Win11Debloat is a simple script that removes pre-installed windows bloatware

by mariuz • 3 years ago

123 186 3 years ago

Belphemur• 3 years ago

I have a love and hate relationship with this type of tools.

On one hand, I want to remove all that I don't need and keep my privacy on my computer; on the other I don't want to have to fiddle and google why the Windows update failed.

Because, I stopped counting how many times one of those registry changes/app removal actually broke Windows update.

In the end, I just run other software like StartAllBack that I can easily uninstall if it causes issues when updating Windows.

causi3• 3 years ago

How's StartAllBack compare to other software like Start11?

Semaphor3• 3 years ago

Afaik is the only one that supports a vertical sidebar.

n4te3• 3 years ago

I use Sledgehammer to control when Windows Update runs and which updates it installs.

toyg3• 3 years ago

times one of those registry changes/app removal actually broke Windows update.

If there is an option in Registry, it's clearly an acceptable use-case.

The truth is that Microsoft developers are lazy (like most devs) and just fail to test their updates properly - or even intentionally ship broken software, in order to force this or that option back to its (typically privacy-invasive) default.

Arainach2• 3 years ago

That's not true at all. The contents of the registry are not a documented public API. They have no support guarantee. Some keys are documented, but those are not what these tools modify and are not the ones that cause problems.

"I deleted a whole bunch of stuff in xorg.conf and my graphics started flickering" is not the fault of Xorg needing more tests.

netbioserror3• 3 years ago

If you turn the complexity curve of debloating and custom Windows ROMs about 90 degrees, it's the same as the backwards bend Windows users are doing to avoid jumping to something easier like Linux Mint.

Black616Angel• 3 years ago

No, then they tell you about all the not-working AAA-games they boycott and why that somehow hinders them of using Linux, which they by the way already tried in 1995 and it didn't work out back then so why should it now?

netbioserror3• 3 years ago

If we're expecting consistency, the overlap between "AAA games boycott" and "Linux users" should be fairly significant. I'm doing my part, though I must say, the utterly whelming stock of third-person movie-games is making it a LOT easier.

unethical_ban• 3 years ago

That's quite a fantasy you've cooked up there.

There is nothing demonic about happily gaming on the supported software platform. I have Windows because I play games built for Windows.

I have Fedora on my laptop.

Edit: oh yeah, a fresh KDE fedora install with encrypted volumes can't open the file manager without doing a one time cli to create a thumbnails directory. And I can't watch h26(4|5) videos in YouTube, supposedly unless I enable a 3p repo and install a package which gives me a dependency conflict.

mschuster912• 3 years ago

Hasn't Steam Deck pretty much solved that problem by shoveling such insane amounts of money into Wine/Proton that it is able to pretty much run everything you want in terms of games?

danuker2• 3 years ago

I have been surprised how easy it was to get my not-too-technically-savvy mum to use Manjaro. She spends the vast majority (if not all) of her time in the browser, so there's no difference.

sokoloff2• 3 years ago

She’s since died, but my grandmother ran a minimal Linux distro I installed for her (I think lubuntu) for years and I think in 6 years or so had only one issue that needed help (someone to read the error message and okay the fsck).

Otherwise, I doubt she noticed the difference from her prior Windows usage.

jeroenhd• 3 years ago

I wouldn't have gone for Manjaro, but Linux environments with user friendly interfaces are great for many more people than they would appear to be at first glance.

You'll need to play tech support every now and then ("I have a new printer, and...") and you'll need to teach people the basics, but a lot of occasional computer users will be happy with modern Linux.

However, if you use your computer for your job, you'll either have an interest in learning how to accomplish it, or you'll have an awful time using Linux. Microsoft Office still has an edge over any open source product out there. Games work (sort of) through Steam, but if your games come from Epic you'll need to dive into the world of alternative launchers and compatibility layers to play them (if they even work at all). VPN/RDP software can usually work, if you put in the effort to learn about how they work under the hood and what configuration files you need to edit.

