How does MS Store remember my previous apps?

[mclaren85]

I have 3 different MS win 10 LTSC os installed machines with different apps installed. After every format, MS store succesfully remembers the previous applications even I never log into my ms account. So how does ms store remember my apps?

 

[Shihab]

I noticed that too.
My working hypothesis is that they use other Microsoft services you may have used to track you. In my case, I suspect Github Desktop.

 

[mclaren85]

I noticed that too.
My working hypothesis is that they use other Microsoft services you may have used to track you. In my case, I suspect Github Desktop.

I don't use github. I Don't even use any app on windows that is "loggeable".

 

[DaemonForce]

You're logged into one of the apps. Do you use a profile in Edge?

 

[Frick]

IP/HID.

 

[mclaren85]

You're logged into one of the apps. Do you use a profile in Edge?

I blocked and uninstalled Edge. here is my app list :

 

[DaemonForce]

Does your board ship with anything like the Asus armoury crate or do any of these apps phone home with MS account details?
I don't have the temper to go over Turkish today so XIAOHONGSHU.

My guess is MyASUS and Microsoft Store are doing something that phones home. If you go to your MS account settings the computer is probably remembered.

 

[mclaren85]

Does your board ship with anything like the Asus armoury crate or do any of these apps phone home with MS account details?
I don't have the temper to go over Turkish today so XIAOHONGSHU.

My guess is MyASUS and Microsoft Store are doing something that phones home. If you go to your MS account settings the computer is probably remembered.

No, my board was shipped as freedos.
and hate to tell but my windows is pirated

 

[LabRat 891]

I have 3 different MS win 10 LTSC os installed machines with different apps installed. After every format, MS store succesfully remembers the previous applications even I never log into my ms account. So how does ms store remember my apps?

AFAIK, your Windows Activation HWID is associated to your MSFT/Live account.
Regardless, there's more than enough metadata between HWID, IP, etc. to reliably 'remember' what apps were previously used/installed.

Also, your motherboard 'prompts' the OS to DL/install the 'associated apps'.
At every fresh install my Asus X570 build asks if I want to install Armory Crate, and my friend's Gigabyte B650 build asks the same for the Gigabyte utils (there's also an option in his UEFI/BIOS to disable that prompt-to-OS)

Me?
First time I had a web page open up the Windows Store, it got removed. Every reinstall since, has been IoT LTSC to avoid that entire mess.

 

[DaemonForce]

and hate to tell but my windows is pirated

That's on you but not hard enough it's not. Ffhahahaha!

AFAIK, your Windows Activation HWID is associated to your MSFT/Live account.

It's insane how easily I forget this is a thing. So, there you go.
The entire issue of Windows remembering your apps is Windows itself.
It was better when the keys were serialized to the CPU/board/whatever.
The sooner we dump all this useless telemetry the better. SteamOS when?

 

[mclaren85]

AFAIK, your Windows Activation HWID is associated to your MSFT/Live account.
Regardless, there's more than enough metadata between HWID, IP, etc. to reliably 'remember' what apps were previously used/installed.

Also, your motherboard 'prompts' the OS to DL/install the 'associated apps'.
At every fresh install my Asus X570 build asks if I want to install Armory Crate, and my friend's Gigabyte B650 build asks the same for the Gigabyte utils (there's also an option in his UEFI/BIOS to disable that prompt-to-OS)

Me?
First time I had a web page open up the Windows Store, it got removed. Every reinstall since, has been IoT LTSC to avoid that entire mess.

That is the closest reasonable explanation. Btw my IP is not static. I think it has to do with my motherboard UUID, maybe..

 

[Frick]

The entire issue of Windows remembering your apps is Windows itself.
It was better when the keys were serialized to the CPU/board/whatever

Is there a difference? HID is HID and it was so decades ago. And I remember how changing your NIC required a new key (if OEM)/actication, is was not better.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Cerebral implants to track software thieves.

Pirated or not, it has an ID and I would guess, that, along with some hardware information, perhaps UEFI too, some form of checksum uniquely IDs you.