You have a lot of software on your computer, how many programs are you really using regularly? Maybe some of them are outdated, and the computer also contains a small amount of Windows bloated software, malware, and some junk software that can be removed from your computer.
Here is a list of some common but unnecessary Windows apps for you that you might consider uninstalling:
How to check for programs you have installed on Windows 11 or Windows 10
Viewing the programs installed on your system using Windows 11 or Windows 10 is simple, and the process of viewing both systems is essentially the same.
On Windows 11, click the three-dot button and choose Uninstall to remove a program. On Windows 10, just click the entry to show the Uninstall button.
Those on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 can click on the Start button and search for Programs and Features. This will open a similar list where you can review everything currently installed on your system and uninstall unneeded apps.
Depending on the software, the app might uninstall immediately or require you to advance through some dialog boxes.
Next, let’s take a look at which apps you should uninstall from Windows – if they’re on your system, you might consider removing any of them.
1. QuickTime
QuickTime is Apple’s video player. While it’s still an ongoing program on macOS, the company hasn’t supported windows versions since 2016.
Shortly after Apple announced the deprecation of QuickTime for Windows, Trend Micro announced some key vulnerabilities in the software. Since Apple never patches these, installing QuickTime is no longer safe.
Removing QuickTime shouldn’t cause any disruptions, as iTunes doesn’t rely on it.
2. CCleaner
CCleaner used to be a trusted Windows junk cleaner app, but after being acquired by Avast, it started to go downhill. Key issues include unauthorized forced updates, data collection that is enabled even if you disable the feature, and software that distributes malware unknowingly.
Although it has made some major changes in 2020, it is still difficult to regain its former glory. So, you can forget about it and look for other suitable cleaning tools, such as those built into Windows itself.
3. Crappy PC Cleaners
Many people have intentionally or unintentionally installed a computer cleaning application at some point. Most of these products range from useless to harmful, as registry cleaners simply cannot improve the performance of Windows. If you find junk like MyCleanPC or PC Optimizer Pro in the list of installed apps, you should remove them.
4. WinRAR
While having a file extraction and compression tool around is certainly useful, WinRAR is not the best choice for the job. The app has become a bit of a punchline due to its old-school “shareware” license. You can download a “trial” of WinRAR for free, which asks you to pay after using it for some time. However, the app never locks you out, even if you don’t pay, so you can use it indefinitely.
The reason to continue using WinRAR is not sufficient. Because no matter what you do, don’t waste money on WinRAR.
5. Manufacturer Bloatware
In addition to running a premium device like the Surface Pro, or if you install Windows from scratch on a new desktop, there’s a chance that your PC will come preloaded with a lot of junk from the manufacturer. Laptops from HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, and other companies are prone to this problem.
Consider these unnecessary programs, you should get rid of them because none of them are required for Windows to function. Some pre-installed branded programs, such as photo apps, game tools, or anything that duplicates Windows utilities, are completely unnecessary. Others, such as driver/BIOS update tools (such as Lenovo System Updates), are worth keeping.
6. Windows 10 and Windows 11 Bloatware
Having to remove manufacturer bloatware is annoying enough, but Microsoft includes a fair bit of its own in modern versions of Windows in the form of Store apps. Thankfully, you can uninstall most of these unnecessary programs without much hassle.
Some of the default Modern apps, like Xbox and Weather, are useful to some people but not others. Others, like Candy Crush Saga, are junk you should remove.
7. uTorrent
uTorrent was once considered the gold standard of torrenting software. However, it’s had a host of issues over the years that make it untrustworthy now.
Aside from having ads crammed into the interface, uTorrent also includes offers for other software tools, which is annoying. Its worst offense came in 2015 when the app was found to bundle in cryptocurrency mining software without letting users know. This wasted your system resources in the background to make money for the company, which allegedly gave some to charity.
So, there’s no reason for us to pay any more attention to uTorrent.
8. Adobe Flash Player and Shockwave Player
Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported as of January 2021. Though it’s blocked in all modern browsers now, you should still uninstall local copies of Flash. This will keep you safe from any future security issues since Adobe isn’t updating it anymore.
A similar runtime plugin, Adobe Shockwave Player, was discontinued in 2019. The company no longer offers it for download, and you’re extremely unlikely to find a website that needs it.
You should thus remove both Shockwave Player and Flash Player. They’re both relics of an era gone by and unnecessary today.
9. Java
Java is another media runtime, and it includes two components: Java on the desktop, and the Java plugin for browsers (which is notorious for having security problems). Though it was once fairly common, very few websites use it nowadays.
Modern versions of Chrome and Firefox don’t support it, which means that Java is less of a security problem than it once was. Unless you’re an Android developer or use some specialized software that relies on Java, you should uninstall it.
And that doesn’t make any difference to your computer.
10. Microsoft Silverlight
Silverlight is a web framework, similar to Adobe Flash, that once enabled rich media content in your browser. Years ago, these plugins were necessary on a lot of websites. But now they’re deprecated and no longer useful. Looking at W3Techs again, we see that fewer than 0.03 percent of websites use Silverlight as of early 2022.
Modern browsers don’t even work with Silverlight; Chrome and Firefox haven’t supported it for years, and it was never compatible with Edge. Silverlight is only officially supported in Internet Explorer, which Microsoft plans to retire in mid-2022. You won’t lose anything by uninstalling Silverlight.
11. All Toolbars and Junk Browser Extensions
When you’re wondering what else to uninstall from Windows 10 or 11, another obvious candidate is junk in your browser. While toolbars were once a far more prevalent problem, modern versions of Chrome and other browsers have thankfully fought back and mostly eradicated them. However, spammy extensions are still in the wild.
Have a look in your programs list for toolbars like the Bing Bar, Google Toolbar, Ask Toolbar, Yahoo! Toolbar, or the Babylon Toolbar. If you find any of them, uninstall them. After that, review the installed add-ons or extensions in your browsers. Make sure you recognize and review everything there, as even trustworthy extensions can be sold to shady companies.
12. Coupon Printer for Windows
The purpose of Coupon Printer for Windows is to provide access to deals from Coupons.com. However, since this software is typically found bundled in with other programs, chances are you that you didn’t want to install it in the first place.
If you’re a diehard Coupons.com user, you can leave this one installed so you can access its discounts. Everyone else should uninstall this program and use another coupon site that doesn’t require installing anything.
conclusion
You should clean up your system regularly, and it’s a good idea to uninstall old or junk Windows programs. Because some of them can be “zombie apps” that pose a security risk.
Since it is impossible to offer many useful features, the above-mentioned programs you can consider uninstalling. After you uninstall, you can always reinstall them if you find that you still need them at some point. But when installing, you have to make sure they don’t carry any bundled junk.