This leads to a pretty wacky parabolic usability graph, where Linux is great for the people with the least amount of interest and knowledge about computers and for computer experts, but bad to unusable for those in the middle between the two.

Desktop Linux has been bridging the gap, with more and better GUIs and better defaults, but as long as we'll have loud, hardcore "everybody needs to know the terminal or they shouldn't use Linux at all" Linux users I'm afraid ChromeOS will eat Linux's lunch before anyone even notices.

nerdjon7• 3 years ago

I disagree, you are comparing a one time setup vs re-learning how to use your computer.

Not to mention any later compatibility issues you may need to diagnose, particularly with gaming. Not everything works with Proton and there are other stores than just Steam.

A debloated Windows is still Windows. Bundle this with a "use these debloat settings for gaming" and it could be just clicking a couple of buttons for the majority of users.

mtlmtlmtlmtl• 3 years ago

Windows breaks all the time for lots of people. My brother has a weird issue with his computer where it gets temporarily stuck in a boot loop if "fast startup" is enabled in Windows. After I figured this out I turned it off and it was fine(and booted faster!). Then Windows update happened and the setting was switched back on again. I'm not sure how to solve it other than periodically making sure it hasn't magically been turned on again.

veave2• 3 years ago

The day Linux Mint has a competent win32 and directx api (Wine is not there yet and may never be) I will switch.

Windows is inconvenient at times but if I have to choose between inconvenience and not being able to use my programs... what's the point of having a computer if it can't run your programs?

empyrrhicist4• 3 years ago

Out of curiosity, what programs?

prmoustache2• 3 years ago

what's the point of having a computer if it can't run your programs?

The point of having a computer is to be able to program it actually. This is not a TV appliance. So I would say the correct answer is port your programs to a better OS.

layer85• 3 years ago

Despite the slow enshittification of the Windows GUI, I still prefer it to the mess Linux has on the GUI front. Linux is great for CLI and headless. Hence I combine both.

cobertos3• 3 years ago

Which parts are a mess?

I don't think I could use Linux if it weren't for Linux Mint/Cinnamon specifically, as I haven't had good experiences with other desktop enviroments. It has one or two quirks, but at this point it's far less quirks than a fresh Windows install and the list of config options I had to change/the .reg file I started accumulating

KirillPanov• 3 years ago

Slow?

empyrrhicist4• 3 years ago

I've been using default Gnome and PopOS's Gnome version as daily drivers for years, probably like 10 years or so. I also keep a Windows partition for gaming and use Windows at work.

Can't say I've had any problems.

prmoustache2• 3 years ago

Which mess?

I see choice. My choice may not be the same as yours. Most major desktop projects allows you to have a clean and powerful desktop whose ergonomy is superior to those provided by current proprietary OSes.

cobertos3• 3 years ago

I was this person. I would have switched _years_ earlier had I known that with Linux Mint I would get Windows-like desktop, hotkeys, and explorer, taskbar, etc, which was so much better than my experiences with Ubuntu and Unity and other desktop environments. Cinnamon (Mint's desktop environment) is really nice.

I regret not doing it sooner, my development life has become more focused and easier.

XorNot• 3 years ago

Yeah Cinnamon was really the turning point for me.

The reality is Windows 95 more or less nailed the last paradigm we needed in desktop computing, and everything else is minor refinements.

Cinnamon apes that very sensibly.

FirmwareBurner4• 3 years ago

it's the same as the backwards bend Windows users are doing to avoid jumping to something easier like Linux Mint

No need to be snarky for a cheap shot at windows users who never bothered you with anything, not everyone is trying to avoid jumping or trying to jump.

Get out of your (tech) bubble and touch some grass, plenty of Average Joe users are contempt using what's familiar and works for them out of the box with their Lenovo/Asus laptop, and use their free time for other things instead of learning about new GNU/Linux operating systems, because they have other hobbies and uses for their time, so no need to talk down on them off your IT high-horse.

