As the name indicates, these are programs that are already installed on all Windows 10 computers the moment you boot the freshly purchased OS for the first time. While this may not seem to be that big of a deal for computers, especially if said PC holds a relatively large storage space, on mobile devices it can become a serious issue that could ruin the user experience from the very beginning. And that’s why PC users have to consider the removal of these preinstalled apps as well.
Preinstalled apps that can and can’t be removed
These programs can be considered double edged swords: on the one hand they can make Windows 10 users’ life easier, offering additional tools or functionalities to the system; but for many users they’re just a waste of space. For these ‘purists’ a new computer should be devoid of anything the moment you get it from the store. So the question is legit: why are these installed to begin with?
The answer is simple: they are sources of revenue to computer manufacturers. Having preinstalled third party apps by partnered enterprises usually increases the price a consumer pays for the computer. This can be only a few dollars, but in a market where thousands of computers are sold every day this quickly becomes an important revenue source for computer manufacturers.
And following the rule of ‘the more the merrier’, there are plenty of preinstalled apps you may come across, some of the most common ones are as follows:
- 3D Builder
- Alarms
- Booking.com
- Calculator
- Camera
- Candy Crush Saga
- Film and TV
- Get Office
- Get Skype
- Get Started
- Mail and Calendar
- Maps
- Money
- Music
- News
- OneNote
- Paint 3D
- People
- Phone Companion
- Photos
- Solitaire
- Sports
- Store
- Sway
- Voice Recorder
- Weather
- WildTangent Games
- Xbox
In addition to the programs listed above, there can be additional apps such as the manufacturers’ care center, PowerDVD, Nero, etc., but that usually depends on the computer’s brand and internal specifications.
However, there are certain apps you are seemingly stuck with no matter what you do. The reason why Microsoft made them this way is simple: to keep users from deleting what is essential for Windows to run properly. These apps include OneNote, Alarms, Photos, and everything else that contributes directly to the setup of the computer.
But nothing is truly impossible, meaning that even those essential apps can be removed in one way or another.
Solutions for inexperienced and advanced users
Fortunately, there are solutions for everyone who really wants to get rid of all the preinstalled content they didn’t ask for.
However, there is one thing that needs to be kept in mind no matter where the cleanup solution originates from: whenever an app is deleted with such a program, the process is irreversible. So before tampering with software that could be considered indispensable make sure that you know what you do or at least create a backup with which the computer’s previous state can be restored should anything go wrong. Thankfully, backing up the system is an in-built feature of registry cleaners, so no matter how you decide, you are always covered.
Leo S.
Adam B.
