What is bloatware
Bloatware, also known as pre-installed software, are basically non-essential programs that come already installed when you purchase a new computer. A lot of those programs are added by manufacturers and are pretty useless to most users. They are harmless so you can just leave them installed on your Windows 10, some might even be useful to you. But if they are just sitting there on your computer and you are not going to use them, they take up unnecessary space, may somewhat slow down your device and are just annoying in general, so it may be best to delete them.
Removing bloatware is also a matter of having control over your system because really, who wants to buy a new computer only to find it already filled with programs. Setting up a device, installing the programs you want, etc., that’s part of the experience of getting a new device, and bloatware takes all the fun out of it. Instead of setting up your computer the way you want to, you’ll have to spend time struggling to uninstall pre-installed programs.
There is no running away from bloatware, but the least we can do is make removing bloatware easier for you. So if you find that your new computer is riddled with unwanted programs, you can easily remove them. Here’s how to remove bloatware.
How to remove bloatware from Windows 10
Uninstall bloatware from Windows 10
This is the most obvious option. You can simply uninstall bloatware manually. This may not work will programs but there is no harm in trying. What you need to do is open the Start menu, find the unwanted program, right-click on it and select “Uninstall”. This should work with games that come pre-installed and the programs that are clogging your Start menu. If a pre-installed program cannot be removed this way, proceed to the next method.
Use PowerShell for bloatware removal
PowerShell will let you remove bloatware that cannot be removed by simply clicking Uninstall. It won’t let you get rid of programs like Microsoft Edge, so if you are here for that, this method won’t help you. But otherwise, PowerShell can help you have better control over what apps are installed on your Windows 10.
You will first need to open PowerShell. This can be done by opening Start menu and typing ‘PowerShell’ into the search bar. When it comes up, right-click on it and select “Run as Administrator”. In order to use this method to delete bloatware, you need to know which programs you want to uninstall. Unfortunately, there isn’t a command that would delete all the bloatware you will not use in one go. Instead, you will have to type in separate commands for every single program you want gone.
The command you need to enter looks like this:
- Get-AppxPackage *appname* | Remove-AppxPackage
Instead of appname, you will need to enter the name of the app you want to delete, so if you wanted to delete the calculator app, the command would look like this:
- Get-AppxPackage *windowscalculator* | Remove-AppxPackage
Here are a few command that you can use to remove the most common bloatware:
- 3D Builder – get-appxpackage *3dbuilder* | remove-appxpackage
- Alarms & Clock – get-appxpackage *alarms* | remove-appxpackage
- Feedback Hub – get-appxpackage *feedback* | remove-appxpackage
- Maps – get-appxpackage *maps* | remove-appxpackage
- Microsoft Solitaire Collection – get-appxpackage *solitaire* | remove-appxpackage
- Microsoft Wallet – get-appxpackage *wallet* | remove-appxpackage
- Money – get-appxpackage *bingfinance* | remove-appxpackage
- News – get-appxpackage *bingnews* | remove-appxpackage
- Weather – get-AppxPackage *bingweather* | Remove-AppxPackage
- Sports – get-AppxPackage *bingsports* | Remove-AppxPackage
Refresh Windows Tool for bloatware removal
You can think of this tool as the bloatware remover. It’s an official Windows 10 tool that basically removes all apps that do not come standard with Windows (like Microsoft Office), including both the apps you installed and those that came pre-installed when you bought the device. If you decide to use it, do keep in mind that everything you have installed already will be removed. You should also note that you may lose your digital licenses, digital content associated with applications or other digital entitlements for applications. Which means that you may not be able to use apps or app-related content that you paid for. However, the tool gives you the option of keeping your personal files.
If you have decided that this tool is necessary when removing bloatware, you can download it from the Microsoft website. However, do not rush, and read the information provided on the site. When you download and run the tool, you will first have to agree to the License Terms and then choose whether you want to keep your personal files or delete everything. Whichever option you pick, apps you installed and those that came pre-installed will be deleted. Once you are ready, click ‘Start’.