The group of people who can't go 5 minutes without bashing Windows 11, are just a loud minority (who don't use Windows 11 anyway lol) that goes unheard of in the "real world" where people have other stuff on their mind than worrying about their OS.

Just live and let live, and use the energy you put in bashing Windows 11 online, towards something actually productive. Windows 11 users who are really unhappy will seek the change themselves.

CoastalCoder2• 3 years ago

I didn't read the GP comment as bashing.

I read it as simply asserting that the levels of effort were closer than some Windows users realize.

jrm43• 3 years ago

Oh, the sensitivity of the Windows defender.

I'll keep repeating this. I've been doing "installing operating systems and intro to IT courses" for well over a decade now, for many different types of users at many skill levels.

Out of the box Linux (e.g. Mint) is an across the board better operating system for anyone who doesn't need anything specifically tied to Windows. It's easier, it just works.

I admit that it's not all "Linux people are awesome" as much as I would like -- it's "most everything most people need is available on the Web," which Linux is very good at.

The Linux experience is roughly equal to the Mac experience, and Windows is third. Inertia is presently Windows Desktop only advantage.

computerfriend3• 3 years ago

It's telling that MS Windows users react so defensively to what was a very reasonable comment.

jml78• 3 years ago

I dual boot because Linux still can’t play a huge number of games.

Linux is for work. Win11 is for gaming

redserk2• 3 years ago

Eh, depends on "easier".

For day-to-day tasks as a technical user I use a Mac but wouldn't find it to be an issue to use linux for most of my work.

However, my strictly-gaming PC runs Windows. It's by-far the easiest, least-effort, and overwhelmingly the most supported choice. I'm not wanting to put on the sysadmin hat when wanting to decompress after work.

Dalewyn• 3 years ago

the backwards bend Windows users are doing to avoid jumping to something easier like Linux Mint.

As a Windows user, I need and want Windows. Not a free knockoff that will have me messing with the computer just so I can maybe do something with it.

vxNsr2• 3 years ago

Just curious, does mint have an easy to set up cloud file system (easy as in login, click “yes backup”, and done) does it integrate with the word processor and spreadsheet software so that atomic changes are saved in real-time creating an easy version history? Do those same programs have online equivalents that allow multiple users to edit at the same time as me?

Forget gaming, 90% of what I use my personal computer for is described above, I don’t find it fun to spend an afternoon trying to wrangle syncthing or spider sync into something that it wasn’t meant to be just to get a workflow that is first class in windows.

shrimp_emoji5• 3 years ago

Look up Free office; it's a 99% identical clone of the Microsoft Office suite for Mac and Linux, and it's free.

Couple that with Dropbox (which has version history for files on its paid plan), and you're good to go. Dolphin, the best file manager, also integrates with Dropbox nicely.

I don't know why anyone Linux-literate would recommend Mint though. Try KDE instead. I recommend Manjaro, which is a managed rolling release that always has brand new software. KDE is the best desktop environment on Linux, the most powerfully customizable and feature-rich as well as the most Windows-like. (Mint uses Cinnamon, which is much worse, fringe, and crashy than KDE. Linux Mint is what children use as their first distro lol.)

KeyBoardG4• 3 years ago

Some people are stuck due to driver support. As streaming has been growing, ElGato has zero official support for Linux. I solved this by relegating Windows to a tiny 1 liter PC after enough Windows anti-patterns.

TwoNineA4• 3 years ago

> If you turn the complexity curve of debloating and custom Windows ROMs about 90 degrees, it's the same as the backwards bend Windows users are doing to avoid jumping to something easier like Linux Mint.

