New Dumb Apps On Fresh Install

Ghot · Jul 6, 2022

1. Most people need to LEARN how to properly install and uninstall software, anyhow.
2. And there's one stop shopping sites like NiNite...

Ninite - Install or Update Multiple Apps at Once

The easiest, fastest way to update or install software. Ninite downloads and installs programs automatically in the background.

ninite.com

And I don't cae which browser they install... even an MS one. BUT... I shouldn't have to hire an IT crew and some engineers to remove that browser... either.

A desktop PC is NOT a smart phone or a tablet. If I wanted an OS pre-designed by someone else, or someone with very different needs than I have... I would buy one of those devices.

I don't care that they build "ready-to-serve" OSes. But they should also build basic OSes.

I feel this way about a LOT f software. Bitdefender is another one. They include everything AND the kitchen sink, but have no basic version.

hsehestedt · Jul 6, 2022

Ghot said:
1. Most people need to LEARN how to properly install and uninstall software, anyhow.
2. And there's one stop shopping sites like NiNite...

Ninite - Install or Update Multiple Apps at Once

The easiest, fastest way to update or install software. Ninite downloads and installs programs automatically in the background.

ninite.com

And I don't cae which browser they install... even an MS one. BUT... I shouldn't have to hire an IT crew and some engineers to remove that browser... either.

A desktop PC is NOT a smart phone or a tablet. If I wanted an OS pre-designed by someone else, or someone with very different needs than I have... I would buy one of those devices.

I don't care that they build "ready-to-serve" OSes. But they should also build basic OSes.

I feel this way about a LOT f software. Bitdefender is another one. They include everything AND the kitchen sink, but have no basic version.

Ghot, I am in full agreement with you.

I do like when features that one might consider absolutely necessary with an OS are included or bundled in with the OS. For example, an antivirus solution, disk optimization, and basic defragging, virtualization (Hyper-V), and simple tools like Notepad and even small utilities and apps that are good for testing like a basic video player. But when the OS starts pushing crapware on you like TikTok, Spotify, Disney, etc. that's when I get royally annoyed. If I want that stuff, I am quite capable of finding it myself.

As for those basic components, I want it to be easy to use third-party solutions if I want and not forced into what is provided by MS. After all, isn't the whole idea of an OS supposed to be to provide the underpinnings that allow me to run the apps, tools, utilities that I want and to allow me to custom tailor a solution that works for me?

Ghot · Jul 6, 2022

hsehestedt said:
Ghot, I am in full agreement with you.

I do like when features that one might consider absolutely necessary with an OS are included or bundled in with the OS. For example, an antivirus solution, disk optimization, and basic defragging, virtualization (Hyper-V), and simple tools like Notepad and even small utilities and apps that are good for testing like a basic video player. But when the OS starts pushing crapware on you like TikTok, Spotify, Disney, etc. that's when I get royally annoyed. If I want that stuff, I am quite capable of finding it myself.

As for those basic components, I want it to be easy to use third-party solutions if I want and not forced into what is provided by MS. After all, isn't the whole idea of an OS supposed to be to provide the underpinnings that allow me to run the apps, tools, utilities that I want and to allow me to custom tailor a solution that works for me?

Yep, yep.
I think back to the DOS days. The OS had the bare minimum and everything else was optional.
I think the OS folks are losing their way.

Further, they aren't even trying to make things optional.
Most of the junk that's being included these days is welded to the OS.

pparks1 · Jul 6, 2022

BrianInEngland said:
So what qualifies as 'basic Windows' ? A desktop with absolutely NOTHING else installed? How well do you think that would sell if MS released it?
No email, no internet, no way to play music/videos. I know replacements can be installed, but I'm talking about the OOBE.

Then you would have a minimal install of Linux :) It's the way I build my servers, go with the absolute minimum and then install only what you need.

And the average windows user would be like, "lol, i'm not going to use the antiquated command line to install all of this stuff, Linux is garbage".

I just install Windows and leave whatever crap they put on there. My machine has plenty of resources to handle it, and i haven't been able to prove to myself that I get any better power or performance out of it. Way back in the XP and somewhat Windows 7 days, I could tweak and get some performance benefits back, but anymore, I just leave it alone and it runs great. I too like the OP used to format and reinstall regularly . But not anymore. Installing Windows is rare for me. On my MacBook Pro that I bought in 2013, I've never clean installed. Always just updated via Apple and it's just worked.

SightUp · Jul 6, 2022

So something odd. I reinstalled Windows 11 this evening just to test it. These 'links' never appeared. I don't get it. It's like if I do my cleaning fast enough, I can avoid these extra links. Anyone have any insight on this?

