How to Remove Bloatware From Windows 11 Safely
"Bloatware" on a new Windows 11 PC is three different kinds of software: apps Windows itself ships, such as games, news and promotional entries; utilities and apps the PC maker added to its factory image; and trial software, such as antivirus or office suites, that expires and then asks for payment. Remove them one at a time through Settings › Apps › Installed apps, use PowerShell only for packaged apps Settings will not remove, and leave the Microsoft Store, App Installer, Windows Security and app frameworks in place. Mass-removal scripts are the usual way people end up with a PC that cannot update its apps.
Three kinds of preinstalled software
| Kind | Typical examples | How it is removed | What to check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows' own apps | Solitaire, Xbox apps, Clipchamp, News, the new Outlook | Uninstall from Start or Settings; PowerShell for packaged apps | Whether you use it, and whether another app depends on it |
| PC maker utilities | Vendor support, update and control apps | The vendor's own uninstaller | Whether it runs function keys, battery charging modes, drivers or firmware updates |
| Trial software | Antivirus trials, office suite trials | The vendor's uninstaller, from Installed apps | Whether you entered a license or stored files in it |
Windows' own apps are mostly app packages managed by Windows, like Store apps. Maker utilities and trials are usually traditional EXE or MSI programs with their own uninstallers. Windows app removal explains why the installation form decides the removal route.
Maker utilities deserve the most care. Some of them are the only interface for a hardware setting, such as a battery charge limit or a keyboard function, or they deliver the firmware and driver updates for that model. Read the maker's support page for your model before removing one.
Start with Settings
Microsoft's uninstall guide gives the routes: right-click an app in Start › All apps and choose Uninstall, or open Settings › Apps › Installed apps, select More next to the app and choose Uninstall. Older desktop programs are also in Control Panel › Programs › Programs and Features. The same page notes that some apps are built into Windows and cannot be uninstalled, and that a few cannot be removed from Settings yet, for which it suggests Control Panel.
For a trial antivirus, let its own uninstaller run to the end and restart if it asks. Security software often installs drivers and services, so an interrupted removal can leave parts of it behind. Microsoft Defender Antivirus is part of Windows and is not removed this way.
PowerShell for packaged apps: per user versus provisioned
Windows' built-in apps exist in two places, which is why removing one does not always make it gone for good.
- Installed for a user.
Get-AppxPackagelists the packages installed in your profile, andRemove-AppxPackageremoves a package from the current user's account. Neither needs administrator rights for your own account. - Provisioned in the Windows image. A provisioned package is installed into every new account created on the PC.
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackageremoves it from the image so new accounts do not receive it, and Microsoft states that it does not remove the package from existing accounts.
So removing an app for yourself leaves the provisioned copy on the PC, and the next new account gets the app again. Removing the provisioned copy alone leaves the app in your own account. For both, you do both steps.
List first. These commands only read; Solitaire is an example name:
Get-AppxPackage -Name *Solitaire* | Select-Object Name, PackageFullName
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Select-Object DisplayName, PackageName
Then remove the one you identified, for your account:
Get-AppxPackage -Name *Solitaire* | Remove-AppxPackage
Check that the wildcard matches only the app you mean before piping it to Remove-AppxPackage. Removing the provisioned copy needs an administrator PowerShell and the exact PackageName from the list above:
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName <PackageName>
winget can also remove apps it did not install. Microsoft's winget uninstall reference says winget list shows more than winget's own installs, and winget uninstall --id removes one entry at a time. A removed app that is published in the Microsoft Store can be installed again from there.
What not to remove
- Microsoft Store and its purchase component. Store apps update and reinstall through it, and so does App Installer.
- App Installer. Microsoft's winget overview says winget ships as part of App Installer, which the Microsoft Store delivers and updates. Removing it removes
winget. - Windows Security. It is the interface for Microsoft Defender, firewall and device security settings.
- Frameworks and runtimes.
Get-AppxPackagereturns Framework packages along with apps by default. Names such as VCLibs, .NET Native or WindowsAppRuntime are shared by other apps, and removing one breaks the apps that depend on it. - WebView2 and Edge components. Many desktop apps draw their interface with WebView2; see Edge running in the background for how it differs from the browser.
- Xbox sign-in components, if you play PC games that use an Xbox account.
Avoid "debloat" scripts that remove dozens of packages in one run, often with -AllUsers. You lose track of what was removed, some removals take a dependency with them, and putting things back means reinstalling each package.
How Mole for Windows handles preinstalled apps
Mole's Apps page lists Windows' packaged apps next to desktop programs, and its Preinstalled filter narrows the list to software that came with the PC: Store apps provisioned for every account and signed by Microsoft or the Store, and programs whose publisher is the PC maker named in the firmware. The filter only changes what is shown; it never selects anything.
Apps never lists the Microsoft Store, its purchase component, App Installer, Windows Security or Get Help, nor apps Windows marks as not removable, such as Edge. Frameworks, resource packages, bundles, packages under the Windows folder and Microsoft.Windows.* packages are hidden as well.
A packaged app is removed for your account only, through Remove-AppxPackage, without an administrator prompt. When the app is also provisioned, the review says it frees only the app's data while the app stays available to other accounts on this PC, because the provisioned copy is left in place; Mole does not remove provisioned packages. Maker utilities and trials go through their vendor's uninstaller, and Mole handles leftovers only after that uninstaller succeeds. If a preinstalled app Mole removed is registered again later, the Apps page names it and offers Keep if you decide you want it after all.
Check the result
After removal, open Start and Settings › Apps › Installed apps and confirm the entry is gone. Run Get-AppxPackage again for the same name. Open the Microsoft Store and check that it still updates apps, and run winget --version if you use winget. For desktop programs, see what remains after uninstalling for which leftovers are normal.
FAQ
How do I remove bloatware from Windows 11?
Uninstall each unwanted app from Settings › Apps › Installed apps, or right-click it in Start. Use Remove-AppxPackage in PowerShell only for packaged apps Settings will not remove, and check maker utilities first.
What preinstalled apps are safe to remove in Windows 11?
Games, news, promotional apps and trials you do not use are generally safe. Keep the Microsoft Store, App Installer, Windows Security, frameworks such as VCLibs, and maker utilities that control hardware.
Why do removed Windows 11 apps come back?
Removing an app for your account leaves its provisioned copy in Windows, which new accounts receive. Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage removes that copy for future accounts but not from existing ones.
Is it safe to use a debloat script on Windows 11?
It is risky. Scripts often remove many packages at once, including dependencies, and leave no clear record. Removing apps one by one lets you check each and reinstall it if needed.