Let me know when Linux is running games that have Easy Anti Cheat or stuff from Blizzard. It's the day I will ditch my windows gaming rig. Until then, kindly STFU.

shrimp_emoji5• 3 years ago

StarCraft 2 and WoW ran great before Blizzard made the launcher not work. On the plus side, I mercifully no longer want to play the mediocre games of that horrible (soon to be owned by Microsoft like Bethesda? kekw) company. :D By being so unbelievably scummy and shitty for the last few years (aligning exactly with my shift to Linux), Blizzard and Bethesda have gone from my favorite game companies to my most hated, which is awful kind of them for eliminating the dilemma of dual booting.

computerfriend3• 3 years ago

It's a Blizzard problem, not a Linux problem.

pseudo0• 3 years ago

Blizzard games work pretty well with Lutris. It handles all the Wine config stuff for average users who just want their game to work, but power users can tweak it. I've had Diablo 2 Resurrected and StarCraft 2 running for years with no hassle.

https://lutris.net/games/diablo-2-ressurected/

netbioserror3• 3 years ago

You clearly haven't checked in for a while. I've been playing Blizzard games and EAC games for multiple years now. They work great unless the dev specifically rejects EAC support. D4 and Dragonflight worked flawlessly on launch. Squad and other EAC games are also totally green.

hospitalJail5• 3 years ago

If you don't have a video card, I agree.

If you have a video card... It takes a few hours to figure it out.

But yes, then you are free from Microsoft's hold.

myk9001• 3 years ago

Whatever, I'll bite.

I'm a software developer. Some reasons I'm on Windows.

1. Font rendering

Programmers, admins, devops, people in tech basically stare at text all day long. Some people seem to be oblivious to font rendering issues on Linux. If you're one of them, lucky you! I'm not looking for imperfections just to pick on them, my eyes do notice them though.

1.1 Subpixel smoothing.

Was not a thing for a long time. I'm perfectly aware it wasn't due to technical reasons but because of patents on the technology. Withholding my judgment on the patent system overall, I'll just say knowing the reason didn't make it any easier on my eyes.

Yes, you could rebuild libfreetype with `#define FT_CONFIG_OPTION_SUBPIXEL_RENDERING` or hunt down and install an Infinality package. If you were on a distro with libfreetype compiled without that `#define` (as in almost all of them except Ubuntu), the very next thing you'd be faced with is the fact that packages relying on libfreetype check `ftoption.h` for the flag at compile time. Which makes sense -- how else would you check for a `define`? The result of this was that Firefox, KDE, Qt, and GTK apps wouldn't take advantage of subpixel rendering in libfreetype, unless you set out recompile all of them too (as I used to do). So much for the model of only single copy of a shared library in the system, I guess...

But that has finally changed for the better 3 or 4(?) years ago. Now `FT_CONFIG_OPTION_SUBPIXEL_RENDERING` is defined by default in all major distros, afaik.

Alas, my eyes still can't stand Linux font rendering, which brings us to

1.2 Font kerning

It's simple really, the spacing between letters looks uneven. Apart from making rendered text look ugly, it makes reading harder by breaking the visual rhythm of the text. I feel, it increases eye strain too.

Head to this page for a visual illustration of what I'm going on about: https://pandasauce.org/post/linux-fonts/#the-ugliest-part

Let me take a moment to remind you, our jobs involve staring at text all day long. Don't know about you, but to me good font rendering is a huge deal.

1.3 Config files

Let's see, this Arch wiki page[^1] lists how many configuration files related to fonts? There's the fontconfig library with user configuration files in `~/.fonts.conf.d/`, there is XOrg's `~/.Xresources` for apps that don't support fontconfig, and then there is the gnome-tweaks, and xsettingsd utilities. This list is likely not exhaustive either.

And it's not like you can ignore some of this configs and utilities, if you want consistent font rendering across the system, you'll have to futz around with most of them. A nice bonus, font rendering of Qt apps can and does break if run them in GNOME. Font rendering of GTK apps can and does break if you happen to start one in KDE. As they say, in Linux you can configure everything, and you will be configuring everything.

