Getting rid of "Get Started"

Wynona · Apr 16, 2022

Devlin1888 said:
Go to start and type in get started, It'll come up with an "app" of sorts. Its nothing really, Just one of those apps thats useless to most and causes the odd annoyance, Other than that its more of a who can solve this first kinda gig lol.
I believe its tied in to Windows Experience Packs though and that might be why none of us have won the prize of removing it yet haha

OK, so unless I "go to Start and type in Get Started", it never shows its ugly face? IOW, it's totally unobtrusive unless I actually try to open it?

If that's actually the case, why bother with getting rid of it?

ShamrockRig · Apr 16, 2022

Wynona said:
OK, so unless I "go to Start and type in Get Started", it never shows its ugly face? IOW, it's totally unobtrusive unless I actually try to open it?

If that's actually the case, why bother with getting rid of it?

Haha thats the point! It's unobtrusive to you, maybe to me, maybe to Bob but some people like to remove what they consider to be bloatware, even if it's a teenie weenie. It's fun trying. It's more a running game now to see who can work it out more than it is really a problem.
Because we can or in this case can't but want to because we can't haha

Wynona · Apr 16, 2022

OK, looks like it's been solved by salandreika?

"What i did is: installed the startallback to get the classic taskbar and start menu and after that used the Dism ++ to uninstall windows feature experience pack. now the get started icon is gone and the startallback does its job."

I don't know if that's what y'all are looking for, but it seems he did it.

Oh, yeah, when I was messing around in Settings I saw where the whole folder could be deleted/uninstalled, but I don't know what that would do to my 'puter, so I didn't.

ShamrockRig · Apr 16, 2022

Wynona said:
OK, looks like it's been solved by salandreika?

"What i did is: installed the startallback to get the classic taskbar and start menu and after that used the Dism ++ to uninstall windows feature experience pack. now the get started icon is gone and the startallback does its job."

I don't know if that's what y'all are looking for, but it seems he did it.

Oh, yeah, when I was messing around in Settings I saw where the whole folder could be deleted/uninstalled, but I don't know what that would do to my 'puter, so I didn't.

Yeah I knew about that, as I said it's part of the experience pack, it's getting rid of it without the experience pack. Also you could remove the folder manually ofcourse but we weren't sure if windows updates would bring it back. Don't think anyone's that bothered by it anymore to be honest. I haven't tried since I posted what I did on like page 1 or 2

Edwin · Apr 16, 2022

Wynona said:
... why bother with getting rid of it?

Because it's a stupid, useless application that does nothing to enhance the user experience, (when it actually works!), or, it crashes immediately!
Furthermore, I'm sick of seeing it in the Start list, perched there oh so proudly, as if it's a vital part of the OS's architecture, when in reality, it's merely a dysfunctional piece of bloatware designed to coerce users into thinking that only Microsoft applications will work on Windows!
(Can't believe they actually paid someone to design that!)

At least, in previous versions, you could hide the damn thing!

Wynona · Apr 16, 2022

Edwin said:
Because it's a stupid, useless application that does nothing to enhance the user experience, (when it actually works!), or, it crashes immediately!
Furthermore, I'm sick of seeing it in the Start list, perched there oh so proudly, as if it's a vital part of the OS's architecture, when in reality, it's merely a dysfunctional piece of bloatware designed to coerce users into thinking that only Microsoft applications will work on Windows!
(Can't believe they actually paid someone to design that!)

At least, in previous versions, you could hide the damn thing!

View attachment 27024

And here I was, blissfully unaware of Getting Started until I stumbled across this thread . . .

Edwin · Apr 16, 2022

Wynona said:
And here I was, blissfully unaware of Getting Started until I stumbled across this thread . . .

Oops! Don't let my rant ruin your bliss!

It's just my OCD kicking into overdrive!

It's all circumstantial!

Wynona · Apr 16, 2022

Edwin said:
Oops! Don't let my rant ruin your bliss!
It's just my OCD kicking into overdrive!
It's all circumstantial!

Not to worry, Edwin. I'm still blissfully iggerant . . .

Edwin · Apr 17, 2022

Another example of repugnancy,
Clicking on the Learn more link takes me to a web page to sell me a Surface Pro!
You expect me to hunt for the article!? Give your head a shake! Take me directly to the article!

ShamrockRig · Apr 17, 2022

Edwin said:
Another example of repugnancy,
Clicking on the Learn more link takes me to a web page to sell me a Surface Pro!
You expect me to hunt for the article!? Give your head a shake! Take me directly to the article!

