Issue with Sysprepping new Windows 11 image due to Microsoft Ink

Question

I'm trying to Sysprep a new Windows 11 Image but I keep encountering an error related to Microsoft Ink. Specifically, the error message states that package 'Microsoft.Ink.Handwriting.Main.en-US.1.0.1_0.237.110.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe' was installed for a user but not provisioned for all users, and that this package will not function properly in the sysprep image. Additionally, I'm unable to remove or install Microsoft Ink for all users, as the option to uninstall is greyed out in "Add/Remove Programs", even as an administrator. I've tried using PowerShell to remove it but I keep getting an error message about other processes using it. Can someone suggest a solution please?

Answer 1

Two simple commands in powershell worked for me
$MSmain = Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Ink.Handwriting.Main.en-US

$MSmain | Remove-AppxPackage

Need to have * * around the app name, for some reason its not displaying when pasting in the thread

Answer 2

I got the same issue, but with a confusing variation: I had to uninstall the package from "alluser" and from the profile that I was using. I don't know yet why this happened that way, but it worked. I fist found the package with and without the "-alluser" with Get-AppxPackage command, and piped it to Remove-AppxPackage. Note that if you do a "Get-AppxPackage -alluser" and pipe it to "Remove-AppxPackage", you must add the "-AllUsers" parameters to the Remove-AppxPackage, otherwise the Remove-AppxPackage won't find the package to remove.

Get-AppxPackage | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Where-Object {$_.PackageFullName -like "Microsoft.Ink.Handwriting.Main.fr*"} | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxPackage -alluser | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Where-Object {$_.PackageFullName -like "Microsoft.Ink.Handwriting.Main.fr*"} | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

I hope this help somebody!

Answer 3

I found a solution, replace all you app removing scripts by this one:

Import-Module Appx
Import-Module Dism

# Get all packages  Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe and remove them
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Remove-AppxPackage

# Get all packages from DISM
$packages = dism /online /get-packages

# Filter packages containing 'handwriting'
$targetPackages = $packages -split "`r`n" | Where-Object { $_ -like "*handwriting*" }

# Extract package names
$packageNames = $targetPackages | ForEach-Object {
    if ($_ -match "Package Identity : (?<name>.*)") {
        $Matches.name.trim()
    }
}

# Remove each identified package
foreach ($pkg in $packageNames) {
    if ($pkg) {
        Write-Host "Removing package: $pkg"
        dism /online /remove-package /packagename:$pkg /NoRestart
    }
}

Write-Host "Done removing packages."

Answer 4

I used this article to help me solve this issue. I went to System Properties (Settings>System>About under Device Specifications>Advanced system settings - User Profiles>Settings. I deleted all profiles except for Administrator and default. Ran sysprep again and it worked. The app was provisioned for another profile I used to setup the computer.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/installing-updates-features-roles/sysprep-fails-remove-or-update-store-apps

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

When I try to use this in PowerShell, I get the following error:

PS C:\Users\jtm_7> Get-AppxPackage -alluser | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Where-Object {$_.PackageFullName -like "Microsoft.Ink.Handwriting.Main.*1.0.1_0.645.1237.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe *"} | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

Get-AppxPackage : Access is denied.

Access is denied.

At line:1 char:1

• Get-AppxPackage -alluser | Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe | Wher ...

• 
      + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-AppxPackage], UnauthorizedAccessException
  
      + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.UnauthorizedAccessException,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.GetApp
  
     xPackageCommand
  
  

John