The "Bloatware" phenomenon is what has ruined the performance of new computers (now also cell phones) for years and a real annoyance for all users, those beginners who do not understand why their PC is already slow, the more experienced ones they must spend hours removing these unnecessary components.
The word Bloatware, for those who have never heard it, indicates in a derogatory way all those useless and heavy programs, which are not risky.
Often these Bloatware are programs pre-installed by PC manufacturers, which almost remain unused by users and which, at times, are also only trial versions of paid programs (such as antivirus or Office suite).
All these useless program packages not only take up disk storage space, but load automatically when you start your PC, slowing it down a lot.
With Windows 10 also Microsoft, to promote its apps and its online services, has filled the operating system with pre-installed applications and often unnecessary components that you would like to get rid of immediately.
By opening the Start menu of a PC just installed with Windows 10 you will notice various apps to read news, to use Skype, to connect to the XBox and much more that perhaps we don't need.
In this guide we then see how to remove pre-installed components and apps of Windows 10 manually or using automatic free programs.
READ ALSO: Eliminate pre-installed programs, trials and trial versions
1) Normal app removal
First of all let's see what is the regular procedure to remove applications in Windows 10.
Open the System Settings from the Start menu, go to the Apps section to find, under the Apps and Features tab, the list of installed programs and applications.
By clicking on these apps, the Uninstall button appears, which is used to remove them.
Now, if it were all so simple, you wouldn't even need a guide, but unfortunately it isn't.
In fact, the list of apps listed in the Settings is not complete and does not include the pre-installed system applications.
Also for many apps the Uninstall button is not active, it is gray and you cannot click.
Obviously, simplifying the uninstallation of apps that can generate money or promote services (on the other hand Windows 10 is free), is not in the interest of those who produce them.
READ ALSO: uninstall apps in Windows 10
2) Hide or disable apps with the Powershell command
For some apps, those that Microsoft considers to be an integral part of Windows 10 that no user should give up, can be completely hidden or removed only by using Powershell scripts, launching them manually or using simplified tools.
PowerShell is a command line interface very similar to the Command Prompt, which is used to manage the components of Windows 10 and to install it.
SEE ALSO: Difference Between Powershell and Windows Command Prompt
In this case, we use Powershell to hide the pre-installed or bloatware apps of Windows 10, so that we can recover and restore them in case you change your mind.
To open Powershell, write PowerShell in the search bar of the Start menu, right-click on Windows Powershell and then Run as administrator in order to have full control of the system.
Then you can launch PowerShell commands to remove one or the other app installed on the system.
Here are the specific PowerShell commands to use to remove the main pre-installed and often unused applications.
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.3DBuilder" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingTravel" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingHealthAndFitness" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingFoodAndDrink" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingWeather" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingSports" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingNews" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingFinance" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BioEnrollment" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Getstarted" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "king.com.CandyCrushSodaSaga" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Music.Preview" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Microsoft3DViewer" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Office.OneNote" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.People" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Print3D" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MSPaint" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.SkypeApp" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCamera" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsMaps" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsStore" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Windows.Photos" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsPhone" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsAlarms" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCamera" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxApp" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.ZuneMusic" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.ZuneVideo" | Remove-AppxPackage
You can also run these commands all together, but it would be better to run them one by one in order to choose what to keep and what to actually remove.
The names of the apps are fairly explanatory in the command itself.
3) Complete elimination of Windows 10 apps with DISM
To delete any bloatware program or app from the system, you can use another command line tool called DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management), already included in Windows 10, always inside Powershell.
While the first command deactivates them, with DISM it deletes them completely from Windows 10.
The DISM command is relatively powerful and can be used for various system operations.
READ ALSO: DISM cleans, repairs and optimizes Windows
DISM commands to remove additional apps from your system.
First of all, on the administrator-launched Powershell console, run the command
DISM / Online / Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages | select-string Packagename
Now, locate the name of the PACKAGENAME to be removed and run the command:
DISM / Online / Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage / PackageName: PACKAGENAME
For example, to remove ZuneVideo which is useless, the command is
DISM / Online / Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:Microsoft.ZuneVideo_2019.19021.10411.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
The name shows the date of the last update, so it can change from the example.
Once the operation has completed successfully, you may need to restart your computer for it to become effective.
By repeating the command that shows the list of apps, you will find that the one removed is no longer present.
4) Removal of Windows 10 components and pre-installed apps using an external program
If the Powershell commands are intimidating, you can use an external program that removes the applications.
- Windows10Debloater is a free collection of PowerShell scripts to remove certain pre-installed components, including Cortana and Onedrive.
Before using it, however, it is best to create a backup of your system.
Three different versions are available that differ only in the level of control the user can have over the process.
Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1, the silent version of the script designed specifically for automated deployment.
Windows10Debloater.ps1, interactive version that requires the user to make decisions after execution.
Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1, the version with graphical interface.
- O&O AppBuster is a simpler program to use, which shows all the apps installed on the system (even the hidden ones) and allows you to remove them with a click.
This application is very good because for every removed app it gives the possibility to be able to reinstall it in the same way.
- HibitUninstaller is a program to uninstall normal programs which also includes a Windows 10 app manager.
From the Tools menu, you can open the Windows Store App Manager, where you will find all the installed applications, the name of the manufacturer, the version, the size and the date of installation or last update.
Since sometimes the names are not recognized correctly, before pressing the uninstall button it is better to press the right mouse button on an app and open " Installation Folder " to understand what it is.
5) Disable internal components of Windows 10
In addition to applications, Windows 10 also includes many additional features such as Cortana, Onedrive and monitoring tools.
In another article we have seen other automatic programs to block the collection of data in Windows 10, which serve precisely to disable these internal and hidden features.
