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Question

How to clear all of the bloatware from a computer?

Mar 17, 2017 1:43AM PDT

This may sound like a lazy question to ask as there is probably thousands of answers out there but I have looked at s few guides and i'm just unsure whats the best way to do this. I've just got a new asus laptop and its filled with useless apps and I just want to clean the laptop fully of this useless junk and start fresh without it. Has anybody done this recently and what method/programs did they use as a lot of the sites I looked at were linking tools to find the product key etc.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Not quite fitting
Mar 17, 2017 8:02AM PDT

The bloatware I want to uninstall isnt just stupid windows 10 apps etc. It is all of the unnecessary apps my laptop came with e.g. asus based gift apps, eye help, anti virus pop ups, useless apps like teamviewer and evernote. I just wanted a solution guide of how to completely clean it of all of the useless junk and then reinstall windows 10

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Re: remove bloatware
Mar 17, 2017 8:38AM PDT

If you do a clean install of Windows 10 there's no need to delete anything if you tell the installer to format your c:\partition. To install Windows 10 download it from https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10 and follow the instructions. Don't forget to install the latest drivers from the Asus site.

Now that's a short guide!

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product key
Mar 17, 2017 8:54AM PDT

I just bought the laptop and will doing this require getting the product key details for the genuine windows 10 installed as it was pre-installed on the device and theres nothing that came with it stating a product key

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The key is no longer on the product.
Mar 17, 2017 9:26AM PDT

That changed years ago. There are tools to show the key (just google jellybean key finder) and there's your key.

Mind you that you have an OEM KEY so a fresh install may not always be possible without paying for a new license for the full W10 retail version.

-> I have to comment here that clean install is over rated. Lots of work for little gain. Here I just uninstall what I don't need and I'm done. Usually about a hour over the first week of ownership.

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You shouldn't have to pay for
Mar 17, 2017 10:33AM PDT
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I agree.
Mar 17, 2017 10:56AM PDT

But I continue to get folk telling me otherwise. As I can't get to the PC in question I have to agree there is something going on here.

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You can go into Programs and features
Mar 17, 2017 10:28AM PDT

under control panel and uninstall them.

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Bloat
Mar 17, 2017 2:25PM PDT

Start with create the factory restore media and tuck it away, that's your life line back if things get wonky.

Use programs and features and remove an item or two,,,,,test.
If nothing turns up busted create a system image.

Remove another item or two from programs and features,,,,test.
If nothing turns up busted create another system image.

Repeat until you've removed everything you want.

When you get it all cleaned up create a system image and tuck it away.
That's your restore media to get you back to a bloatware free setup.

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Answer
bloatware to you may be a valuable resource to another
Mar 17, 2017 2:04AM PDT

one of the first things I do is to manually update the computer. make sure windows is completely updated. If you dont do this, some microsoft or their third party friends programs/app you uninstalled will come back.

next step is go to the programs files and uninstall everything I don't want. then I go to the start menu and uninstall everything microsoft I dont want using right click.. Unfortunately microsoft made it near impossible to uninstall some apps.

once that is done, then my computer is ready for me to install my favorite utilities and programs. there is a utility out there that will help with all of this but I rather do it myself in order to familiarized myself with the new computer.

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Answer
Re: bloatware
Mar 17, 2017 2:12AM PDT

I fully agree with renagade here. Just uninstall from Control Panel.

But just in case you uninstall something that you thought junk but turns out to be essential, make an image backup first so you can go back if necessary.

Can you provide a list of all that junk that you're going to remove? Don't take the trouble to remove stuff from Microsoft, like a Candy Crush app. Those come back with the Creators update. Just remove the tile from the start screen and forget about it.

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Answer
Remove Windows, Install Linux
Mar 17, 2017 11:10AM PDT

That's what I did and not a bit of "bloatware" comes with it.

check out these sites for more information.

http://www.distrowatch.com
http://www.osdisc.com

There are many Youtube videos about all versions of Linux. The most popular are Ubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Mint, Zorin, Elementary, Mageia. For more refined version, anything with the KDE (K desktop environment) is good.

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actually
Mar 17, 2017 4:52PM PDT

bloatware does come with some distros of linux. that was one of the problems with ubuntu unity distro. In addition it goes back to what you want as to what is installed during a new install.. I have to go through my linux mint to get rid of what I don't want that is auto installed. I consider that bloatware.

Linux is not the answer to everything Happy

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there are some programs unwanted
Mar 18, 2017 12:18PM PDT

but removal is quite easy and less danger of affecting the OS as a whole.

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Answer
How to Remove Bloatware
Mar 17, 2017 7:25PM PDT

I use a free piece of software called "PC Decrapifier". I have used it on new computers since Windows XP. it will take out about 99% of the bloatware that comes with a new (or used) computer, then to finish it off, I load up "CCleaner" to manually remove the rest. PC Decrapifier & CCleaner are free software. With PC Decrapifier you load the program, check the software you want to remove, say "yes" to run it, & in about an hour(depending how much removal is needed), a few restarts, and poof, it's done.

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Answer
Use Geek Uninstaller
Mar 17, 2017 7:46PM PDT

Download and install the free small utility program called Geek Uninstaller.

After installing, run the program.

It will list all installed programs. Click to select/highlight the program you want to uninstall, one at a time.

The normal uninstall for that program will run.

After the normal uninstall of that one program, you can click to have Geek Uninstaller search your computer for leftover files, leftover Registry entries, etc.

Geek Uninstaller will list all the leftover junk and you can click to proceed with removal of all those leftover "junk" files.

Repeat for each program you want to uninstall.

After it's all done you can run CCleaner just to make sure.

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Answer
Decisions, decisions...
Mar 18, 2017 3:07AM PDT

Hi Harvv, I would agree with many of the earlier posts that removing the stuff you don't want manually, is the safest way. But you have an ASUS! So do I. The amount of stuff on it is truly mind boggling! I'm wanting to replace the HDD with an SSD and what's on the machine on a 750 GB HDD won't fit on a 500 GB SSD and leave any room for my data!

I backed it up and started trying to delete items manually but gave up in the end and am in the process of clean starting it from a Downloaded Windows install disk from Microsoft plus the ASUS drivers downloaded directly from ASUS. For me, it will be quicker and cleaner. I've never had a problem clean installing sn OEM version using the same product key on the system it came with.

Whichever way you decide to go, I would recommend downloading and running the free version of Belarc Advisor. It will scan your machine, list all the hardware and software and ALL the product keys, which I think are always worth having, even if you don't need the key for Win 10 with a digital entitlement.