But you're learning how your OS works under the hood? Yeah, no, not really.

Learning how hardware works is interesting and potentially beneficial for your career prospects, same with learning how a kernel works, or, you know, even learning the fundamentals of font rendering can make you a better programmer.

Learning to handle a bunch of config files scattered all over the place just to get fonts render half-decently is nothing but a waste of time. And I shudder to think just how much I personally wasted.

That's it on fonts, but there's more on Linux.

2. Drivers

Linus made an intentional, strategic decision early on: the kernel is not going to maintain backward-compatible ABI for drivers (don't confuse this with user-space backward-compatibility though). The idea was to put pressure on hardware vendors to make their drives open-source and add them to the kernel's source tree.

The year is 2023, and it seems that decision back-fired just a little bit, at least for Desktop systems. But who knows, let's have a bit of patience, because important change doesn't come easy and fast. That said, while I don't care much about 3D acceleration, I really enjoy my laptop's touch-pad just working and its battery not draining because the discrete and integrated GPUs have no problems working in "hybrid" mode under Windows.

That's probably it for the list of "global" things that are broken (just my opinion) in Linux. Mind you, not for the lack of material, I'm just out of steam by now. Just one thing to add about Mint in particular.

3. Linux Mint distro user-friendliness

Last I checked, Mint had updates grouped into five categories numbered from 1 to 5. 1 being the least risky, 5 labeled Dangerous and colored red. The funny part is, many security updates would land in "5 - Dangerous". So, there you're having a security hole in your system, but it's dangerous to install an update patching it. Does it sound user-friendly to you? There was even a bit of drama around this subject back at the time[^2].

---

[^1]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/font_configuration

[^2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20131206095859/https://lists.ubu...

nerdjon7• 3 years ago

I don't remember which one I have used in the past, if it was this one or not. (I think it is but not 100% sure)

But this really is not for someone who does not really understand Windows. I ended up having a ton of issues gaming on my computer after this and it took a few tries to get it right.

Personally if you don't mind the less than legal options, I highly recommend Windows 10 LTS. I use it on my Steam Deck and it has been amazing. Since it is an official build from Microsoft I have not had any compatibility issues and when something is missing I can easily install it.

Been debating on moving my primary computer over but I have not wanted to go through reinstalling everything.

Side note, a debloated or LTS version of Windows runs great on my steam deck and I find that I sometimes get better performance than for the same game running under Steam OS. So tools like this can really optimize your setup if you are trying to squeeze as much performance out of your machine as possible.

anaisbetts5• 3 years ago

LTSC versions of Windows are literally missing major features and APIs, you should not be surprised if certain apps don't work on this version of Windows. It's designed for kiosk applications, not general purpose computers.

userbinator• 3 years ago

It's missing all the new stuff that no one really wants.

nerdjon7• 3 years ago

I can't find anything saying it is meant for Kiosk applications that more that this is simply a long term support version of Windows that also removes a lot of the things that are not necessary in an enterprise setting.

Now yes it was missing some of the things necessary for gaming but when I installed the Xbox app it easily also installed the other missing components.

Windows on my Steam Deck gets daily use from me with the LTSC version and have had no issues.

nguyenkien3• 3 years ago

What missing here?

I been using it as main OS at work for 3 years (.net shop)

passwordsarehar• 3 years ago

LTSC versions of Windows are literally missing major features and APIs

That's the point. Nearly all of the new "features" they've added are either useless or actively user-hostile.

