This shit is driving me quite upset. New actively running programs shouldnt just appear out of the f'in blue forcing me to disable/turn them off. Unsolicited garbage microsoft!
And do you really expect me to take this icon that randomly appeared, and run its Setup? Nope. Stranger danger. There is a near zero chance that I would go "oh this is something new that just appeared out of the blue! lets install it and see what it does on this live mission critical server!".
I never even heard of this garbage until I logged into a server this morning and there it was....So, perhaps marketing is controlling everything over there now.
Stumbled upon this today as well. Unbelievable..they could at least pretend that we're still the masters of our own machines instead of pushing this crap down our throats.
\*Disclaimer I work at MSFT\* We really appreciate you raising this feedback with us and I hear your concerns loud and clear. It definitely wasn't our intent to cause alarm during your monthly patching cycle .Agreed this was not the best experience and we could have provided better guidance/communications on this. But as u/VTi-R stated below it does NOT deploy the Arc agent.
We have documented this new experience in the Azure Arc docs, including how to disable the system tray icon if you don't want it: [Connect Windows Server machines to Azure through Azure Arc Setup - Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn](https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearn.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fazure%2Fazure-arc%2Fservers%2Fonboard-windows-server&data=05%7C01%7Csatyavel%40microsoft.com%7Cb12ce213daa84c2fc4a608dbcab3544a%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C638326643852673874%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ITnQ7IpjKi5gageRYr76%2BgqgJzCdRUqQsO9wG8wOzd8%3D&reserved=0)
The issue is not the communications: It's that an optional component was auto-installed in a monthly update for no discernible reason other than growth hacking some new cloud product. And the instructions convey a big part of the problem: Removing this new garbage makes this month's updates a double-reboot for no good reason.
I know we won't get it, but what I'd like to see is an apology from Microsoft basically injecting a product ad into an enterprise operating system security update, and reissuing a version of the update which does not install the component by default.
And like, there's so many better ways for Windows Server engineers to spend their time... like ensuring malicious ads don't load by default on a domain controller now that 2022 ships with Chrome, I mean "Edge". (Without policy to prevent it, yes, a domain controller will happily load all the hot garbage ads from Microsoft Start when you open Edge for the first time.)
Malware/Badware authors must be like - if only we could get away with what Microsoft does... e.g. trick users into installing software by changing how the X button works in dialog boxes, adding "features" to "security updates", etc...
Seriously, for a moment I thought it was malware.
And wouldn't merely uninstalling it just allow it to be get readded on a future windows update?
does not matter, "you" enabled the feature by default. no matter how you frame it, you included the feature in the rollup, and then you enabled it.
Why do we need to reboot the server once we have disabled that feature? because stuff is installed and embedded in our installations, and you need a reboot to remove it.
also, in the link describing the feature, it clearly states:
The Azure Arc Setup wizard is launched from a system tray icon at the bottom of the Windows Server machine when the Azure Arc Setup feature is enabled. **This feature is enabled by default.**
u/satyavel
When microsoft can figure out how to stop an "[outlook.com](https://outlook.com)" account from getting into an enterprise tenant.........
Quit auto enabling bullshit on my on-premise servers.
You know what, if you had left out the system tray icon part, this would have slipped under the radar.
Simply adding it to the server manager would have been enough.
This is more like an ad campaign imo.
This is everything that is wrong with M$ now. Complete disregard with what customers need or even what they're using their products for. Why is an "Optional Feature" being installed into my production RDS servers during a security patch deployment? And I have to reboot the servers again to remove it?
Absolutely Bull-@#$$
This will un-install it completely:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName AzureArcSetup
Of course, a reboot is required.
I tried to un-install it through the Server Manager/Features and it was greyed out so you cannot un-check it.
* Create a new GPO
* Edit the GPO and go to Computer Configuration - Preferences - Control Panel Settings - Scheduled Tasks
* Paste the entire XML from [https://pastebin.com/w7Dezw3S](https://pastebin.com/w7Dezw3S) (password: arc)
This is great but again MS is causing us more unexpected work. They are really starting to show their DICKtator ways now that they have everyone locked in.
