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Windows-10

Microsoft was off to a expert beginning with Windows x early on by offering free upgrades to anyone on older versions of the platform. Information technology burned a lot of that goodwill with its heavy-handed attempts to get everyone to upgrade. Maybe that made everyone hyper-conscious of Microsoft's update approach, because a relatively minor app update recently sparked a torrent of negative reviews in the Microsoft Store. You know people accept to exist upset when they're going to the trouble of leaving reviews in the Microsoft Store.

The app in question is called merely "Photos Add-on," and it's pretty much what you'd wait from the name–it's an addition for the Windows Photos app. The app description doesn't brand the functionality clear at all, though. "Photos app downloadable content for all users," is all the information y'all go.

As soon as this new app appeared several days ago, Windows users took to the Store to vent their frustration. The review titles include titles like "Installed Without Permission" and "Didn't ask for this, can't uninstall information technology." The listing is currently sitting at two out of five stars, with more than 100 one-star reviews. A number of newer reviews attempt to at-home the mob by pointing out information technology's just an add together-on for Photos.

Then, what is the point of this app in the first place? Information technology's basically a new module for Photos that manages downloadable content (the official name of the app is Photos.DLC.Primary). Microsoft outset talked about the add-on model for photos at Build 2022, but apparently it has just now started implementing add-ons. The goal is to brand more features like filters and 3D effects available in Photos via downloadable modules. The Photos Add-on enabled the promised support for these. In fact, it looks like Microsoft is rolling out some features via the new plug-in on devices running preview builds of the upcoming Fall Creators Update. More apps with downloadable content could be launched subsequently, but Photos is the only one for now.

While the store folio listing a total size of over 400MB, the last installed size looks to be around 150MB. You've probably got that much to spare. It's not unreasonable to be annoyed at Microsoft adding bloat to your machine, but information technology'due south only an update to a pre-installed app. Still, this looks bad, and Microsoft should be amend at anticipating such things. Hopefully, information technology plans a piddling meliorate for the side by side add-on rollout.