Don't just parrot their marketing/sales BS, obviously they don't want a majority of their normal users running a version of the OS they can't just shove any new crapware into whenever they feel like. That looks bad on the balance sheet.

techload• 3 years ago

BloatyNosy (similar to ThisIsWin11) is better: https://github.com/builtbybel/BloatyNosy/releases

layer85• 3 years ago

It seems this requires you to use a GUI? I find a customizable script that I can run in one go and repeatedly preferable.

sklargh• 3 years ago

Windows’ product marketing teams are doing more to drive me towards Linux than any actual benefit Linux offers. The only things keeping me on Windows are Microsoft Flight Simulator and some obscure wargames.

blantonl• 3 years ago

Imagine the goodwill Microsoft could garner with advanced users if this was a simple mouse click during the installation.

Advanced Install > Minimal Install

sokoloff2• 3 years ago

How much is the goodwill of those advanced users worth (incrementally over today) compared to the rev-share and advertising dollars they’d lose by regular users choosing this after watching a YouTube or two?

Yeah, I’d like it, but it’s not hard to see why Microsoft doesn’t want to offer it.

mschuster912• 3 years ago

It would cost them too much money. Everyone is in for rent seeking these days... back in ye olde days (aka early '00s) you could actually buy operating systems or software, and you could keep using them virtually forever if you were fine that after a year or two you wouldn't get any bugfixes, and no new features at all.

Nowadays, people simply don't have the money to shell out hundreds of dollars for Windows, Office or the Adobe Suite (the CS6 Master Collection was like what, 8.000$?) any more, and so it's cheaper on paper for everyone to either have subscription models (like Adobe or MS Office) or "freemium" models (Windows). Obviously Microsoft has to make up the difference in income somehow, and they chose to go the advertising route. Offering an easy way to get rid of all the invasive advertising and tracking would kill that golden goose.

izacus• 3 years ago

That's the Microsoft which will kick you back into setup wizard on every major update and try to reset default browser, search and document editing apps to Edge/Bing/Office-Outlook?

Dead_Lemon• 3 years ago

I like using the VMware Horizon OS Optimization Tool. Its quite powerful at removing bloat and unneeded features for running windows smoothly in a VM, with granular control. Installing windows in Audit mode was also a useful discovery, that this tool recommended doing for a fresh install.

hardware2win• 3 years ago

I dont see restoring old right click context menu

throwingtoofar4• 3 years ago

You can do this by deleting the default value (should be 'C:\Windows\System32\Windows.UI.FileExplorer.dll') under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InProcServer32

though IIRC a tool to escalate privileges is needed to be able to modify the key.

The tool I posted elsewhere in the thread has an option to restore the old context menu but its overkill to create an ISO and do a complete re-install just for that xD.

throwingtoofar4• 3 years ago

An alternative is Optimize-Offline[0] which uses deprovisioning to remove packages from a Windows install ISO.

This is a method which mimics Windows' official methods which should prevent things being re-added when updating.

There are also tweaks to remove the TPM requirement and allow Windows 11 to run on older unsupported CPUs.

[0] https://github.com/gdeliana/Optimize-Offline

Edit: To mention there is also an option to bypass the online account requirement.

j1elo• 3 years ago

Not sure if your link is really a viable alternative. The first line of the Readme says it is for Windows 10:

Optimize-Offline is a Windows Image (WIM/ESD) optimization module designed for Windows 10 versions 1803-to-2009 64-bit architectures.

throwingtoofar4• 3 years ago

Works with windows 11, I have it on an unsupported gen 6 intel desktop + a newer laptop. This version is a fork of the original thats no longer maintained but they didn't update the readme.

blinkingled• 3 years ago

Interesting. But seems to only support Windows 10?

throwingtoofar4• 3 years ago

Works with windows 11 too.

dmaa• 3 years ago

I swear I wanted to smash my work computer being permanently molested by some xbox overlay when using some random shortcut. Wtf were they thinking?

duffyjp2• 3 years ago

I mostly use Macs, and without wasting your time with the details my CTRL-C equivalent in the Terminal is WindowsKey-C. Well, I was in Powershell on Windows 11 yesterday and needed to CTRL-C something and muscle memoried my Mac shortcut and it popped up some sort of chat GUI with no [X] button. What the heck is this stuff? Who wants these features?