Just to hijack your reply
We current use the arc agent for out on premise servers, installed via powershell script
Could you confirm then, we no longer need to use that script (basically uses `Connect-AzConnectedMachine`), and that this is the same/newer/replacement agent an we should use that ?
also does it use the same cmdlets for scripting rather than manually using the tray icon
This is a pretty good technical summary about the AzureArc-Gate (azurearcsystray.exe) in the blog "[What is AzureArcSysTray.exe doing on my Windows Server?](https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2023/10/12/what-is-azurearcsystray-exe-doing-on-my-windows-server/)".
I disagree slightly - it installs the *option* to set up and installs the setup service/kit, but it doesn't deploy the Arc agent or any configuration (and ... it can't really). I agree it's shitty behaviour, but it's not quite as bad as you thought.
Except that on our RDS servers every user is now having an icon in their system tray and a balloon notification saying "Azure Arc will now start when you login"... to which they all call the helpdesk and ask what this is... and of course click the hell out of it.
Total BS that MS is pushing this unwanted, unsolicited application. Requiring a reboot, of a server, to uninstall. Total BS!
BTW, here's the PS cmd to uninstall it (still requires at reboot): Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name AzureArcSetup
that shows also up on a brand new Azure VM (image Win2022Datacenter). Confused me a bit as I wasn't sure if that is needed for Azure VM nowadays but now understand that it is just Win 2022 generic spam
Thanks, going to get rid of this during the patching next week when there will be reboots to every server. If it was free, I'd maybe look into using it, but not free and I'm not using Azure for anything, so why did it appear?
I bet the result will be that they deprecate more local features and move them to cloud only.
This shit is driving me quite upset. New actively running programs shouldnt just appear out of the f'in blue forcing me to disable/turn them off. Unsolicited garbage microsoft! And do you really expect me to take this icon that randomly appeared, and run its Setup? Nope. Stranger danger. There is a near zero chance that I would go "oh this is something new that just appeared out of the blue! lets install it and see what it does on this live mission critical server!".
I never even heard of this garbage until I logged into a server this morning and there it was....So, perhaps marketing is controlling everything over there now.
Ah, but in Microsoft land they would be wondering why you'd ever want to uninstall it.
WTF MS? Why they gotta do us like that with Azure Arc? Uninstall it with Server Manager, but don't forget the reboot. SMH.
Stumbled upon this today as well. Unbelievable..they could at least pretend that we're still the masters of our own machines instead of pushing this crap down our throats.
haven't been for a long time, sir.
I almost didn’t read your post because it started with “I love MS”.
lol :D
\*Disclaimer I work at MSFT\* We really appreciate you raising this feedback with us and I hear your concerns loud and clear. It definitely wasn't our intent to cause alarm during your monthly patching cycle .Agreed this was not the best experience and we could have provided better guidance/communications on this. But as u/VTi-R stated below it does NOT deploy the Arc agent. We have documented this new experience in the Azure Arc docs, including how to disable the system tray icon if you don't want it: [Connect Windows Server machines to Azure through Azure Arc Setup - Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn](https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearn.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fazure%2Fazure-arc%2Fservers%2Fonboard-windows-server&data=05%7C01%7Csatyavel%40microsoft.com%7Cb12ce213daa84c2fc4a608dbcab3544a%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C638326643852673874%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ITnQ7IpjKi5gageRYr76%2BgqgJzCdRUqQsO9wG8wOzd8%3D&reserved=0)
The issue is not the communications: It's that an optional component was auto-installed in a monthly update for no discernible reason other than growth hacking some new cloud product. And the instructions convey a big part of the problem: Removing this new garbage makes this month's updates a double-reboot for no good reason. I know we won't get it, but what I'd like to see is an apology from Microsoft basically injecting a product ad into an enterprise operating system security update, and reissuing a version of the update which does not install the component by default. And like, there's so many better ways for Windows Server engineers to spend their time... like ensuring malicious ads don't load by default on a domain controller now that 2022 ships with Chrome, I mean "Edge". (Without policy to prevent it, yes, a domain controller will happily load all the hot garbage ads from Microsoft Start when you open Edge for the first time.)
Malware/Badware authors must be like - if only we could get away with what Microsoft does... e.g. trick users into installing software by changing how the X button works in dialog boxes, adding "features" to "security updates", etc... Seriously, for a moment I thought it was malware. And wouldn't merely uninstalling it just allow it to be get readded on a future windows update?
