How to De-Bloat on Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest OS iteration from Microsoft, running different builds for varying audiences. It is a program or app that comes pre-installed on your PC, often from manufacturers or software partners. It’s like that shiny apartment that has exciting potential but is just like an unexpected apartment guest. Windows 11 comes with some pre-installed bloatware.

Well, bloatware is such a component that uses up space and resources that could be dedicated to the things you want to do. Because of this, bloatware has a negative impact that appears on your PC, like slow boot times, tracking browsing habits, and similar things. But you will be glad to know that you can turn bloatware into a performance powerhouse with a concept called debloating. So, let’s understand how to debloat Windows 11.

What is bloatware?

From the previous paragraph, you got a rough idea about bloatware. But you should know the clear meaning of bloatware: pre-installed programs or apps on your PC. I hope it is useful for you, or maybe not. And being installed on your PC requires resources, which accordingly have an impact on your device’s performance. You can understand this term through some common examples, like Candy Crush Saga, Netflix, and Microsoft Office Trial, which are the usual bloatware we see on Windows 11.

Here you see Candy Crush Saga is one of the examples of common bloatware. See, unless you need it, then it is okay, but if it is irrelevantly installed on your PC, it can impact your device performance and compromise user privacy. In that way, you might want to uninstall it. But being bloatware, you can’t uninstall it. For this, we need to debloat it (which means removing bloatware), but before that, first understand where to find bloatware.

Identifying malware on Windows 11

When you open a Windows PC, you will find plenty of apps pre-installed on it. I agree that these are nothing but bloatware. But sometimes, among that bloatware, there appear to be some real applications. For this reason, identifying bloatware on Windows 11 is shown as a challenging task. To curb this concern, here are instructions on how to find bloatware on your Windows PC.

1. Open the Start Menu or the Windows icon.
2. Click on the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Next, head to the Apps section.
4. Then click on Apps in the left-hand sidebar.
5. Review installed apps and find which apps you think are irrelevant to you.
6. That’s it. The resulting app would be bloatware for you.

Safe Bloatware Removal Methods

Numerous recommendations offer removing bloatware, and they can impact your Windows performance. For this, we tried to figure out the best and safest way to remove bloatware. Fortunately, we found that the built-in uninstaller and PowerShell commands are the genuine ways that you should try. So below, we share both ways separately.

Using the in-built uninstaller

In-built Uninstaller is nothing but the usual functioning you do with installing and uninstalling apps. Because not every bloatware needs an extra cure to uninstall. Some can easily uninstall just through the built-in Uninstaller. So, as a prior thing, follow the below steps to debloat.

1. Simply click on the Start Menu or Windows icon.
2. Then click on the Settings option.
3. From there, look for the Apps section.
4. Choose the app that appears to you as bloatware.
5. Click on that app and hit the uninstall button.
6. Following this, such bloatware will start uninstalling.
7. That’s it. In the next moment, your bloatware will be removed.

Using PowerShell

This method is for advanced users who want more control and customization over their debloating process. In general, in the previous method, we taught you the basic pathway to uninstall bloatware. But alongside that, you can prioritize debloating, like uninstalling multiple packages with PowerShell, so let’s understand how to debloat using it. 

Note: To remove multiple bloatware, create a text file listing the package name and use the command “Get-ContentPackageList.txt | Remove-AppxPackage” to remove multiple packages. Ensure to use your text file name in place of package list.txt.

1. First, right-click on the Start button.
2. Select the Windows Terminal option.
3. Following this command prompt, it will open.
4. Now enter the command “Get-AppxPackage” so that all installed packages on your system will appear.
5. Carefully review and identify the package that works best for you.
6. Next, enter the command “Remove-AppxPackage Package Full Name” and run it.
7. That’s it. In this way, you can debloat Windows 11.

What Not to Remove

There are numerous observations when we find that, to avoid vanishing bloatware, users uninstall some core packages of Windows. These are essential as compared to other bloatware. Some genuine packages are Windows Audio, Windows Update, Display Driver, Network Adapter, and similar things. I mean, instead of blindly removing bloatware, focus on identifying what is bloatware for you and accordingly removing or debloating it.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, optimizing Windows 11 by debloating is a crucial step towards achieving optimal performance and enhancing the overall user experience. The key takeaways from this article underscore the benefits of streamlining your system, removing unnecessary components, and customizing settings to suit your preferences. I strongly encourage readers to actively engage by sharing their own experiences and tips for debloating Windows 11 in the comments section. 

Frequently asked questions