I do have to say after much reluctance I upgraded my PC from Windows 10 to 11 and it's much more than a reskin. I even shoehorned it on my 4th gen i7 laptop and it's never run better. I'm looking forward to trying this tonight to get rid of some of the cruft.

hospitalJail5• 3 years ago

If you don't have a video card, it takes minutes to change to Linux.

If you have a video card, it takes hours.

Still better than M$.

dz0ny• 3 years ago

I use https://christitus.com/debloat-windows-10-2020/ a bit more options

PcChip• 3 years ago

A friend introduced me to him at a bar, they were old friends. I had no idea who he was but kept thinking he really looked familiar. Very nice guy!

stabbles• 3 years ago

Another way to debloat windows is not to have windows at all

mellosouls• 3 years ago

Had a quick skim. Hmm, Teams, OneNote and Remote Desktop considered bloatware, gaming apps not. Not sure of the target demographic for this. Perhaps worth considering very carefully before running in productivity or office environments, assuming you have access.

theandrewbailey• 3 years ago

I have to use that bloatware every day. Teams is pretty much the definition of it. I agree with the script.

bhouston• 3 years ago

Yeah, I agree. I think games do count as bloat generally, so should be removed by default.

Maybe have a few more questions in the custom mode:

- Remove Teams

- Remove OneNote

- Remove RemoteDesktop

- Remove Games

I would answer yes to all the above but Remote Desktop.

A GUI with a tree view would be best for the custom mode. Then you can drill into the categories.

brian_herman• 3 years ago

Try this it has a gui its called sophia app. https://github.com/Sophia-Community/SophiApp

anaisbetts5• 3 years ago

It also removes the Video player which is odd because like, I feel like that kinda should be built into an OS?

n4te3• 3 years ago

No, no it shouldn't.

artificialLimbs• 3 years ago

Not as long as VLC exists.

davidmurdoch• 3 years ago

Yes, but the Windows one isn't great. Something about codec licenses and having to install extra stuff from the Windows store make it sub par now.

loufe• 3 years ago

I've been using SophiApp[0]/SophiScript for the last 6 months whenever I take a look at a Windows computer. I appreciate the GUI for case-specific toggling of certain features. Like it or not, the people we help sometimes want some of these things.

0 - https://github.com/Sophia-Community/SophiApp

ta8645• 3 years ago

Having been bitten in the past, i'm always terrified that tools like this contain malware.

mikelovenotwar• 3 years ago

There's precious little code to read....

sakex3• 3 years ago

I'd love to have a way to remove Edge. But it seems impossible.

BasedAnon• 3 years ago

there's a really easy way to remove edge, just install Ubuntu!

sakex3• 3 years ago

True ahah. And that's what I did. I'm dual booting my desktop but I do need Windows for gaming.

whyoh• 3 years ago

Have you tried to do an internet search? There are simple step-by-step tutorials that tell you how to do it (and no 3rd party software is required).

Note: it can get reinstalled automatically after an update, but you can add a registry setting to prevent that.

sakex3• 3 years ago

Yes that's my issue, it always come back (like weekly). I was not aware I could add a registry entry. I'll try, thank you :=)

gjvc• 3 years ago

relevant https://blog.frantovo.cz/s/1576/Niklaus%20Wirth%20-%20A%20Pl...

yabones• 3 years ago

Some bad advice in there...

    Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force

Should be:

    Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process

Turning off that feature permanently is a bad idea.

housemusicfan2• 3 years ago

You're trying to convince a bunch of people that think

  curl | sudo sh

with random scripts off the internet is perfectly okay.

_xivi2• 3 years ago

What better alternatives do you recommend?

Gordonjcp• 3 years ago

This is kind of the problem with Windows-y thinking, yes.

"Oh the security stuff is in the way, why does it need that, MSDOS doesn't have it, no-one needs it"

Saris• 3 years ago

Hide the 'Include in library', 'Give access to' and 'Share' options in the context menu.

