Windows 11 PC Health Check App will be installed as Windows 10 Update KB5005463

[German]Microsoft has started to automatically install its PC Health Check app on Windows 10 systems via Windows Update. The update KB5005463 installs the app automatically. The controversial app can be used to check whether the computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11.

The information already went through the Internet on October 25, 2021 – the colleagues from Ghacks mentioned it in the following tweet.

Update KB5005463 installs the Health Check App

Microsoft explains the details in the support article for update KB5005463. The update is currently available for Windows 10 version 2004, Windows 10 version 20H2 and Windows 10 version 21H1. It will not be installed on Windows 11. This update installs the Pc Integrity Check (PC Health Check App) on the affected Windows 10 machines. The user can then use the app to run diagnostics to monitor device health and troubleshoot issues. Microsoft paraphrases the app's features as:

• Windows 11 eligibility: Provides a comprehensive eligibility check based on the minimum system requirements for Windows 11.
• Backup and sync: Sign in or create a Microsoft account to sync device preferences across devices and set up Microsoft OneDrive to protect your files.
• Windows Update: Keep your device secure by always running the latest version of Windows 10.
• Battery capacity: View the battery capacity relative to the original for devices that use a single or multiple batteries.
• Storage capacity: View the storage usage for the main drive that contains files, apps, and Windows.
• Startup time: Manage startup programs to improve startup time.
• Tips on PC health: Provides additional tips to improve overall PC health and performance.

When the PC Health Check app is opened, important application updates are automatically installed by default, if available. Users of the PC Health Check app cannot deactivate the automatic updates. However, the PC Health Check app can be uninstalled again. To do so, go to the Settings page and select Apps > Apps & Features > App List (Windows PC Health Check) > Uninstall.

This move from Microsoft arouses quite ambivalent feelings in me. In the blog post Windows 11 Compatibility tests (PC Health Check, WhyNotWin11) I had reported about the first version of the app, which was not too convincing. Microsoft then had to update the app (see also Windows 11: PC Health-App updated, release date and no updates for non-compatible systems?). And I remember the GWX app, which was used in 2015/2016 to forcibly update systems with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 (RTM).  Somehow, Microsoft must be trying to push their Windows 11 to the user base like sourdough.