European Windows Users Gain Control: Uninstall Bloatware & Customize Your Experience

For European Windows users, enduring the presence of unremovable apps and relentless pop-ups has been a defining feature of the operating system for years. But that landscape is rapidly changing as Microsoft, prodded by regulatory mandates from the European Economic Area’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), hands over more granular control to end-users. The ramifications of this shift touch almost every corner of the Windows experience, from browser choice to the very fabric of how apps are discovered and managed.

The End of Unwanted Digital Baggage​

At the heart of these changes is the user’s newfound ability to uninstall staple Microsoft applications: Edge, Bing, and even the Microsoft Store itself. Until now, these components were not only preinstalled on every device but also deeply integrated into the Windows ecosystem. Attempts to remove them typically led nowhere, short of advanced command-line workarounds or third-party bloatware removal tools, and even those provided imperfect results.
But beginning in 2024, users in the European Economic Area (EEA)—which includes the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway—no longer have to acquiesce. In an unprecedented move, Microsoft is rolling out updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that allow these cornerstone apps to be uninstalled cleanly and completely. Gone are the insistent prompts to make Edge the default browser. Gone, too, are mandatory Bing search integrations that often cluttered the search experience. Even the Widgets board, often criticized for unwanted ads and newsfeed noise, is ceding to user preference.

What’s Changing—and Why?​

The catalyst behind this transformation is the DMA, a sweeping regulation intended to curb anti-competitive practices among the world’s largest technology “gatekeepers.” Microsoft, like other tech giants operating in Europe, is compelled not only to expand user choice, but to make it genuinely frictionless. On Windows, this means dissecting forced integrations and giving users the autonomy to dictate their own digital environment.

Core Adjustments Highlighted​

• Microsoft Edge Uninstallation: Users can now remove Edge from their systems directly, with no workaround or registry hack required. This also means that internal prompts to reset Edge as the default browser will disappear unless the user actively opens Edge again. The feature debuted with Edge version 137.0.3296.52, released on May 29, 2024, and is already available across much of the EEA.
• Default Browser Control: When an alternative browser—Chrome, Firefox, Brave, or others—is chosen as the default, Windows will now automatically pin it to the Taskbar. More significantly, the range of file and protocol associations transferred to the new default browser has expanded. This now includes ‘read’ links, FTP, and SVG files. The improved default browser experience is live for some Insider testers and is expected to reach the broader public on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 across July 2024.
• Bing and Windows Search: A perpetual complaint among power users has been Bing’s omnipresence in Windows Search, sometimes muddling local results with web suggestions. Per the DMA, Microsoft is allowing Bing to be uninstalled, and even when present, it will now open web results using the default browser rather than funneling content exclusively through Edge.
• The Microsoft Store and App Updating: Perhaps most radical, Microsoft is allowing even its Store app to be removed. Once uninstalled, apps previously obtained through the Store will continue to receive updates, and Store can be reinstalled at any time. This approach ensures users are not penalized for seeking a leaner experience, while preserving security and updatability.
• Microsoft News Feed and Widgets: The Start Experiences app—which populates Widget boards and the Lock Screen with content—now defers to the user’s default browser. Widgets and news feeds previously hardwired into Edge are thus liberated. Windows 11 will receive this change first, with rollout beginning in June.
• Legacy Features in Windows 10: Unlike Windows 11, Windows 10 does not feature the newer Widgets Board. Instead, ‘desk bands’ allow similar customization. Edge’s News & Interests feature, which utilizes desk bands, will keep its behavior unaltered, opening content via Edge.

Breaking Down the User Experience​

From a practical standpoint, these changes are both sweeping and subtle. For users long frustrated by forced choices—particularly in enterprise and educational settings where IT policies lock down app configurations—these new freedoms are a potential gamechanger.

Removing Edge and Bing: What Actually Happens?​

Until now, uninstalling Edge via standard means was impossible. While technically adept users could disable it using Windows PowerShell or block updates, Microsoft quietly reinstalled it during cumulative updates. The new approach, however, is sanctioned at the operating system level. Once removed via official methods, not only will Edge disappear from navigation, but related pop-ups, notifications, and install prompts cease—except for certain cases where web-apps distributed through the Store still require Edge’s rendering technology.
Similarly, removing Bing/News integrations streamlines Windows Search. Instead of a blended search experience (half local, half online), users gain a decluttered environment. Web content searches will default to whichever browser the user selects, upholding both user intent and regulatory requirements.

The Microsoft Store’s Strange New World​

Microsoft’s willingness to let users uninstall its own app marketplace is both surprising and loaded with risk. While Store itself can be removed, any applications installed through it remain updatable thanks to background services. For developers, this isn’t necessarily disruptive; distributing apps directly from their own sites—via Store Web Installer or classic .msix packages—remains an option.
However, this separation between app management and the storefront introduces potential confusion. Less technical users may not realize how updates propagate or how to reinstall the Store itself if it’s deleted. Whether Microsoft will provide clear, in-system messaging to mitigate this remains to be seen.

Widgets, Feeds, and User Control​

The Widgets Board—Microsoft’s attempt to emulate the dynamic, glanceable content seen in modern mobile platforms—has always been met with mixed reviews. By allowing users to purge the board’s ad-driven and sometimes irrelevant news feeds (or at least to reduce their prominence), Microsoft potentially makes Widgets more palatable for productivity-focused users. However, third-party widget and news app providers may find this opens the door for alternative feeds and tools.

