Key Takeaways
- A list of disallowed Windows 11 apps blocks upgrades.
- Certain apps like Solidworks PDM and iCloudServices.exe create difficulties.
- Fans may reinstall unapproved apps by renaming the installer for continued usage.
A little while ago, we learned that Windows 11 wouldn’t update if StartAllBack was installed. This is because Microsoft cites performance and security issues with the app, and asks the user to uninstall it before they’re allowed to upgrade to the newest version. Now, someone has unearthed a full list of apps that Microsoft dislikes, and if you have one of them installed, you can expect a difficult time upgrading Windows 11 in the future.
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A full list of disallowed Windows 11 apps appears online
As spotted by the German website DeskModderthere’s a list of apps that Microsoft keeps within the appraiser.sdb file which Windows 11 checks when upgrading your PC. If an app you have installed matches one of the apps, it will block the upgrade from going through. DeskModder noted that it wasn’t as simple as blocking an app based entirely on its name; for example, while VLC is listed in the big list of services and apps that are disallowed, it’s specifically listing a Windows 7 version of VLC.
DeskModder said the following apps will cause issues on Windows 11 PCS:
ConisioAdmin.exe (Solidworks PDM)
EaseUS Disk Copy.exe (EaseUS Disk Copy Application)
ep_dwm.exe (ExplorerPatcher) Included since 22H2
iCloudServices.exe (iCloud files shared in Explorer via WhatsApp) from 23H2
RadeonSoftware.exe (AMD GPU perf settings) from23H2
StartAllBackCfg.exe (StartAllBack) Included since 22H2
Multi-mon + Copilot (Microsoft)
MergeSdb (Microsoft)
Intel IntcOED.sys (Intel)
Intel IntcAudioBus.sys (Intel) (%WinDir%System32driversIntcAudioBus.sys)
Realtek 8192su Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (Realtek) (%WinDir%System32driversRTL8192su.sys)
Fortunately, if you use one of these apps, all hope isn’t lost yet. As we previously reported, StartAllBack fans found that they could uninstall the app, update Windows 11, and then reinstall it by renaming the installer executable. This stops Windows 11 from blocking the installation and lets you get the app back onto your PC. We’re not sure if Microsoft has fixed this trick, but it’s worth a shot if you want to keep using your favorite apps.