TL;DR: To remove bloatware from Windows 11, start by auditing a fresh install and creating your own keep and remove list. Then remove unwanted apps via Start menu uninstall (current user), Group Policy to block cloud consumer content and clear pinned “installer” links, or PowerShell to uninstall APPX packages with an allowlist. Recheck after major updates.
Windows 11 includes a mix of preinstalled apps that many admins consider bloatware. You can remove these apps using manual uninstall options, Group Policy, or PowerShell. Below is a breakdown of how to identify unwanted apps and remove them safely from Windows 11.
What is bloatware in Windows 11?
Bloatware in Windows 11 is any preinstalled app, pinned installer link, or consumer feature that your users don’t need. These items can take up storage, clutter the Start menu, and slow performance when they run in the background.
A new operating system used to offer a blank slate. But nowadays, most OSes come loaded with preinstalled apps — from TikTok to WhatsApp — that you may never use. They take up valuable space and bog down your processing power. And dare I say, they've earned their name: bloatware.
How do you identify Windows 11 bloatware?
You can identify bloatware in Windows 11 by reviewing the apps included in a fresh image and marking any preinstalled software that users don’t need.
I can’t list all the bloatware included with Windows 11 because bloatware is subjective. What’s bloatware to me may not be bloatware to you. For example, just because I don't want certain Google apps on my workstations doesn't mean you agree.
For that reason, I recommend thoroughly inspecting a fresh installation of your version of Windows 11 and making a list of applications you don't want included with your OS. Remember that preinstalled software may vary between Windows 11 Home, Pro, and Enterprise editions.
Why does Windows 11 include bloatware?
The Windows 11 bloatware problem is that unwanted apps can come from OEM images, Microsoft-added APPX packages, and pinned installer links, and Microsoft does not provide a single clear removal list for every edition.
Most of the relevant information on the web is from sysadmins documenting their processes through trial and error, which shouldn’t be the case. Hopefully, Microsoft will step up and provide better insights for the community since it should be the ultimate authority on the topic.
How to manually uninstall bloatware from Windows 11
You can manually uninstall Windows 11 bloatware from the Start menu, but this removes apps only for the current user profile. Other users on the same device may still see the same apps or pinned installer links.
Click the Start button to open the Start menu.
Right-click on the offending bloatware, then click Uninstall.
This surefire method gets those annoying Windows apps off your computer super quickly. However, there are a few things I should point out.
First, this method removes the bloatware only from the current user profile. Anyone else using that device will have to remove their own bloatware.
Another helpful bit of information I should point out is that many — but not all — “bloatware” apps aren’t actually installed. Many apps on the Start menu — including ESPN, Instagram, and TikTok — are just links to installers. I’ve heard them referred to as “quick installers” and “ghost apps.” You can test this for yourself by just clicking on the app icon. You’ll notice an installer progress bar appears under the icon. Once the installation finishes, you’ll receive a notification that the app has been installed. (So that’s not deceptive at all ...)
The last thing I want to mention is that since many of these apps aren’t installed, you won’t find them in the All apps menu. Also, they won’t appear as an installed app when you search for them. They reside solely as a link pinned to the Start menu. However, if you click on them and go through the installation process, they appear in the All apps menu and search results.
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How to remove Windows 11 bloatware links using Group Policy
You can remove many Start menu bloatware links in Windows 11 by enabling the Turn off cloud optimized content policy and resetting the Start menu cache. Availability may vary by edition; Microsoft documents this policy for Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise.
If uninstalling each app one by one doesn’t impress you, I don’t blame you. It’s not the most efficient method, nor does it divulge where each app or link comes from in the first place. To get to the root of our bloatware problem, we’ll use Local Group Policy along with some other IT foolery.
Enter group policy into the Windows 11 search field, then click on the Edit group policy app.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content.
Double-click the Turn off cloud optimized content policy.
Select Enabled, then click OK to save and close the policy.
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\<current_user>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy. You will need to show hidden items to navigate to this directory.
Delete the LocalState folder. You can move this folder to a different directory if you’d rather save it, just in case.
Restart the PC.
Once the computer reboots and you log back in, your Start menu should be bloatware free. Remember that this removes only the bloatware links, such as ESPN, Spotify, and Messenger. This process won’t remove other APPX packages you may or may not want installed on your system. Also, this process only works for the current user and new user account. Microsoft’s approved bloatware will still appear for other existing users.
