The new Windows Insider build makes it impossible to uninstall some Steam games

In 2019, Microsoft finally introduced support for Win32 games on the Microsoft Store for Windows. But if you downloaded the games, you might want to hold off on the latest Windows Insider build. The most recent Dev Channel update prevents users from uninstalling Win32 apps, which means many of the games found on the Microsoft Store and Steam will be stuck on your computer for the time being.

Microsoft’s Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25211 was recently released to subscribers of the Windows updates Dev Channel. The new build comes with a host of new features, bug fixes, and one big catch. This particular update has only rolled out in the Dev Channel and shouldn’t affect Windows Insider subscribers who use the Beta Channel or Release Preview builds of Windows.

Some of the more substantial updates rolled out in Preview Build 25211 include:

• Behaviors on the Widgets board can now be adjusted. You can now choose whether the Widgets board opens when you hover over it, whether or not the taskbar displays notification badges for Widgets, or whether the taskbar displays rotating updates from your Widgets.
• The Task Manager can now be summoned by right-clicking on the taskbar, be still my heart.
• The Snipping Tool automatically saves screenshots now!

The new features come alongside a handful of bug fixes as well, but this all comes with an interesting caveat. Machines with this update installed won’t be able to uninstall or repair Win32 apps with interdependencies. In short, this means you won’t be able to uninstall many of the games that run off the Steam client or Steam itself. Fortunately, this appears to be a temporary thing.

Since the Microsoft Store began supporting native Win32 apps, it’s become increasingly popular with developers who want more customization and control over their applications and not just game developers. The list of games and applications that are reliant on Win32 is only getting bigger, making the limitations of this build a nuisance.

Microsoft has always cautioned that its Dev Channel updates are often very rough and aren’t very stable. While the ability to summon the taskbar without ctrl+alt+deleting your way there is tempting, we wouldn’t recommend installing this update just yet, as rolling back Windows Insider updates without also affecting important apps or documents can be a little difficult.

A full list of the features and bug fixes rolled out with Preview Build 25211 is available on the Windows Insider blog.