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The holidays are here and many of the the best computers that the manufacturers have to offer are flying off the shelves and in shiny boxes. There’s a ne’er-do-well lurking under that arch, though: bloatware.
I’ll explain what bloatware is and how to remove it from your new laptop or Windows PC for added storage space, tighter security, and even a decent speed boost.
Quick Overview: What is Bloatware?
Bloatware is any application that you have not installed intentionally, or otherwise comes pre-installed on your machine, and has a negative impact on your computer’s performance and storage space.
In other words, it is the annoying software that you have to “X” out every time you start your PC or browser. Consider antivirus programs or even the Xbox App and Game Bar if you’re not into video games.
These applications take up space and usage RAM on your machine, potentially slowing it down and eating up room for the files you really want.
They also pose security and privacy risks, opening the door to a greater number of vulnerabilities and data collection opportunities.
But here’s the good news: it’s easy to get rid of bloatware if you know where to look.
How to find and remove bloatware from a Windows 11 PC
Even the best windows laptops and PCs come loaded with bloatware.
The first thing you need to do to remove it is to type “Installed” in the Windows search field on your taskbar. Click on “Installed applications”.
This will open a window where you can see almost every application currently installed on your PC.
But hold on – before you go slashing apps and freeing up storage space, make sure you don’t delete anything important.
Most of the software essential to running Windows does not appear on this list, but some important drivers and utilities do. to do populate here that should not get rid of.
Here’s a quick list of the apps you have should not delete: :
- Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable files
- .NET o DirectX frameworks if you are into games
- GPU driversas well as NVIDIA graphics driver (or AMD Radeon driver)
- Audio driversas well as Turtle Beach audio driverif you have connected headphones or speakers
The applications listed above are critical to the operation of your computer or peripherals, and removing them could be a problem for your day. If you are ever unsure whether a program is essential or not, just give its name a quick look Google to be sure.
In addition to that list, most applications that you don’t recognize, use or think you might use in the future can be safely removed.
And if you find on the way, you have uninstalled something you really want, like Copilot or Microsoft Clipchamp for example, you can always reinstall from the Microsoft Store.
To remove bloatware and remove an application from the “Installed applications” list (which you can also find by typing “programs” in the Windows search bar), click on the three points… on the right side of a request you do not want and choose “Uninstall”. Once prompted, select “Uninstall” again.
That’s all there is. Skipping and removing bloatware here can save a lot of storage space and usable memory.
Cleaning and checking for any remaining bloatware
Finally, to check for any stragglers, open the Task Manager either by searching for it or by right-clicking on the taskbar and choosing Task Manager.
Under the “Processes” tab, which is the first option in the navigation menu, click on Memory to sort applications from the most used memory to the least. Scan this list for anything you don’t recognize.
There will be several Windows-specific processes here, such as Desktop Window Manager. You should let these be, but if you see any third-party apps hogging your RAM usage, that’s a candidate for bloatware removal. Again, give the process names a quick Google search for more information about the application if you’re not sure if it’s safe to delete or not.
When all is said and done, grab your laptop. You should feel lighter after getting rid of all that bloat!
All kidding aside, you’ve just successfully cleaned up disk space, freed up memory for the apps you really care about, and closed potential security vulnerabilities, all by removing this. Windows 11 bloatware. Job well done.
If you are interested, we also have a useful guide configure your Windows laptop for optimal performance – most steps take a few minutes at most and can lead to considerable speed gains.
