Whenever you buy a new Windows laptop or pre-built desktop, there’s a chance that nasty bits of bloatware are installed on it. Bloatware can (and often does) negatively impact your user experience, but what exactly? is bloatware? Why do PC manufacturers install it? And more importantly, how can you remove it from your machine permanently?
If you find yourself asking these questions, don’t worry – we’re here to help. In this Windows 11 guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about bloatware, including how it can affect your system, why companies preinstall it, and various methods you can use to get rid of it for good.
What is bloatware?
Simply put, bloatware is a term that refers to pieces of software that eat up your system resources and overcrowd your PC, causing it to “bloom” (hence the name). As a result, bloatware often makes your computer take longer to boot, slows it down by using a significant amount of available memory, and makes it more difficult for you to navigate the Windows operating system due to popups or programs. icons that dominate the Start menu.
There are many different types of bloatware. Some bits of bloatware are trial versions of antivirus programs that try to scare you into signing up for a paid subscription, warning you that without a subscription your PC is at risk (the Windows Defender software that comes with Windows is the vast majority of the people will need). Others are utility apps, such as video editors or file managers. Pre-installed entertainment apps like Netflix and Disney Plus, as well as cheap free games that load on your system before you get your hands on it, are also considered bloatware. While these programs may be useful to some users, if you do not intend to use them, you should uninstall them.
It’s important to note that while bits of bloatware pre-installed on your system are annoying, they don’t compromise your digital security. After all, manufacturers would be in serious trouble if they sold PCs that handed over personal data in bad faith. That said, you still need to get rid of it because you want the Windows user experience to be as clean and responsive as possible. Pieces of bloatware you can accidentally download from the internet can can be dangerous though, so if you are going to use Microsoft Edge to browse the web, do so with caution.
Why do manufacturers install bloatware?
You may wonder, “if bloatware is so annoying and everyone wants to get rid of it, why do manufacturers bother installing it in the first place?” Like so many things, the answer is it’s for the money. Software developers pay PC manufacturers to install their programs on each of the machines they sell, helping them expand their user base and promote the paid versions of their apps and programs.
Over the years, many manufacturers have significantly reduced the amount of bloatware they install in response to customer criticism. However, some companies still add a lot of them to their PCs — including some of the best Windows laptops on the market — so it’s important to know how to get rid of them if you buy a device from one of them.
How to remove bloatware with Windows settings
The easiest way to get rid of bloatware is to use the program removal tool built into Windows. Here’s how to do it:
- From your desktop, click the Windows icon on your taskbar to open the Start menu.
- Type in the search bar Add or remove programs.
- Select the Add or remove programs result that appears.
- In the search bar, type “Search apps” the name of the bloatware you want to remove.
- Select the three-dot icon to the right of the bloatware name.
- Select remove.
- Select Uninstall again when Windows asks you for confirmation.
- If a pop-up appears asking if you want to allow an uninstaller to make changes to your system, select Yes.
- If an uninstaller appears and asks for additional confirmation that you want to uninstall it, select Yes or Delete.
And with that, you have successfully removed the piece of bloatware from your PC. Make sure to repeat this process for every single app or program you want to get rid of.
How to remove bloatware with Windows PowerShell
If you’re unable to access the apps section of Windows settings due to a problem, or if you prefer an alternative method, it’s also possible to remove bloatware using Windows PowerShell, a command-line scripting language included in Windows. Here’s what to do:
- From your desktop, click the Windows icon on your taskbar to open the Start menu.
- Type in the search bar Windows PowerShell.
- Right click on the Search result for Windows PowerShell app that appears.
- Select Run as administrator.
- When Windows PowerShell opens, type Get-AppxPackage
- Then press the Enter key.
- Scroll down, look for the name of the bloatware program you want to remove.
- Replace
by the name of the bloatware, type Get-AppxPackage * * | Remove AppxPackage - press the Enter key.
Using PowerShell to get rid of bloatware takes more effort, but since you don’t have to click through a program’s uninstaller, it comes in handy in situations where a piece of software generates multiple popups during the uninstall process to make it more difficult to remove to make .
How to remove bloatware with Command Prompt (CMD)
Finally, you can also use Command Prompt (often called CMD), a command-line interpreter that comes with Windows installations just like PowerShell. Here’s how to remove bloatware with it:
- From the desktop, use the Windows key + R hotkey.
- After the “Run” window appears, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run CMD as administrator.
- Type wmic
- press the Enter key.
- Then type get product name
- press the Enter key.
- A list of programs installed on your PC is displayed. Write down the name of the bloatware program you want to remove.
- Replace
by the name of the bloatware, type product where name=” ” delete call - press the Enter key.
- You will be asked to confirm the deletion. To do this, type Y.
- Then press the Enter key.
After this, you will see a “Method Execution Successful” response from CMD, confirming that the bloatware has been successfully removed from your system. Note that while using CMD to remove bloatware requires a few extra steps compared to using PowerShell, the commands you need to use are also less complicated.