Someone already bypassed the app block on Windows 10 Cloud

2 min. read

Published on February 8, 2017

published on February 8, 2017

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As you likely know by now, Microsoft is working on a lightweight version of Windows dubbed “Windows Cloud.” While the official in-depth details on this version of Windows are scarce, screenshots of the lightweight OS have emerged, and then the OS itself was leaked, ultimately showing that the OS would only run apps seen in the Windows Store.

In fact, though some have called the OS a “newfangled Windows RT,” one Twitter user has managed to bypass the Win32 app block on Windows 10 Cloud and install fully functioning version of Google Chrome (via Windows Central.)

https://twitter.com/never_released/status/829312452651339776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

As seen above, the Twitter user who simply goes by the name of “Longhorn” is teasing that he managed to bypass Microsoft’s Win32 app block in Windows 10 Cloud. Just like with regular Windows 10, the user managed to run apps from outside the Windows Store, in this case, Google Chrome and also the Desktop App Converter. Though the user faced subsequent Windows SmartScreen warnings after doing so, it is still not clear how this was accomplished, but the screenshot might hint that Windows PowerShell is somehow involved in the process.

Safe to say that most users might not have the technical skills to get Win32 apps to run on Windows 10 Cloud, but given that Windows 10 Cloud is not official yet, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft handles this news moving forward. The company previously had to deal with similar situations with Windows RT, and had applauded a user who managed to do something similar and get a jailbreak tool running on the mobile ARM operating system. As always, let us know what you think of this latest news by dropping us a comment below!

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.