Windows 10 Getting a Feature That Can Block Win32 App Malware from Infecting PCs

[Exterminator]

Windows 10 Getting a Feature That Can Block Win32 App Malware from Infecting PCs

One of the new features coming in the Windows 10 Creators Update (and still not announced by Microsoft, for some reason) is the possibility of blocking the installation of Win32 software, limiting the operating system to Windows Store apps.

As Vitor Mikaelson discovered, “starting with [Windows 10 build] 15042 you can block installation of Win32 apps on ANY edition. Even Enterprise.”

This means that administrators can block the accounts configured on a Windows 10 computer to install Win32 software in an attempt to boost security and prevent malware infections.

Win32 applications are generally the ones being used by malware authors to spread malicious files, so by blocking their installation and limiting Windows 10 devices to the Windows Store, users can add a new protection layer to make sure no infection occurs.

A popup screen that shows up when trying to install a Win32 program on a computer with this restriction in place tells users they “can only install apps from the Windows Store. Limiting installations to apps from the Store helps to keep your PC safe and reliable.”

Windows 10 Cloud
Without a doubt, such a feature can be used to keep PCs secure in a wide array of environments, ranging from computers that our parents are using to the education sector where a malware infection can substantially compromise data and networks.

Microsoft is working on a Windows 10 version that would be entirely limited to the Windows Store and there’s a chance that this new feature could be used specifically for enforcing this restriction. Windows 10 Cloud will be an operating system with a purpose similar to Windows RT, the tablet-oriented platform that Microsoft installed in 2012 on the Surface RT and then on the Surface 2.

Without a doubt, both this feature and Windows 10 Cloud are living proof that Microsoft is betting big on universal apps available in the Store, especially as it’s offering bridges to developers to port software from other platforms, including Win32, to Windows 10.

The software giant is expected to discuss this feature with the next build release, which could go live as soon as this week, while all users should get it in the coming Creators Update due in April.