Before we learn to remove bloatware, let us understand what does it mean. Bloatware is a term that refers to software that is installed on your computer without your permission. They are frequently pre-installed as part of your operating system. These can also be installed by the user inadvertently on occasion.
These apps clog up storage, using space that may be better utilized. Worse, some of these runs at launch, slowing down your PC and draining your battery by using memory and processing power.
It is highly recommended to delete all unnecessary software from your computer to guarantee that it runs as smoothly as possible. One of the simplest methods to speed up your PC and lower system stress is to remove bloatware.
There are many ways to remove bloatware from Windows 11. While we are on the topic, you may want to check out this article on 5 Windows 11 features that we didn’t expect.
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Why is it necessary to remove bloatware from your computer?
Bloatware can be the reason of your computer taking long time to load up or not running as quickly as it used to. Unnecessary apps are the bane of any computer since they use valuable system resources while providing little benefit.
As a result, removing bloatware from Windows is always a clever idea. You may uninstall such apps manually via the Start Menu or the Apps & Features window, or utilize PowerShell commands for the most troublesome ones. While you can kill these processes while they are running, it is best to eliminate them. If that sounds too time-consuming, you can always use a tool like Windows10Debloater to accomplish the job for you. If that sounds like too much work, you can always use a tool like Windows10Debloater to handle it for you. It cleans up your PC with PowerShell scripts, removing all unwanted apps and bloatware while leaving the critical portions alone. Running the utility after a fresh Windows installation is an excellent method to keep your machine running smoothly.
Let us move forward and understand these ways in a more detailed manner
Also Read: How to Use Snap Layout in Windows 11?
Let us begin with the simplest one
Go to the Start Menu and uninstall the program. When you open the Start Menu, you will see an extensive list of games and apps that you did not know you had. Some of these do not exist in Windows 11, but you can install by clicking them, while there is no such luxury in Windows 10.
So, what is the best way to uninstall these programs? It is quite simple. Simply pick Uninstall from the context menu of the icon or tile by right-clicking it. A small window will pop up, prompting you to confirm your decision. Hit Uninstall once again to delete the application.
Adding or Removing Programs
Not all bloatware shows up on the Start Menu. Many other equally useless applications are hidden in some directory of your computer. Instead of trying to track them down manually, you can use the built-in utility for it.
Add or Remove Programs option in the Control Panel tool, as the name suggests, allows you to install and uninstall applications. It is the best way to locate all the apps present on your computer, and remove them.
It has been merged into the Apps tab of the Settings in Windows 11, but it still functions the same way. Surprisingly, you may still find the the old interface in the Control Panel, where you can also uninstall apps. Alternatively, you can also go straight to the utility by going to the Control Panel and choosing to Uninstall a Program.
You will see an alphabetical list of all the programs installed on your computer. You can use various sorting and filtering parameters to narrow down the list of apps, or you can search for specific programs. Right-Click on the app that you wish to remove (in Windows 11, click on the three-dot menu) and select Uninstall.
Depending on account permissions, you may be prompted to allow the tool to make changes to your computer. Hit Yes to proceed.
The utility will now run the selected application’s dedicated uninstaller – if it has one. Otherwise, you will see a generic Windows Uninstallation Wizard do the job.
And that is it. You can keep removing programs listed in this window like this, one at a time. You can also view the size of each app listed alongside the name, allowing you to judge the worst bloatware and prioritize accordingly.
Also Read: Windows 11 First Look and Review
Using PowerShell as a command-line interface
We have investigated removing third-party apps so far. But what about the games and apps that come pre-installed with Windows? We cannot uninstall these apps directly from the Control Panel or the Start Menu.
You will require PowerShell to get rid of such apps.
PowerShell is a command-line program that lets you use scripts to automate chores and manage your computer. It replaces the Command Prompt with a more powerful version. We can even delete or disable those apps that are otherwise impossible to delete.
- To open PowerShell, just search for it in the Start Menu.
- Make sure you Run as an Administrator because many commands require administrator privileges to work. A fresh PowerShell terminal will open.
- The simplest command you can use to get rid of a protected app is the Remove-AppxPackage cmd. Unfortunately, it only hides the specified app, instead of deleting it.
- To delete the apps, we first need to get their full package names. Use the DISM /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages | select-string Packagename command to obtain a list of all the active packages on your computer.
While the names might appear to be a bunch of gibberish, pay attention to the first few words to determine the real names. Copy the package names of the apps you wish to remove and paste them into a notepad file for now.
Now we use the command DISM /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName: PackageName, where the actual name of the package that you copied in the last step will replace PackageName.
This will result in removing the app from your computer, as well as preventing it from automatically installing again.
Using a pre-programmed script
While PowerShell commands are extremely powerful, they can sometimes be overly technical and difficult to use for the average user. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if there was an app that could do this for you?
There is, as it turns out. Windows10Debloater is a handy little free utility that can remove bloatware from your computer completely, including protected Microsoft apps that you cannot uninstall directly.
Like many community-managed tools, GitHub repo hosts the Windows10Debloater.
To download the utility, use the green Code button and select Download ZIP. This will download the whole package as a zip file to your computer.
Extract the downloaded file to get a bunch of files and folders. Each of them is a separate Windows10Debloater version. Right-click on Windows10DebloaterGUI and choose Run with PowerShell because the GUI version is the easiest to use.
A PowerShell terminal will open, coupled with a new GUI window representing the application. Just hit the “Remove all bloatware” button to delete all unnecessary applications from your computer. A series of commands will run in the PowerShell terminal, carrying out the necessary tasks. None of them need any user input.
This makes Windows10Debloater an excellent tool even for casual users, as it requires no technical knowledge to use. You can even use it to uninstall Windows components like OneDrive or unpin tiles from the Start Menu, all without writing any code.
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