How many programs do you use on a regular basis out of all the software on your computer? Most people have a lot of useless software installed on their computers. While some of these apps are simply outdated, others are Windows bloatware, malicious software, or other unwanted software that you can uninstall. Here are some of the most common Windows 11 apps that you uninstall right away.
How to Check Installed Programs on Windows 11?
In Windows 11, reviewing the installed programs on your system is simple. Navigate to the Apps > Apps & Features section of Settings. You’ll see a list of everything that’s installed on your computer here.
While Windows 11 and Windows 10 are similar, you need to click the Start button in Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 and search for Programs and Features. This will bring up a similar list where you can look over everything that is currently installed on your computer.
To uninstall a piece of software, simply select it with a click and select Uninstall. Depending on the software, you may be able to uninstall it right away or you may have to go through some dialogue boxes. For more information, see our guide to uninstalling programs on Windows 11.
Now let’s take a look at which Windows apps you should uninstall—if any of the following are present on your system, remove them!
Unnecessary Windows Programs and Apps You Should Uninstall Right Away
If you have just bought a new Windows PC. here are 11 apps and software that you need to install right away. These programs and apps can also get installed if you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. When you are done uninstalling, you can check out these must-have Windows 11apps and programs that will make your Windows journey better.
1. QuickTime
Apple’s video player is QuickTime. While the Mac version is still supported, the Windows version hasn’t been updated since 2016.
Trend Micro announced that QuickTime for Windows had a few critical vulnerabilities shortly after Apple announced its deprecation. Because Apple will never patch these flaws, QuickTime is no longer safe to use.
Because iTunes does not rely on QuickTime, removing it should not cause any problems. If you need a QuickTime replacement, try VLC, which can play almost anything.
2. CCleaner
CCleaner was once a trusted Windows junk-cleaning app, but after being acquired by Avast, its reputation suffered. Forced updates without permission, data collection that enabled itself after restarting, and malware distribution by the software itself were all issues.
In 2020, we found that CCleaner had improved its performance but was still largely unnecessary. Cleaning tools, including those built into Windows, are available elsewhere.
3. Crappy PC Cleaners
At some point, many people have installed (or unintentionally installed) a PC-cleaning app.
The majority of these products are either useless or harmful, as registry cleaners have no effect on Windows performance. If you find garbage in the list of your installed apps, such as MyCleanPC or PC Optimizer Pro, remove it.
If your computer is running slowly, try some of these tips to speed up Windows.
4. uTorrent
Torrenting software such as uTorrent was once thought to be the gold standard. However, it has a slew of issues that have rendered it untrustworthy in recent years.
uTorrent not only has ads crammed into the interface, but it also has offers for other software tools, which is annoying. Its worst transgression occurred in 2015, when the app was discovered to include cryptocurrency mining software without informing users.
This squandered your system’s resources in the background to generate revenue for the company, which allegedly donated some of it to charity.
There’s no reason to use uTorrent any longer. You may want to take a look at the best Peer-to-Peer file transfer software instead.
5. Adobe Flash Player and Shockwave Player
As of January 2021, Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported. Despite the fact that Flash is now blocked in all modern browsers, you should still uninstall local copies of the software. Because Adobe is no longer updating it, this will keep you safe from any future security issues.
Adobe Shockwave Player, a similar runtime plugin, was retired in 2019. It’s no longer available for download, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a website that requires it.
As a result, both Shockwave Player and Flash Player should be uninstalled. They’re both relics of a bygone era and obsolete in today’s world.
6. Java
Java is a media runtime that consists of two parts: a desktop version and a browser plugin version (which is notorious for having security problems).
Though it was once fairly common, it is now used on very few websites. W3Techs estimates that only 0.02 percent of websites use Java at the time of writing.
Java is no longer supported by modern versions of Chrome and Firefox, making it less of a security risk than it once was. You should uninstall Java unless you’re an Android developer or use specialized software that requires it. You’re unlikely to notice a difference.
7. Microsoft Silverlight
Silverlight is a web framework that, like Adobe Flash, used to allow rich media content to be displayed in your browser. These plugins were once required on a large number of websites.
However, they’ve been deprecated and are no longer useful. Looking at W3Techs again, we see that Silverlight is used by less than 0.03 percent of websites as of early 2021.
Silverlight isn’t even supported by modern browsers; Chrome and Firefox haven’t supported it in years, and it was never compatible with Edge.
Silverlight is officially supported only in Internet Explorer, which is only included in Windows 11 for compatibility reasons. Uninstalling Silverlight will not result in any data loss.
8. Toolbars and Junk Browser Extensions
When you’re trying to figure out what to remove from Windows 11, one of the first things that come to mind is junk in your browser. While toolbars were once a much more common issue, modern versions of Chrome and other browsers have fought back and largely eliminated them. Spammy extensions, on the other hand, are still out there.
Look for toolbars like the Bing Bar, Google Toolbar, Ask Toolbar, Yahoo! Toolbar, or Babylon Toolbar in your programs list. Uninstall them if you come across any.
Review the installed add-ons or extensions in your browsers after that. Make sure you recognize and review everything there, because even reputable extensions can be sold to shady firms.
9. Manufacturer Bloatware
Unless you’re using a high-end device like the Surface Pro or have installed Windows from scratch on a new desktop, your computer most likely came with a slew of pre-installed software from the manufacturer. This problem affects laptops from Acer, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, and other manufacturers.
Consider getting rid of these unnecessary programs, as none of them are required for Windows to function.
Some of the preinstalled branded programs are completely unnecessary, such as photo apps, gaming tools, or anything that duplicates Windows utilities. Others, such as driver/BIOS update utilities (such as Lenovo System Update), should be kept on hand.
Of course, we can’t comment on every piece of software produced by a manufacturer. Should I Remove It? provides an overview of what each program does and how others have rated it, is a good place to start when determining what you should delete from your system.
10. Windows 11 Bloatware
It’s bad enough that you have to remove manufacturer bloatware, but Microsoft includes a lot of its own in Windows 11. This is accomplished through the use of Store apps. Thankfully, the majority of these ineffective programs are simple to remove.
Some of the built-in Modern apps, such as Xbox and Weather, are useful to some users but not to others. Others, such as Candy Crush Saga, should be deleted.
11. WinRAR
While having a file extraction and compression tool on hand is beneficial, WinRAR is not the best option. Due to its old-school “shareware” licence, the app has become a bit of a joke.
You can get a “trial” version of WinRAR for free, but you’ll have to pay after using it for a while. Even if you don’t pay, the app never locks you out, so you can keep using it indefinitely.
Regardless, there’s no reason to use WinRAR in the first place. 7-Zip is a free and simple tool that meets the needs of the majority of people.
The Bottom Line
The programs listed above are no longer necessary because they are no longer useful. You can always reinstall something if you uninstall it and then realize you need it again.
It’s always a good idea to clean up your system and get rid of any old or useless Windows 11 programs. You could even go one step further and delete any unnecessary Windows folders.
We hope our guide to uninstall unnecessary applications on Windows 11 helped you. If you liked this, don’t forget to check out our other explainers, best lists, and how-to guides. Furthermore, if you have any questions or suggestions, please use the comment section below to contact us.
