How to Fix: Disable 'Microsoft Recommends Installing this App' Request

Infopackets Reader Jake J. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I recently upgraded my PC to Windows 10 with the October 2018 update (version 1809, build 17763). Everything seems to be working fine, however the other day I needed remote support help from a friend of mine using TeamViewer. To get connected to my machine, he instructed that I go to the TeamViewer website and download the TeamViewer program, then run it. He then requested my ID and Password in order to connect to my machine, but I could not find where to obtain this information despite him sending me step-by-step instructions with screenshots. To make a long story short, I later discovered that whenever I download a program from a website and run it, Microsoft is superseding the file I download with a request window that says 'Microsoft recommends installing this app from the Microsoft store to help protect your PC'. I did not read the request window and simply clicked 'Yes' to proceed to install my download, but as it turns out, the TeamViewer executable I downloaded was replaced with the Microsoft App for TeamViewer, which is completely different than what my friend wanted me to install on my machine. So my question is, how do I permanently disable the 'Microsoft recommends installing this app from the Microsoft store' request so I can download and run programs from third party websites? "

My response:

It seems that the Windows 10 October 2018 update has made some new 'default' actions, one of them being that some files downloaded from third party websites are now circumvented with the request to download the "app" from Microsoft's store to "help protect your PC," as Jake has noted.

The problem here is that the Microsoft "app" and the file being downloaded from the third-party site are two entirely different things, and that is why Jake had a hard time following the step-by-step instructions provided by his friend in terms of navigating TeamViewer.

How to Fix: Disable Microsoft Recommends Installing this App from the Microsoft Store

To permanently disable the request "Microsoft recommends installing this app from the Microsoft store to help protect your PC," do the following:

1. Click Start, then click the cog wheel (settings).
    
2. The "Settings" window will appear. Click the "Apps" icon located near the middle left of the screen.
    
3. The "Apps & Features" window will appear. Near the very top, the "Installing apps" heading is listed with the description "Choose where you can get apps from. Installing only apps from the Store helps protect your PC and keep it running smoothly." The default option is "Show me app recommendations". Change it to "Turn off app recommendations".
    
4. Close the "Settings" window and then open a browser and try and download and run a file from a third-party website.

I hope that helps.

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.