How do I remove Bloatware from Windows 11?

ShamrockRig · Nov 4, 2021

LeLibran said:
Apologies, I did try immediately after my post with a number of unwanted apps, which were satisfactorily removed, but then I received an unrevealing Error message: "Operation failed" when I chose to safe uninstall the Get Started app. It's a persistent little b****** and. none of the other Uninstaller Apps I've tested seem to offer the uninstall option for this app, so presumably MS has either hard-coded it into the system, possibly as a "walk through" after setting up 'new users, or it is hooked in to the settings features the app normally walks through; but it is irritating to have this clutter when it's no longer needed. The search continues...

i tried it on there too, it wouldnt remove it but i did find the directory for it believe is as

Code:

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy

However there appears to be other things in there too

Ghot · Nov 4, 2021

What I just tried....

Powershell as admin: Get-AppxPackage *getstarted* | Remove-AppxPackage
Just took me back to the prompt.

This just lists the apps and their full package names, if it may be useful...
Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullName

Then I deleted all these Microsoft.Getstarted folders....

Get Started still works (after I restored from a backup). I had it blocked in the Bitdefender firewall.
C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\webexperiencehostapp.exe
When I block this in the firewall it stops Get Started cold.

Anyway, what I had done (above) had no effect, that I can see.
START menu icon is still there.

Also, I searched the registry for GetStarted
Found gazillions of entries. :/

There's also this folder. Seems to have all the stuff I removed with Revo... plus a few things I didn't remove, like Calculator.
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\DeletedAllUserPackages

Wisewiz · Nov 4, 2021

Maybe we should figure out a way to fumigate the registry. That da--ed Get Started is an irritating ~~cockroach~~ bug.

ShamrockRig · Nov 4, 2021

Ok, so far i've tried, Revo free, Revo Pro, Advanced uninstaller, IObit, Ashampoo Uninstaller, CCleaner, Geek Uninstaller, Wise program uninstaller. At this point im gonna so no uninstaller is gonna do it xD

iPanda032 · Nov 4, 2021

Debloat Windows

He has a pretty good debloat utility. I haven't tried it myself, but watching him demo it on youtube seemed like a pretty good program. Since I almost always install my Windows Fresh there's usually hardly any bloat. Other than the Windows stuff. And for my own use, I find the Windows stuff hardly if ever has been intrusive to my use.

ShamrockRig · Nov 4, 2021

iPanda032 said:
Debloat Windows

He has a pretty good debloat utility. I haven't tried it myself, but watching him demo it on youtube seemed like a pretty good program. Since I almost always install my Windows Fresh there's usually hardly any bloat. Other than the Windows stuff. And for my own use, I find the Windows stuff hardly if ever has been intrusive to my use.

Had a look, Nothing in there i could see that'd help i dont think, Useful to have around though Thanks!

Wisewiz · Nov 4, 2021

iPanda032 said:
Since I almost always install my Windows Fresh there's usually hardly any bloat. Other than the Windows stuff.

Hey, iPanda!

It's the stuff we still get in a clean install -- Windows stuff -- that we're complaining about here. I immediately get rid of these things (and a few more) that "come with Windows":
Bing News, Bing Weather, Sticky Notes, Maps, Sound Recorder, Everything XBox, Photos, Zune, Your Phone, and Solitaire Collection.
That list seems short to me for all the stuff I dump from a Clean install of Windows, but there it is.

And Get Started is bloat of the worst sort, and we can't seem to figure out how to Get Rid Of Get Started.

Wolfzz · Nov 4, 2021

Just use WPD Privacy Dashboard for Windows Ive used it for years on Windows 10 and it works great on Windows 11

WPD

Privacy dashboard for Windows

wpd.app

vannn · Nov 4, 2021

Try using Dism++

Wisewiz · Nov 4, 2021

vannn said:
Try using Dism++

I wouldn’t insult you for all the tea in China, so please forgive me for saying that that utility’s description absolutely terrifies me.

Ghot · Nov 4, 2021

Wisewiz said:
I wouldn’t insult you for all the tea in China, so please forgive me for saying that that utility’s description absolutely terrifies me.

There seems to be a lot of controversy on the web about DISM ++, I think I'll give it a pass.

Yes. I stole this from a HUAWEI joke. :)

cineman195 · Nov 5, 2021

O&O App Buster removes Windows Apps you don’t want. Freeware.

O&O AppBuster gives you the control back over your Windows again! Now you decide which apps you want on your computer.

www.oo-software.com

This worked in Windows 10, I haven't tried it in Windows 11
Regards

Singleton · Nov 5, 2021

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Indeed one persons important app is another persons crap app.

The tutorial #4 and 5 will give you a nice list pick and choose which ones are crap or not.

And so they install them all for people who can't figure out how to install an app... on a computer... in 2021?? I don't understand how someone who doesn't know how to install the software they need can figure out how to launch the applications once they are installed.

vannn · Nov 5, 2021

Wisewiz said:
I wouldn’t insult you for all the tea in China, so please forgive me for saying that that utility’s description absolutely terrifies me.

understandable. :wink:

iPanda032 · Nov 5, 2021

Wisewiz said:
Hey, iPanda!

It's the stuff we still get in a clean install -- Windows stuff -- that we're complaining about here. I immediately get rid of these things (and a few more) that "come with Windows":
Bing News, Bing Weather, Sticky Notes, Maps, Sound Recorder, Everything XBox, Photos, Zune, Your Phone, and Solitaire Collection.
That list seems short to me for all the stuff I dump from a Clean install of Windows, but there it is.

And Get Started is bloat of the worst sort, and we can't seem to figure out how to Get Rid Of Get Started.

Yeah I just manually remove most of that. What's wrong with sticky notes? That's actually useful. But everything else you listed for sure. I usually remove it.