Uh no? How are you supposed to set up network shares.

And why is it removing useful apps like 3D Viewer and Remote Desktop?

ckozlowski• 3 years ago

Humbly submitting Chris Titus' Debloat tool as well for comparison. I've enjoyed using Chris' tool, as the GUI design makes it easy to a-la-carte select which you want removed and not, along with recommendations. Makes it very clear to see what's being removed.

https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil

KeyBoardG4• 3 years ago

It looks neat, but running off of his site directly via an administrator elevated powershell is an awful security practice.

smt883• 3 years ago

That was an instant dealbreaker for me. Someone who pushes that can't be given basic trust for literally anything else.

At the very least, he could've hosted the script on github.com, which is far less likely to be hijacked than his personal domain.

psyclobe• 3 years ago

Best debloat technique is to just switch to Linux

johnnyworker• 3 years ago

Why does win11 even exist, after w10 having been introduced as the final OS? What crap does it contain that couldn't be put into 10 via updates? Why would you use it voluntarily? I'm honestly curious.

OliveMate• 3 years ago

Has anyone here tried this? When projects like this normally pop up I see people talk about potential issues with future Windows updates.

I'm in a bit of a tricky spot, in the next month or two I'll be building a new PC and I really don't know what to do about the OS. Windows is familiar, easy, and I know how to fix things with it, but the increasing amount of bloat and needless online integration is putting me off Windows 11 (my current W10 doesn't have the start menu online search thank God).

Recently I got sick of Windows 11's bloat + poor performance on my ThinkPad and Iinstalled Linux. I got a month and a half out of Fedora until something happened and half of my flatpaks would crash seconds after launch – even with terminal logs and the entire internet to sift through, I knew that I was way above my head. Currently I'm on Mint and hoping I don't run into anything like that again. I can use Linux, but I know the limits of my knowledge.

I can take a semi-disposable nature with what I put on my laptop, if I have to install another Linux distro I'll do it in a heartbeat. But with my desktop, I can't take the same approach. And again, Windows is familiar enough to me that I can diagnose + fix issues easily. I'd just like to know people's experiences with running scripts like this.

wombat-man• 3 years ago

I could really go for something like Ninite that let me easily customize win11. It's about turning stuff off but also enabling some of those optional windows features like hyper-v.

Just let me install, fire up ninite, that util, and we're off.

mikedelago2• 3 years ago

My question to this is "why go through the trouble of doing this when there's operating systems where you don't need to do a debloat step"

I realize the answer is that people use Windows because the software they use requires Windows, but it just irks me that this is the solution to not wanting a "bloated" OS.

DrThunder2• 3 years ago

There are versions of Windows that do not have the bloat issue. Enterprise or Education are good options.

hospitalJail5• 3 years ago

I was considering getting Enterprise edition, but the side by side comparison between Home and Enterprise did not mention the lack of bloat.

It showed literally only 1 checkbox about some security thing.

Ended up going with Linux since it seemed OneDrive/malware was inevitable.

DrThunder2• 3 years ago

Is this any better than decrapifier? https://community.spiceworks.com/scripts/show/4378-windows-1...

kornhole• 3 years ago

What makes this superior or more easy than https://privacy.sexy/?

hospitalJail5• 3 years ago

A bit too late for me.

I got nailed with deleting a 5gb documents folder on OneDrive. It deleted my local 25GB documents folder.

In the recycling bin was 5gb of files, the other 20GB of files are gone.

Installed Linux, which sucked for a few hours, but I'm so happy to be free of Microsoft!!!

pentagrama• 3 years ago

I may be wrong, but this tool seems more trustworthy to me https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster

You always have to be careful with tools that modify Windows, you may have issues, specially with Windows updates.

Win11Debloat is a simple script that removes pre-installed windows bloatware

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