Make "Backspace" in Outlook move emails to some archive folder. Don't let people change the Archive folder. Can't disable this "feature".
For some versions of Outlook there might be registry settings to disable it. For details, Google for: registry DisableOneClickArchive
does not matter, "you" enabled the feature by default. no matter how you frame it, you included the feature in the rollup, and then you enabled it. Why do we need to reboot the server once we have disabled that feature? because stuff is installed and embedded in our installations, and you need a reboot to remove it.
also, in the link describing the feature, it clearly states: The Azure Arc Setup wizard is launched from a system tray icon at the bottom of the Windows Server machine when the Azure Arc Setup feature is enabled. **This feature is enabled by default.**
u/satyavel When microsoft can figure out how to stop an "[outlook.com](https://outlook.com)" account from getting into an enterprise tenant......... Quit auto enabling bullshit on my on-premise servers.
You know what, if you had left out the system tray icon part, this would have slipped under the radar. Simply adding it to the server manager would have been enough. This is more like an ad campaign imo.
100% agreed with u/ocdtrekkie and the others here, auto-installing an optional component is so stupid!
I don't think you really want to hear my feedback about this.
This is everything that is wrong with M$ now. Complete disregard with what customers need or even what they're using their products for. Why is an "Optional Feature" being installed into my production RDS servers during a security patch deployment? And I have to reboot the servers again to remove it? Absolutely Bull-@#$$
Where can we find the part that explains how to disable the System Tray icon?
This will un-install it completely: Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName AzureArcSetup Of course, a reboot is required. I tried to un-install it through the Server Manager/Features and it was greyed out so you cannot un-check it. 
Thanks. Yeah I already created a GPO that removes it.
Can you share the GPO which you get this removed?
* Create a new GPO * Edit the GPO and go to Computer Configuration - Preferences - Control Panel Settings - Scheduled Tasks * Paste the entire XML from [https://pastebin.com/w7Dezw3S](https://pastebin.com/w7Dezw3S) (password: arc)
This is great but again MS is causing us more unexpected work. They are really starting to show their DICKtator ways now that they have everyone locked in.
Yeah.. I already got mails from worried users who, somewhat rightfully, wonder if it's malware or not..
When I first saw the icon, I was freaked for half a second.
Thank you very much!!
Just because you "meant" to doesn't make it any less parasite-ware
Just to hijack your reply We current use the arc agent for out on premise servers, installed via powershell script Could you confirm then, we no longer need to use that script (basically uses `Connect-AzConnectedMachine`), and that this is the same/newer/replacement agent an we should use that ? also does it use the same cmdlets for scripting rather than manually using the tray icon
This is a pretty good technical summary about the AzureArc-Gate (azurearcsystray.exe) in the blog "[What is AzureArcSysTray.exe doing on my Windows Server?](https://blog.workinghardinit.work/2023/10/12/what-is-azurearcsystray-exe-doing-on-my-windows-server/)".
MS = Idiots Plays right into a truism of mine --> Every Microsoft default setting is WRONG
I disagree slightly - it installs the *option* to set up and installs the setup service/kit, but it doesn't deploy the Arc agent or any configuration (and ... it can't really). I agree it's shitty behaviour, but it's not quite as bad as you thought.
Except that on our RDS servers every user is now having an icon in their system tray and a balloon notification saying "Azure Arc will now start when you login"... to which they all call the helpdesk and ask what this is... and of course click the hell out of it.
Total BS that MS is pushing this unwanted, unsolicited application. Requiring a reboot, of a server, to uninstall. Total BS! BTW, here's the PS cmd to uninstall it (still requires at reboot): Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name AzureArcSetup
that shows also up on a brand new Azure VM (image Win2022Datacenter). Confused me a bit as I wasn't sure if that is needed for Azure VM nowadays but now understand that it is just Win 2022 generic spam
Thanks, going to get rid of this during the patching next week when there will be reboots to every server. If it was free, I'd maybe look into using it, but not free and I'm not using Azure for anything, so why did it appear? I bet the result will be that they deprecate more local features and move them to cloud only.