Microsoft Store History (Device Based)

[NviGate Systems]

I was preparing a charity machine for some folks my mom knows and noticed something interesting about the Windows 10 Store. Even if you don't sign in, it appears Microsoft keeps a history of the apps that have been installed. For example, one of the machines I have it shows the date Windows 10 was purchased/activated. (Interesting though it lists it as "Windows Home 10/11" and says the device doesn't support it)

On another device it listed Windows 10 Pro Corporate with the Demo software that Microsoft used for retail units. Likely that unit was a retail demo at one point.

If you go into Store, and Library, you should be able to see the history of the device.

What I'm not sure about is whether this history applies to accounts or not. For example, on my one PC, I have a specific app I install (a reference library) that does not ever get loaded by MS. I replaced my SSD, did a full reinstall of Windows and when I went to the "Library" of available apps, it was listed. So, we can for sure know it's not using some generated UUID for tracking but rather some hardware based ID.

If I have time or if anyone has some used machines sitting around, maybe check Store Library and see what it lists, I'd be curious if it also tracks apps that were part of a MS Account too, as these machines I never signed into them to install apps.

 

[Markverhyden]

Are these all machine that have a MS account created even if not logged into the store? Another thought. For licensing, for lack of a better label, Microsoft creates a UUID for each machine for registration purposes. So maybe when it's reregistered it grabs that data from the registration servers because the algorithms recreate the same UUID. That being said I've not noticed this but I've only recently started using MS accounts.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I don't know the history of these devices from before I owned them, but at least the one machine I did not create a MS Account, so when I installed the library app, it was without signing in.

So, I didn't make an account, just a local user and the Store asked if I wanted to sign in, I said no. But not sure if in the past someone had a MS Account.

 

[Markverhyden]

Ok @NviGate Systems systems, it appears that it is tied to the OS activation.

What I did. Running on ESXi 6.7U3, a Dell specific roll. None of the VM instances ever touched a MS account, all data sharing, adverts, etc turned off/disabled. Same W10Pro MAPS key
1. Existing W10P machine, completed updates. Had no other extra apps installed so I pull a couple free ones ( remember no account) from the MS store, Whatsapp and Pacman. Installed same. Verified they showed up in My Library
2. Shut down the machine. Deleted the vhd, created a new one of the same size. 256gb, within the VM. So that should appear as an existing machine with a new hd. Re-installed from the same ISO. Completed all the updates. This machine had already registered the W10P lk before but did not automatically do that. Probably because of the new vhd. Registered with the same lk, completed updates. Did not see any reference the previously installed apps. Installed Whatsapp and Supoer Cario World from the MS store. Again no accounts. Btw all iterations had a different user name. Checked and in My Library
3. Booted machine from the ISO and nuked the drive and did a fresh install. This time it has automatically registered the product as it showed activated. Ran one set of updates, then checked the library. Whatsapp and Super Cario World showed up in My Library in the MS Store.

So at a minimum the machine registration on M$ servers is logging this info.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Very interesting. So you can see a "history" based on activation. So for OEM boards where the key never changes or moves, that "history" will potentially follow a computer.

 

[Markverhyden]

Not sure about OEM's now with W10. But back when I was doing HP laptop warranty repairs, W8, they had a utility that tattooed the new motherboard with specific information pulled from the label on the machine. They'd actually been using it since W98 or WME days. Part of the process was what they call the feature byte set. Basically a series of codes to tell the OS installers what drivers to install for those features. Starting with W8 they did have something about activation but don't remember what it was.

But, as is obvious, that's a privacy issue in my book. Because it'll apply to all computers whose activation doesn't change. Which is all of them unless a major part was changed.

 

[Markverhyden]

I have another VM that's logged in with a MS account. On that machine I bought two free items, Netflicks and Windows Scan on that account. Went to the VM in number 3 above and logged in with the MS account. All the other history was gone.