Protocol Handling—A Small but Integral Shift​

In previous Windows generations, browser and file association changes felt intentionally difficult to navigate. Each operating system update seemed to add steps—sometimes hidden—to selecting alternative browsers and setting them across multiple protocol types. By standardizing the default browser handoff across all URLs and formats, Windows is catching up to the expectations set by macOS and Linux environments. For organizations managing vast device fleets, this means simplified group policies and less pushback from users.

Regulatory Pressure and the DMA: A Catalyst for Choice​

All these changes have their roots in the DMA, passed in 2022 and enforced more aggressively from 2024 onward. The Act specifically targets digital “gatekeepers,” requiring them to:

• Not pre-install or privilege their own apps and services above rivals.
• Allow users to freely uninstall default apps and select competitors.
• Permit third-party integration at a platform level.

Microsoft’s initial attempts at compliance were widely deemed lackluster. For example, the “Browser Ballot” (reintroduced years after its original, legally mandated debut) was criticized for burying the choice screen in obscure menus. These latest updates address those criticisms head-on, not only allowing uninstallation but making alternative browser selection as frictionless as possible. The expansion of protocol and file association options means that switching isn’t merely decorative; it banishes remaining traces of forced default behaviors.

Critical Analysis: Strengths and Risks​

Notable Strengths​

• User Autonomy: The primary win is user empowerment. Individuals can shape their system around real needs, rather than being steered by Microsoft’s business model.
• Regulatory Alignment: By embracing rather than resisting DMA mandates, Microsoft avoids drawn-out legal battles and hefty fines—allowing it to focus developer resources on OS improvement instead of courtroom wrangling.
• Improved Security Posture: Counterintuitively, giving users the ability to remove unwanted apps may reduce attack surfaces exploited by malware. For instance, unpatched components like Edge and Bing have historically been used as vectors for exploits; if they aren’t installed, they can’t be targeted.
• Competitive Fairness: Rival browsers and app stores finally stand on equal footing, at least within the EEA. This levels the playing field for independent developers facing entrenched default choices.

Significant Risks and Open Issues​

• Fragmentation for Support: The ability to uninstall core apps may introduce inconsistency across devices, complicating IT support. For example, if a user accidentally removes the Store and loses track of updates, or cannot reinstall apps, it could result in increased support tickets and troubleshooting steps.
• Potential Confusion: While tech-savvy users will celebrate these expanded freedoms, less experienced users may find themselves lost—especially if uninstalling the Store or Edge leads to missing features needed by other apps (such as Progressive Web Apps that depend on Edge tech).
• Unintended Consequences: Allowing the removal of the Store brings the specter of “rogue” app installations, since users may be encouraged to download unsigned or pirated apps from third-party sources, increasing the risk of malware infections.
• Patch Management Complexity: Maintaining update consistency when core components can be missing poses new challenges. Will Windows Update track Store-derived apps if the Store has been deleted? Microsoft claims updates will continue, but the technical underpinning remains to be fully proven at scale.

Comparing with Other Markets​

It’s important to remember these new freedoms apply strictly to the EEA. Users in the United States, Canada, Asia, and other regions will not see the same options—at least not unless similar legislation is passed elsewhere. In the U.S., for example, Edge, Bing, and Store remain integral, and “uninstall” is still a distant prospect.

Future Directions: What Does This Signal for Windows?​

Microsoft’s move will almost certainly reverberate beyond Europe. Historically, features that began as region-specific regulatory compliance—consider the original Browser Ballot in Windows 7 and 8—slowly made their way into global releases due to convenience, reputational benefits, and reduced maintenance overhead.
If user feedback in Europe is enthusiastic, expect Microsoft to experiment with these freedoms in other markets, either via Insider previews or as hidden, toggle-able options for advanced users.
Meanwhile, competitors like Google and Apple will be monitoring both the technical and consumer responses to this shift. With the European Commission actively investigating app store monopolies across the tech sector, it’s plausible similar demands could extend to Chrome OS, Android, and macOS ecosystems in the near future.

Practical Steps for Users​

For those in the EEA eager to exercise these controls, here’s a practical roadmap:

• Ensure OS is Updated: Only the most current Windows 10 and 11 builds (from mid-2024 onward) support these uninstall features.
• Uninstall via Settings: Navigate to the standard “Apps & Features” menu to remove Edge, Bing, or the Store.
• Change Default Browser: After installing an alternative browser, designate it as default via Settings; it will now be correctly recognized across more file and protocol types.
• Manage Widgets and News Feeds: Adjust or remove Widget content within the Widgets board or Start Experiences app to strip out ads and irrelevant feeds.
• Restoring Apps: If the Store or Edge is uninstalled by mistake, Microsoft provides straightforward methods to reinstall from official sources via system tools or command prompts.

The Broader Picture: Control, Compliance, and the Windows Identity​

This era marks a milestone in the evolution of Windows: an OS finally doing more to serve user interests than protect entrenched business interests. The spirit of the DMA, and Microsoft’s increasingly robust compliance, may ultimately encourage tech companies everywhere to unshackle end-users from forced defaults.
Yet, this journey is incomplete. The reality of “choice” in tech often comes with trade-offs. While the end of nagging pop-ups and digital bloat is widely welcomed, Windows itself becomes fractionally more complicated, requiring a new baseline of user education—and a new playbook for IT administrators.
As the dust settles and the changes reach millions in the EEA, one thing is clear: the days of Windows as a locked-down, one-size-fits-all experience are ending. Whether Microsoft expands these policies globally may depend as much on user advocacy as on the next wave of regulatory action. For now, at least, Europe’s Windows users have a deeper and more authentic grip on their digital destiny than ever before.

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Source: International Business Times UK No More Nagging Pop-Ups: Windows Users in Europe Can Now Delete Edge, Bing, and the Microsoft Store