One last caveat I should mention before moving on: These changes may or may not last forever. Windows updates have a way of restoring things we’d rather not restore. While this is usually the case only with Windows feature updates, I’ve heard rumors that regular cumulative updates can also revert some of these changes, so keep an eye on your config settings after installing updates.
Windows 11 widgets annoying you too?
Read our step-by-step guide on how to remove widgets in Windows 11.
How do you remove Windows 11 bloatware with PowerShell?
You can remove Windows 11 bloatware with PowerShell by running scripts that uninstall APPX packages, delete quick installer links, and disable related consumer features. PowerShell also lets you fix other default Windows 11 settings that many admins find just as disruptive.
Here are some of the changes these PowerShell scripts can make. Before running a Windows 11 bloatware removal script, test it on a fresh image and confirm which APPX packages your users need. Use an allowlist to protect required apps, then remove only the packages and Start menu links your environment does not support.
Remove bloatware (both quick installers and APPX packages)
Disable Microsoft Teams
Disable Cortana
Disable news and interests
Disable cloud content
Disable consumer experiences
Disable Windows Spotlight
Make sure you review and test these scripts to understand all the changes they make. If there are changes you’d rather not implement, feel free to modify these scripts to meet your users’ needs.
This first script removes APPX packages that many users consider bloatware. It uses an allowlist to ensure necessary apps, like Notepad and Calculator, are not removed. Add any other APPX packages you want to keep to the allowlist.
##Get appx Packages
$Packages = Get-AppxPackage
##Create Your allowlist
$AllowList = @(
'*WindowsCalculator*',
'*Office.OneNote*',
'*Microsoft.net*',
'*MicrosoftEdge*',
'*WindowsStore*',
'*WindowsTerminal*',
'*WindowsNotepad*',
'*Paint*'
)
###Get All Dependencies
ForEach($Dependency in $AllowList){
(Get-AppxPackage -Name “$Dependency”).dependencies | ForEach-Object{
$NewAdd = "*" + $_.Name + "*"
if($_.name -ne $null -and $AllowList -notcontains $NewAdd){
$AllowList += $NewAdd
}
}
}
##View all applications not in your allowlist
ForEach($App in $Packages){
$Matched = $false
Foreach($Item in $AllowList){
If($App -like $Item){
$Matched = $true
break
}
}
###Nonremovable attribute does not exist before 1809, so if you are running this on an earlier build, remove “-and $app.NonRemovable -eq $false” rt; it attempts to remove everything
if($matched -eq $false -and $app.NonRemovable -eq $false){
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name $App.Name -PackageTypeFilter Bundle | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
}
}
This second script removes the quick installer bloatware and configures several Windows 11 settings that are more appropriate for business use.
# modified from https://gist.github.com/redlttr/8b95df51fd472d459b5c3a3ae6c8f5ad
#region install the PolicyFileEditor module to update local group policy
Try {
$null = Get-InstalledModule PolicyFileEditor -ErrorAction Stop
}
Catch {
if ( -not ( Get-PackageProvider -ListAvailable | Where-Object Name -eq "Nuget" ) ) {
$null = Install-PackageProvider “Nuget” -Force
}
$null = Install-Module PolicyFileEditor -Force
}
$null = Import-Module PolicyFileEditor -Force
# help about_registryvaluesforadmintemplates
#
#endregion
# Variables
$ComputerPolicyFile = Join-Path $env:SystemRoot '\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol'
$UserPolicyFile = Join-Path $env:SystemRoot '\System32\GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol'
$WinVer = Get-CimInstance win32_operatingsystem
# Define policies
$ComputerPolicies = @(
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Communications'; ValueName = 'ConfigureChatAutoInstall'; Data = '0'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Teams (personal) auto install (W11)
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Chat'; ValueName = 'ChatIcon'; Data = '2'; Type = 'Dword' } # Hide Chat icon by default (W11)
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'; ValueName = 'AllowCortana'; Data = '0'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Cortana
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Feeds'; ValueName = 'EnableFeeds'; Data = '0'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable news/interests on taskbar
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'; ValueName = 'DisableWebSearch'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable web search in Start
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search'; ValueName = 'AllowCloudSearch'; Data = '0'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable web search in Start
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'; ValueName = 'DisableCloudOptimizedContent'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable cloud consumer content
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'; ValueName = 'DisableConsumerAccountStateContent'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable cloud consumer content
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'; ValueName = 'DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Consumer Experiences
)
$UserPolicies = @(
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced'; ValueName = 'TaskbarMn'; Data = '0'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Chat Icon
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer'; ValueName = 'HideSCAMeetNow'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Meet Now icon (W10)
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search'; ValueName = 'SearchboxTaskbarMode'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Set Search in taskbar to show icon only
[PSCustomObject]@{Key = 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent'; ValueName = 'DisableWindowsSpotlightFeatures'; Data = '1'; Type = 'Dword' } # Disable Windows Spotlight
)
# Set group policies
try {
Write-Output 'Setting local group policies...'
