Windows 11 comes packaged with a bunch of preinstalled programs that most users will find to be a waste of space. Such bloatware clutters your PC and can also lead to system performance degradation.
Fortunately, removing most of them is quite straightforward. And even ones that refuse to go can be uninstalled via the Command-Line.
We recommend using the first two methods listed below to debloat Windows 11 as they are native methods. But if you value convenience, we’ve included some reputable third-party tools as well in the sections below.
Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
The easiest way to debloat Windows 11 is to remove all the preinstalled bloatware via the Apps and Features window. Here are the steps to do so:
- Press Win + X and select Apps and Features from the power user menu.
- Locate the app you’d like to remove, press the ellipsis button and select Uninstall.
- Accept any prompts and follow the on-screen instructions to remove the app.
Most users remove apps like Solitaire, Candy Crush, or Your Phone using this method. But the option to uninstall will be grayed out for a few core apps, such as the photos app, for instance. To remove such apps, you’ll have to use the command-line method which we’ve detailed below.
Using PowerShell
You can use the Remove-AppxPackage cmdlet to remove an app package from a user account. If you’re the only user, this alone should suffice. But if your PC has multiple accounts, you must remove the packages from those accounts one by one.
Similarly, to prevent the packages from being automatically installed on future accounts, you can use /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage and remove the app package from the Windows Image entirely. Here are the necessary steps:
- Press Win + R, type
powershell, and press CTRL + Shift + Enter. - Execute the following command:
Get-AppxPackage | ft name, PackageFullName –AutoSize
- Locate the app package you’re trying to remove and copy the package full name.
- Type the following command, replace package name with the value from Step 3, and press Enter:
Remove-AppxPackage -Package “packagename”
- To remove provisioning for app packages from the image, use the following command instead with the appropriate values:
DISM /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:<packagename>
Third-Party Tools
Debloater tools were very popular back in Windows 10, and most of them still work or have been updated for Windows 11. Some popular open-source options from Github include ThisIsWin11, Iex Win10Debloater, and Sycnex Win10Debloater.
Please do note that while these are the most reputable ones available, they are still third-party tools, and there is always a small degree of risk when using them. So if you’re going to use them, we highly recommend creating a system restore point so that even if things don’t go as intended, you have a safety net to fall back on.
uld also upgrade the RAM, GPU, and CPU, according to your needs and preferences.
Can I Use Scripts to Debloat Windows 11? Is It Safe?
We’ve recommended a few reputable debloaters in the article above, but as reliable as they are, they are still third-party tools. Open source doesn’t always mean vetted; some popular tools have been found to contain Trojans in the past. So, ultimately, we recommend sticking to the native tools to debloat Windows 11.