READ ALSO: How to disable Cortana
The word Bloatware, for those who have never heard it, indicates in a derogatory way all those useless and heavy programs, which are not risky.
Often these Bloatware are programs pre-installed by PC manufacturers, which almost remain unused by users and which, at times, are also only trial versions of paid programs (such as antivirus or Office suite).
All these useless program packages not only take up disk storage space, but load automatically when you start your PC, slowing it down a lot.
With Windows 10 also Microsoft, to promote its apps and its online services, has filled the operating system with pre-installed applications and often unnecessary components that you would like to get rid of immediately.
By opening the Start menu of a PC just installed with Windows 10 you will notice various apps to read news, to use Skype, to connect to the XBox and much more that perhaps we don't need.
In this guide we then see how to remove pre-installed components and apps of Windows 10 manually or using automatic free programs.
READ ALSO: Eliminate pre-installed programs, trials and trial versions
1) Normal app removal
First of all let's see what is the regular procedure to remove applications in Windows 10.
Open the System Settings from the Start menu, go to the Apps section to find, under the Apps and Features tab, the list of installed programs and applications.
By clicking on these apps, the Uninstall button appears, which is used to remove them.
Now, if it were all so simple, you wouldn't even need a guide, but unfortunately it isn't.
In fact, the list of apps listed in the Settings is not complete and does not include the pre-installed system applications.
Also for many apps the Uninstall button is not active, it is gray and you cannot click.
Obviously, simplifying the uninstallation of apps that can generate money or promote services (on the other hand Windows 10 is free), is not in the interest of those who produce them.
READ ALSO: uninstall apps in Windows 10
2) Hide or disable apps with the Powershell command
For some apps, those that Microsoft considers to be an integral part of Windows 10 that no user should give up, can be completely hidden or removed only by using Powershell scripts, launching them manually or using simplified tools.
PowerShell is a command line interface very similar to the Command Prompt, which is used to manage the components of Windows 10 and to install it.
SEE ALSO: Difference Between Powershell and Windows Command Prompt
In this case, we use Powershell to hide the pre-installed or bloatware apps of Windows 10, so that we can recover and restore them in case you change your mind.
To open Powershell, write PowerShell in the search bar of the Start menu, right-click on Windows Powershell and then Run as administrator in order to have full control of the system.
Then you can launch PowerShell commands to remove one or the other app installed on the system.
Here are the specific PowerShell commands to use to remove the main pre-installed and often unused applications.
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.3DBuilder" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingTravel" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingHealthAndFitness" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingFoodAndDrink" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingWeather" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingSports" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingNews" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BingFinance" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.BioEnrollment" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Getstarted" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "king.com.CandyCrushSodaSaga" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Music.Preview" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Microsoft3DViewer" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Office.OneNote" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.People" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Print3D" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.MSPaint" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.SkypeApp" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCamera" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsMaps" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsStore" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.Windows.Photos" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsPhone" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsAlarms" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.WindowsCamera" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxApp" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.ZuneMusic" | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -name "Microsoft.ZuneVideo" | Remove-AppxPackage
You can also run these commands all together, but it would be better to run them one by one in order to choose what to keep and what to actually remove.
The names of the apps are fairly explanatory in the command itself.
3) Complete elimination of Windows 10 apps with DISM
To delete any bloatware program or app from the system, you can use another command line tool called DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management), already included in Windows 10, always inside Powershell.
While the first command deactivates them, with DISM it deletes them completely from Windows 10.
The DISM command is relatively powerful and can be used for various system operations.
READ ALSO: DISM cleans, repairs and optimizes Windows
DISM commands to remove additional apps from your system.
First of all, on the administrator-launched Powershell console, run the command
DISM / Online / Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages | select-string Packagename
Now, locate the name of the PACKAGENAME to be removed and run the command:
DISM / Online / Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage / PackageName: PACKAGENAME
For example, to remove ZuneVideo which is useless, the command is
DISM / Online / Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:Microsoft.ZuneVideo_2019.19021.10411.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
The name shows the date of the last update, so it can change from the example.
Once the operation has completed successfully, you may need to restart your computer for it to become effective.
By repeating the command that shows the list of apps, you will find that the one removed is no longer present.
4) Removal of Windows 10 components and pre-installed apps using an external program
If the Powershell commands are intimidating, you can use an external program that removes the applications.
- Windows10Debloater is a free collection of PowerShell scripts to remove certain pre-installed components, including Cortana and Onedrive.
Before using it, however, it is best to create a backup of your system.
Three different versions are available that differ only in the level of control the user can have over the process.
Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1, the silent version of the script designed specifically for automated deployment.
Windows10Debloater.ps1, interactive version that requires the user to make decisions after execution.
Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1, the version with graphical interface.
- O&O AppBuster is a simpler program to use, which shows all the apps installed on the system (even the hidden ones) and allows you to remove them with a click.
This application is very good because for every removed app it gives the possibility to be able to reinstall it in the same way.
- HibitUninstaller is a program to uninstall normal programs which also includes a Windows 10 app manager.
From the Tools menu, you can open the Windows Store App Manager, where you will find all the installed applications, the name of the manufacturer, the version, the size and the date of installation or last update.
Since sometimes the names are not recognized correctly, before pressing the uninstall button it is better to press the right mouse button on an app and open " Installation Folder " to understand what it is.
5) Disable internal components of Windows 10
In addition to applications, Windows 10 also includes many additional features such as Cortana, Onedrive and monitoring tools.
In another article we have seen other automatic programs to block the collection of data in Windows 10, which serve precisely to disable these internal and hidden features.
READ ALSO: How to disable Cortana
