pre-installed apps

Windows ships with a surprising number of preinstalled apps that many users never open — and removing the handful that truly add no value can free storage, reduce background noise, and make Windows feel noticeably snappier. Background / Overview Preinstalled apps — often labeled “bloatware” —...

Every fresh Windows 11 installation ships with a grab bag of first‑party apps—some genuinely useful, some quietly redundant, and a handful that feel like marketing dressed up as convenience—and ZDNet’s pragmatic “11 I keep / 11 I ditch” checklist is one of the clearest, user‑centric guides for...

Windows 11’s Microsoft Store has quietly added a seemingly small but long‑overdue convenience: you can now uninstall Store‑managed apps directly from the Store’s Library page, and Microsoft has paired this consumer‑facing tweak with a supported, policy‑based mechanism for device‑level removal of...

Windows 11’s next annual feature update is now moving from staged preview into its final validation ring: Microsoft has made Windows 11, version 25H2 available to Release Preview Insiders and commercial customers for targeted testing, delivered as an enablement package on top of the 24H2...

Releasing Windows 11, version 25H2 to the Release Preview Channel — what you need to know (for Insiders, IT pros, and forum readers) Today (August 29, 2025) the Windows Insider team made this year’s annual feature update — Windows 11, version 25H2 (Build 26200.5074) — available in the Release...

For years, one of the most persistent frustrations among Windows users has been the proliferation of pre-installed apps—sometimes derisively termed “bloatware”—that come bundled with the operating system. These applications, ranging from productivity tools to games and utilities, may be useful...

Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 11 25H2 update introduces a significant enhancement: the ability to uninstall pre-installed Microsoft Store applications directly through the Group Policy Editor. This development addresses longstanding user concerns about "bloatware"—default applications that...

Microsoft's ongoing struggle to deliver a streamlined, "thin" version of Windows has been a topic of discussion among tech enthusiasts and industry experts. Despite multiple attempts, including Windows RT and Windows 10 S, the company has faced challenges in creating a lightweight operating...

Microsoft has recently implemented significant changes to Windows 11, allowing users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to uninstall pre-installed applications such as Microsoft Edge and Bing. This move aligns with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to foster fair...

In the ever-evolving landscape of Linux distributions, LastOS emerges as a distinctive remix of Linux Mint 22.1, tailored to bridge the gap for Windows users transitioning to Linux. Crafted by Glenn Chugg, also known as LiveFreeDead, LastOS leverages the Penguins' Eggs remastering tool to offer...

Motorola’s latest smartphones are about to become the digital Noah’s Ark of artificial intelligence assistants, featuring a pre-installed menagerie of apps from not just the monolithic Google, but also Microsoft’s Copilot and the upstart Perplexity AI. This isn’t a random act of corporate...

Every time you set up a fresh Windows 11 install, you're greeted with an extensive suite of preinstalled apps—a mix of core utilities and extras that Microsoft includes to bolster its ecosystem and promote its services. But not all of them merit a permanent spot on your system. In this deep...

If you’ve ever unboxed a shiny, new Windows laptop and booted it up, you probably know the struggle—dealing with the barrage of uninvited guests in the form of pre-installed apps (or as we like to call them, bloatware). They clutter your Start Menu, throw ads into unexpected corners of the OS...