagement
Microsoft.UI.Xaml
UWPDesktop
Microsoft.VCLibs
Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime
Microsoft.WinJS

On today's CrowdStrike outage, the popular news media does a poor job of explaining the root cause.

Microsoft, Amazon and Google compete in the cloud hosting service; where they manage millions of servers on behalf of top enterprises, organizations, schools and government. CrowdStrike is a leading 3rd-party security provider, unrelated to MS, but their customers often overlap. CrowdStrike pushed out a faulty driver for their security product, crashing countless Windows boxes WHICH HAPPEN TO RESIDE in MS-owned datacenters.

MS bears no direct responsibility for today's events. Those customers chose CrowdStrike for security, and they suffered as a result.

cheaterslick · Jul 20, 2024

very_452001 said:
The apps I listed can be uninstalled. If Microsoft knows that uninstalling these apps break the functionality of windows then Microsoft allow its users to uninstall them ?

That was my main question as well. IF removing them causes the kind of breakages mentioned up above, then why give the user the option to uninstall them?

It makes no sense. If they're that critical then it should be baked-in code that the end user shouldn't have access to.

Bizarre · Jul 20, 2024

garlin said:
There's no real mystery. As previously explained, they're run-time libraries that are installed on behalf of Windows Default Apps that require them. Just like you may be required to install a copy of .NET or Visual C++ to run certain Win32 apps.

If you remove those packages, and a future installed app needs them to run, they will be silently reinstalled. Not everything you see listed is an "user app". Several examples of the normal UWP libraries:

Code:

Microsoft.Advertising.Xaml Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime Microsoft.Services.Store.Engagement Microsoft.UI.Xaml UWPDesktop Microsoft.VCLibs Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime Microsoft.WinJS

Again, we (@very_452001 and I) are not talking about these:

Note: You already listed the other APIs, so there's no point for me to repeat the list.

We (@very_452001 and I) were talking about these:

I don't consider the latter (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton) as APIs because:

Why install the new API (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton), when the current API (WindowsAppRuntime) performs the same function?
Why is the name/version of this new API (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton) similar to the current API (WindowsAppRuntime)?
Why is the new API (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton) listed under Installed Apps when other APIs are not listed there?
Why did Microsoft suddenly remove the new API (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton) in Photos 2024.11070.15005.0?

garlin · Jul 20, 2024

The new Photos App has been rewritten using the Windows Apps SDK, which is the new platform for UWP apps. MS is transitioning away from the UWP model to a mixed platform which supports WebView2 (their real goal).

Microsoft Photos: Migrating from UWP to Windows App SDK

The Microsoft Photos App team recently released a major update,

blogs.windows.com

As such, you will have a mix of both old and new framework packages installed side by side, if any App requires it.

MicrosoftCorporationII is an alternate publisher name for non-mainstream MS apps (like Quick Assist, Family, Windows Subsystem for Android). "Installed Apps" understands how to hide normal Microsoft.* frameworks, but MicrosoftCorporationII isn't hidden. That's probably a bug they'll address in future Windows updates.

If you remove the newer Photos App, then the Windows Apps SDK frameworks won't be required in the short term. Photos is the first one shipped on the new SDK, but other Windows Apps will undoubtedly move over in the coming months or years.

Bizarre · Jul 20, 2024

It's more like Microsoft wants to closely integrate Edge components in UWP Apps so everyone will be forced to install Edge. Too bad they shot themselves in the foot when they forgot some people who use BlockNonAdminUserInstall.

Source:

Microsoft: Windows 11 non-Admin Group policy/ CSP policy conflict affecting Photos now fixed

Microsoft, almost exactly a month ago, confirmed an issue with its Photos app wherein it would fail to open. Now, the problem with conflict of policies between Group Policy and CSP policy is resolved.

www.neowin.net

I bet next time they will integrate these new Apps (WinAppRuntime.Main/Singleton) aka APIs on ISOs so they can bypass said policy, and no one will be the wiser until they inspect the contents of their WindowsApps folder.

very_452001 · Jul 22, 2024

garlin said:
The new Photos App has been rewritten using the Windows Apps SDK, which is the new platform for UWP apps. MS is transitioning away from the UWP model to a mixed platform which supports WebView2 (their real goal).

Microsoft Photos: Migrating from UWP to Windows App SDK

The Microsoft Photos App team recently released a major update,

blogs.windows.com

As such, you will have a mix of both old and new framework packages installed side by side, if any App requires it.