View attachment 27062

Lol, I don't even have that on mine

salandreika · May 22, 2022

well, the Get started app is a part of Windows Feature Experience Pack, as mentioned before, so uninstalling Windows Feature Experience Pack will also remove that get started app. but you should keep in mind that a part of explorer interface is in this Windows Feature Experience Pack so uninstalling it will make start menu or taskbar unusable. that's why i first install the app called startallback which repleace the standart start menu and taskbar, and only after this i uninstall Windows Feature Experience Pack. however in the upcoming 22h2 update i didnt find any way to uninstall Windows Feature Experience Pack. i think microsoft hidden this option or even made a full integration of it into the system.

atinfo · Jul 30, 2022

Wisewiz said:
This dumb feature is in my Start menu All apps list, but has no uninstall option there, and it's not in the Apps & Features list in Settings, or in the Programs & Features list in Control Panel. Is there a way to wipe it from the Start list?

I've tried the W10 Power Shell and Command Prompt methods, and they don't seem to work at all on this W11 annoyance.

Fools tie knots and wise men loose them. No offence (I mean, Microsoft geniuses vs Users). I am a member of the "Remove Get Started App from Start" army, too (since upgrading to Win 11).

ThisIsWin11 (I think ThisIsNotWin would be a better name). I was googling to find a way to remove widgets and met this tiny app (300 KB) on Git. If you want to remove “Widgets” you have to remove WebExperiencePack, I did and it just uninstalls “Widgets”. As you can see (on SS below) there are 70 system apps listed there (actually, 80! I have removed about 10 of them already, and I want to remove more of them, but first, I have to decode their names). I think our genius has tied the “Get Started” app with the OS core files. He/She/It (AI) has used the ENIAC machine to name them. I think they want users to know nothing about the system apps' name and their operation!

I have a better suggestion. You can pin it to Taskbar (Get Started app). At least it has a nice icon, like the Safari browser with its compass icon, but with a little difference! Your Internet browsing would be limited to just about Microsoft products. Instead, your Taskbar would be set of blue gradients (Windows Security, Notepad, Photos, Search, Edge, Word icon and the Big Blue, Start menu icon, also the Wallpaper).

Fortunately, I love those blue colour codes Microsoft have used for their icons. Specifically, the Start menu with its special blue gradient and curved corners did its job (seduced me). The Start icon had a big role in my life to choose Win 11 instead of Mac (Oh My Lord…. :woozy:

)

If you like the app:

GitHub - builtbybel/ThisIsWin11: The real PowerToys for Windows 11

The real PowerToys for Windows 11. Contribute to builtbybel/ThisIsWin11 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Edwin · Jul 30, 2022

Mine's hidden deep in the bowels of the SAB Menu, I pay it no mind!

atinfo · Jul 31, 2022

Wisewiz said:
I've been cropping and trimming Windows versions (i.e., cutting the junk) to suit myself since Windows 3.1, and I actually enjoy the challenge. Annoyances are annoyances, and it would be great to find a way to get rid of them.

Windows 3.1 :what:

Me too! But I have bad news! It is un-removable unless you would miss Start and Taskbar functions.

I found its package folder with the help of "Everything" (SS below). That folder contains Snipping Tool contents (cache/temp of captures), too. I had a search (MicrosoftWindows.Clint.CBS) on Git, and you can see the result below (link):

Get Started [MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy] cannot be removed/disabled · Issue #16 · builtbybel/ThisIsWin11

How do you get rid of it?

github.com

My "All apps" list is always neat (not minimalistic but simple and not filled with nonsense icons). That's why I am eager to remove redundant icons from there.

Edwin said:
This should brighten your morning...

That was one of the best app introductions I have ever seen :clap:

. Please do more :thumbsup:

. Microsoft deserves such intros!

Edwin said:
Mine's hidden deep in the bowels of the SAB Menu, I pay it no mind!

How?! I don't know how its icon has been addressed in Start Menu. I just found its icon (PNG) path, and I think it is an XML file that brings the icon to Start Menu. There is no "Get Started" icon in "Start Menu" folders (ProgramData and ...).

Edwin · Jul 31, 2022

atinfo said:
My "All apps" list is always neat

Likewise, I don't even like the alpha categories!

atinfo said:
Please do more

Perhaps..., if I'm in the mood!!!

atinfo said:
How?!

StartAllBack

atinfo · Jul 31, 2022

Edwin said:
I don't even like the alpha categories!

Me too. The # folder is my portable app shortcuts folder. 7Z is my always-in-use app...
Yours is neater than mine. Your black matt theme reminds me Brabus Rocket CLS (Black Series) theme. A couple of years ago, I had a WB theme (matt black, with CLS walls) on Win 7. I was crazy about that. Yours is elegant, and mine was sport (carbon fibre-ish)! I have switched to blue now (!), and I don't use WB any more.

Edwin said:
Perhaps...

Fortunately (absolutely no offence) or unfortunately, English is not my native language. The video didn't brighten my morning. It made my day (I was laughing the whole day). The funniest part was on 01:15, and the exact fact was on 02:03 (those *** on the NTP page). I have no YT account (I don't like to see Google's nose in my system, Microsoft is enough). I would give your video a big thumb and like (also a SUB click!) one day :woozy:

.