How to get rid of bloatware on your new Windows PC
Say goodbye to useless programs and hello to a more responsive user experience.
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Whenever you purchase a new Windows laptop or pre-built desktop, there’s a chance that it will come with some annoying pieces of bloatware installed. Bloatware can (and often does) have a negative impact on your user experience, but what exactlyisbloatware? Why do PC manufacturers install it? And most importantly, how can you permanently remove it from your machine?
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 could affect your system, why companies pre-install it, and several methods that you can use to get rid of it for good.
What is bloatware?
Put simply, bloatware is a term that refers to pieces of software that hog your system resources and clutter up your PC, “bloating” it (hence the name). As a result of this, bloatware often makes your machine take longer to boot up, slows it down by using up a considerable portion of its available memory, and makes it harder for you to navigate the Windows operating system due to pop-ups or program icons that dominate the Start menu.
There are many different kinds of bloatware. Some pieces of bloatware are trial versions of anti-viruses that attempt to scare you into signing up for a paid subscription, warning you that your PC will be at risk without one (the Windows Defender software Windows comes with is all the vast majority of people will need). Others are utility apps, such as video editors or file management programs. Pre-installed entertainment apps like Netflix and Disney Plus, as well as cheap free games that get loaded onto your system before it gets into your hands, are also considered bloatware. While these programs may be useful to some users, you should remove them if you don’t have plans to use them.
It’s important to note that while pieces of bloatware pre-installed on your system are annoying, they won’t put your digital security at risk. After all, manufacturers would land in some pretty hot water if they sold PCs that handed personal data over to bad faith actors. With that said, you should still get rid of it, as you want the Windows user experience to be as clean and responsive as possible. Pieces of bloatware you may accidentally download from the internetcanbe dangerous, though, so when youstart using Microsoft Edge to browse the web, do so carefully.
Why do manufacturers install bloatware?
You may be wondering, “if bloatware is so annoying and everyone wants to get rid of it, why do manufacturers bother installing it in the first place?” Like many things, the answer is that it’s for the money. Software developers pay PC manufacturers to install their programs on each of the machines they sell, which helps them expand their user base and advertise 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 criticism from customers. However, some companies still add plenty of it to their PCs — including some of thebest Windows laptopson the market — so it’s important to know how to get rid of it in the event that you buy a device from one of them.
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How to remove bloatware with Windows Settings
The easiest way to get rid of bloatware is to use the program uninstallation tool that’s built into Windows. Here’s how to do it:
And with that, you have successfully uninstalled the piece of bloatware from your PC. Make sure to repeat this process for each individual app or program that you’d like to get rid of.
How to remove bloatware with Windows PowerShell
If you’re unable to access the apps portion of Windows Settings due to an issue or would prefer an alternative method, it’s also possible to remove bloatware with Windows PowerShell, a command-line scripting language included in Windows. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Using PowerShell to get rid of bloatware takes more effort, but since it doesn’t require you to click through a program’s uninstaller, it’s useful in situations where a piece of software throws multiple pop-ups during the uninstallation process to make it harder to remove.
How to remove bloatware with Command Prompt (CMD)
Finally, you can also utilize Command Prompt (often referred to as CMD), a command-line interpreter that’s included with Windows installations just like PowerShell is. Here’s how to get rid of bloatware with it:
Following this, you’ll 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.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