MicrosoftCorporationII is an alternate publisher name for non-mainstream MS apps (like Quick Assist, Family, Windows Subsystem for Android). "Installed Apps" understands how to hide normal Microsoft.* frameworks, but MicrosoftCorporationII isn't hidden. That's probably a bug they'll address in future Windows updates.

If you remove the newer Photos App, then the Windows Apps SDK frameworks won't be required in the short term. Photos is the first one shipped on the new SDK, but other Windows Apps will undoubtedly move over in the coming months or years.

In other words MS is discontinuing UWP and migrating to WebView 2 meaning all future MS Apps will run through MS Edge Browser or something all in 1 place? Or is Cloud Based like Office 365 that is no space taken on the end user hard drive?

very_452001 · Jul 22, 2024

garlin said:
There's no real mystery. As previously explained, they're run-time libraries that are installed on behalf of Windows Default Apps that require them. Just like you may be required to install a copy of .NET or Visual C++ to run certain Win32 apps.

If you remove those packages, and a future installed app needs them to run, they will be silently reinstalled. Not everything you see listed is an "user app". Several examples of the normal UWP libraries:

Code:

Microsoft.Advertising.Xaml Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime Microsoft.Services.Store.Engagement Microsoft.UI.Xaml UWPDesktop Microsoft.VCLibs Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime Microsoft.WinJS

On today's CrowdStrike outage, the popular news media does a poor job of explaining the root cause.

Microsoft, Amazon and Google compete in the cloud hosting service; where they manage millions of servers on behalf of top enterprises, organizations, schools and government. CrowdStrike is a leading 3rd-party security provider, unrelated to MS, but their customers often overlap. CrowdStrike pushed out a faulty driver for their security product, crashing countless Windows boxes WHICH HAPPEN TO RESIDE in MS-owned datacenters.

MS bears no direct responsibility for today's events. Those customers chose CrowdStrike for security, and they suffered as a result.

Why did Microsoft allow a 3rd Party company CrowdStrike Access to its Operating System Core Kernel & Access to its Boot Start Drivers allowing CrowdStrike to Embed their faulty code deep within Windows that caused the Blue Screen of Deaths World Wide? Basically making CrowdStrike part of the Windows OS.

Anti-Virus & Anti-Malware Apps like for example MalwareBytes have the same Privileges to Access to deep Windows like CrowdStrike has? What if Malware is Embedded deep in the windows Kernel or Embedded in Boot up then Anti-Virus cannot detect it only CrowdStrike can?

garlin · Jul 22, 2024

very_452001 said:
In other words MS is discontinuing UWP and migrating to WebView 2 meaning all future MS Apps will run through MS Edge Browser or something all in 1 place? Or is Cloud Based like Office 365 that is no space taken on the end user hard drive?

Essentially. UWP never gained popularity with devs, and it's mostly considered a failure. Remember, the driving goal for UWP was to make writing universal apps (PC, Windows Phone, Xbox) a simple chore.

The future will be embedded WebView2 apps either running thru your browser, or native Windows versions.

garlin · Jul 22, 2024

very_452001 said:
Why did Microsoft allow a 3rd Party company CrowdStrike Access to its Operating System Core Kernel & Access to its Boot Start Drivers allowing CrowdStrike to Embed their faulty code deep within Windows that caused the Blue Screen of Deaths World Wide? Basically making CrowdStrike part of the Windows OS.

Anti-Virus & Anti-Malware Apps like for example MalwareBytes have the same Privileges to Access to deep Windows like CrowdStrike has? What if Malware is Embedded deep in the windows Kernel or Embedded in Boot up then Anti-Virus cannot detect it only CrowdStrike can?

Most enterprise-level security products and game anti-cheats all share the same thing: they use kernel drivers to do their job.

Anyone can provide a kernel driver, whether for adding a new hardware device, filesystem or volume management (data backup & replication), security scanning (for malware or detecting game cheats). If your driver is properly signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), then Windows allows it to be loaded w/o MS having to approve everyone's driver.

Here's a top level list of trusted providers (it's long!):

Allocated Filter Altitudes - Windows drivers

Lists file system filter altitudes allocated by Microsoft

learn.microsoft.com

What can happen are supply chain attacks. You hack a legitimate vendor and insert your software into their code. Or hijack their signing certificate (which is trusted), and sign unauthorized drivers. There have been cases were bad actors got lazy CA's to approve their certs (in China), and MS simply revokes the bad CA from the Windows trust list. In order for your PC to watch for trust revocations, Windows Update must be enabled.

In the CrowdStrike case, a bad update to the existing driver they use for inspecting system events caused massive BSOD's. And due to the way the bug was manifested, an automated rollback wasn't possible in most cases AND A HUMAN HAD TO DO IT.

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