Ghot · Jul 6, 2022

SightUp said:
So something odd. I reinstalled Windows 11 this evening just to test it. These 'links' never appeared. I don't get it. It's like if I do my cleaning fast enough, I can avoid these extra links. Anyone have any insight on this?

They may re-appear after the computer sits for a day or two and sneaks in some late night updates.

There's an old Nvidia driver I like using. Standard driver version 442.74
I have it installed on Win 10 and Win 11. All installed software is identical on Win 10 and Win 11.
For some reason, on Win 10... it updates itself to 456.71. Only on Windows 10.
I do spend more time on Windows 10, so maybe MS just never got the chance on Win 11.

The point here is... it stayed version 442.74 for all of 2020, and 2/3rds of 2021... THEN decided to update on Win 10.
I assume MS decided to update it, without asking me first.

SightUp · Jul 6, 2022

Ghot said:
They may re-appear after the computer sits for a day or two and does some late night updates.

One of the things I do is disable all the updates after I have updated once. I pay close attention to release notes and actually read them for something that might help me. Otherwise, I don't run them again until I reinstall Windows again.

Ghot · Jul 6, 2022

SightUp said:
One of the things I do is disable all the updates after I have updated once. I pay close attention to release notes and actually read them for something that might help me. Otherwise, I don't run them again until I reinstall Windows again.

Yeah, I did too.
I disabled them in WAU Manager and in Winaero Tweaker, and triple checked that updates were disabled in the registry.
MS just changed their minds.

They did the same thing with the Start Menu on Windows 11 about July or August of 2021.
There was a tweak that made it look like Win 10 Start Menu.
MS just out-tweaked everyone.

Also, on Win 11 (22H2), they broke the tweak that gave us the Win 10 File Explorer ribbon bar.
They've really been playing hard ball on Windows 11.

Home or Pro... it doesn't matter. They've been slapping us around like 98lb. weaklings.

idgat · Jul 6, 2022

BrianInEngland said:
So what qualifies as 'basic Windows' ? A desktop with absolutely NOTHING else installed? How well do you think that would sell if MS released it?
No email, no internet, no way to play music/videos. I know replacements can be installed, but I'm talking about the OOBE.

Some of the things you mentioned such as widgets, notifications, action centre are all 'basic' things surely? They're part of the 'core' OS

MS Windows pre-installed programs named after or referenced to the services they access, are not the services themselves - MS Edge is not "the internet", removing Media Player and the like will not deny the user alternatives to allow videos/music to be played, etc.

I would love the opportunity to choose a Windows version/edition that is pure vanilla, and gives me the opportunity to install the software I want to use, not what MS is going to shove down my throat.

Removing these built-in programs (as inadequate and troublesome as some of them are) does not remove or deny the service being available to the user.

RNR1995 · Aug 12, 2022

idgat said:
MS Windows pre-installed programs named after or referenced to the services they access, are not the services themselves - MS Edge is not "the internet", removing Media Player and the like will not deny the user alternatives to allow videos/music to be played, etc.

I would love the opportunity to choose a Windows version/edition that is pure vanilla, and gives me the opportunity to install the software I want to use, not what MS is going to shove down my throat.

Removing these built-in programs (as inadequate and troublesome as some of them are) does not remove or deny the service being available to the user.

LTSC is the closest you can get for Windows, still has bloat, but no store. MS did screw up QuickAssist on that version as now it is an app and you cannot update it (DOH!)
As far as getting a list of apps we run this "Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName"
Then modify our uninstaller script for each version of Windows
You can GPO Windows to stop auto updating apps, drivers etc. but I would recommend Windows update as most of them are for security
FWIW REVO is fine, and you can delete any folders you want to in the %appdata% folders as Windows will recreate them if needed
We do use REVO for stubborn programs, but for setting up a device we use scripts

NavyLCDR · Aug 12, 2022

Maybe just revert to the console version of Windows server which I believe is free. That will get you a completely bloat free Windows.

TairikuOkami · Aug 12, 2022

SightUp said:
I need to find out their names to add them to my .bat file that's below.

That is too much hand-picking, you will never get them all. I just uninstall all and then import those I want.
Since 22H2 this command also uninstalls integrated apps like cortana, xbar (if they can be uninstalled).

Code:

start "" /wait C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe "Get-AppXPackage | where-object {$_.name –notlike '*store*'} | Remove-AppxPackage"
winget import -i D:\Setup\winget.txt