$ComputerPolicies | Set-PolicyFileEntry -Path $ComputerPolicyFile -ErrorAction Stop
$UserPolicies | Set-PolicyFileEntry -Path $UserPolicyFile -ErrorAction Stop
gpupdate /force /wait:0 | Out-Null
Write-Output 'Group policies set.'
}
catch {
Write-Warning 'Unable to apply group policies.'
Write-Output $_
}
# Cleanup start menu & taskbar
try {
if ($WinVer.Caption -like '*Windows 11*') {
# Reset existing start menu layouts
$Layout = 'AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState'
Get-ChildItem 'C:\Users' | ForEach-Object { Remove-Item "C:\Users\$($_.Name)\$Layout" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction Ignore }
}
# Restart Explorer
if ($env:USERNAME -ne 'defaultuser0') { Get-Process -Name Explorer -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force }
}
catch {
Write-Warning 'Unable to complete start menu & taskbar cleanup tasks.'
Write-Output $_
}
<#
Report on configured policies
Get-PolicyFileEntry -Path $ComputerPolicyFile -All
Get-PolicyFileEntry -Path $UserPolicyFile -All
remove the policies
Get-PolicyFileEntry -Path $ComputerPolicyFile -All | Remove-PolicyFileEntry -Path $ComputerPolicyFile
Get-PolicyFileEntry -Path $UserPolicyFile -All | Remove-PolicyFileEntry -Path $UserPolicyFile
#>As I mentioned in the previous section, Windows updates have a way of reverting changes made to the OS. To ensure these changes endure, you may consider configuring these scripts to run every time users log on. Keep in mind that it may take a few minutes for these scripts to run the first time you execute them. However, each subsequent run should execute almost immediately.
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How do you remove Windows 11 bloatware at scale?
Once you’ve tested your Windows 11 bloatware removal script on a fresh image, you can use PDQ to deploy it across managed devices in batches. Rerun the cleanup after major Windows feature updates to remove returned APPX packages, Start menu links, or consumer features.
Other resources to help manage bloatware
The best long-term way to manage Windows 11 bloatware is to start with a clean, configured image and use scripts or policies to catch anything that returns after updates.
A properly configured OS image ensures all user profiles get the necessary settings and apps. Check out our guide on configuring default profiles in Windows 11 to build the best image for your users.
If you’re more of a visual learner, our Windows 11 bloatware webcast walks you through removing Windows 11 bloatware and answers many common questions about the process.
Finally, if you’re looking for a way to deploy the scripts used in this article, check out PDQ Connect, our cloud-based endpoint management solution. It can deploy PowerShell scripts to devices anywhere in the world with an internet connection. If most of your devices are on-prem, check out PDQ Deploy. You can try both products free for 14 days.
How to remove bloatware FAQs
What’s the easiest way to remove bloatware?
It’s subjective, but I recommend using PowerShell to remove bloatware from your devices. Not only can you use scripts to remove unwanted programs, but you can take it a step further and change other default Windows settings that are (arguably) just as annoying as bloatware.
Is it safe to remove bloatware?
Yes, it’s safe to remove Windows 11 bloatware if you define bloatware as unwanted apps, pinned installer links, or consumer features that your users do not need. Test removal scripts first and use an allowlist to avoid removing required apps.
Is there an app or tool for automatic bloatware removal?
Yes, there are apps and tools for automatic bloatware removal — but we don’t recommend using them. Bloatware is a highly subjective concept, and the last thing you want to do is use a "bloatware remover” only to see it delete programs you actually need or want to keep. By using one of the methods described in this blog, you can get rid of bloatware just as fast — all without relying on a third-party tool.
Does Windows 11 still have bloatware?
Unfortunately, yes, the most current version of Windows 11 still contains bloatware. But by using one of the removal methods described in this blog, you can get rid of bloatware in a flash. Or ... you can block the Windows 11 upgrade altogether. (Shhh.)
