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Tips for removing bloatware from your Windows 11 PC

Tips for removing bloatware from your Windows 11 PC

New Windows 11 laptops and desktops may sometimes come with bloatware. While you can uninstall some of them, others require more effort to get rid of. In this article, we’ll show you several ways you can remove bloatware to optimize your computer’s performance.

Is it Safe to Remove Bloatware?

Bloatware is defined as software which you do not need but is present on your system anyway. Although some of the additional applications may be necessary, such as Calculator, Calendar, etc., you still may never use them and are only slowing down your system while running processes in the background.

You can uninstall such applications as long as they are removed using the correct methods, and the apps are not required for system-critical tasks. For example, applications such as the Task Scheduler are needed by the OS to run tasks automatically. However, removing this app will prevent all such tasks from executing.

That said, the methods discussed below to remove any bloatware are completely safe for the operating system and should not compromise the integrity of any data.

What is bloatware?

Bloatware is a term used for unwanted software that comes pre-installed on your Windows 11 computer. Bloatware apps take up hard drive space and consume system resources that slow down your PC.

Some of the software that comes pre-installed on a new computer can be useful, like Calculator, Calendar, and Paint. But often, users find they don’t need or want the other extra programs. Fortunately, there are ways to easily remove bloatware from your Windows 11 computer to make it perform better.

Common Bloatware Apps:

  • OneNote
  • Xbox Game Bar
  • Windows Terminal
  • Get Help
  • Microsoft People
  • Mail
  • Movie & TV

Remove Pre-Installed Windows Apps Using the Start Menu

Another quick method to remove bloatware from your Windows 11 PC is to uninstall apps from the Start menu. Here’s how you can quickly remove pre-installed apps straight from the Start menu:

  1. Launch the Start menu and click on All apps.
  2. Find the app you want to remove by scrolling the app list or typing its name in the search bar.
  3. Right-click on the app and click on Uninstall.
  4. You will then see a pop-up box asking you to confirm app uninstallation; click on Uninstall once again, and the app will be uninstalled.

From the Control Panel
If you want to get rid of bloatware on your Windows 11 PC, one way to do it is through the Programs and Features option in Control Panel. It works just like uninstalling any other type of application. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the Control Panel app.
  2. Choose the app you want to remove from a list of installed programs.
  3. Double click on the application you want to remove. You can also right click on the app and choose the uninstall option.
  4. Click Yes on the confirmation box to proceed with the uninstallation

Using PowerShell
Some bloatware cannot be removed using the methods mentioned above. The best way to uninstall these types of applications is through Windows PowerShell. Note that PowerShell is extremely complex and should only be used by people with advanced technical skills and knowledge of PowerShell functions. Here are instructions for using PowerShell to remove bloatware.

  1. Run PowerShell with administrative rights.
  2. After Windows PowerShell opens, type get-appxpackage and press Enter.
  3. Scroll through the list of bloatware you want to remove.
  4. Once you find the bloatware you want to uninstall, type get-appxpackage ** remove-appxpackage. is the name of the app you want to remove. For example, if you want to remove Skype, simply type get-appxpackage *skypeapp*.

Contact Beringer Today!

Removing bloatware from your new computer or a fresh installation of Windows 11 will certainly free up space on your hard drive for other important data. Not only that, it speeds up your boot time and makes your system run better. At Beringer Technology Group, our experts can help you get the best performance out of your Windows 11 devices. Give us a call today for more information.

Beringer Technology Group, a leading Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM for Distribution also provides expert Managed IT ServicesBackup and Disaster RecoveryCloud Based Computing, Email Security Implementation and Training,  Unified Communication Solutions, and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment.


theProfessor

theProfessor

Rob is the CTO of Beringer Technology Group, and focuses his efforts on software development, cloud engineering, team mentoring and strategic technical direction. Rob has worked with Beringer since 2005, and has influenced every department from Development, Security, Implementation, Support and Sales. Rob graduated with his MBA from Rowan University in 2012, earned his Bachelors of Computer Science in 1997, and is current with several Microsoft technical certifications. Rob is very active, and loves to mountain bike, weight train, cook and hike with his dog pack.