Число программ для настройки и очистки или «твикеров» Windows исчисляется десятками, о многих о них уже было написано на сайте, например, в статье Лучшие программы для настройки Windows 10.
В этом кратком обзоре о ещё одной такой программе — Windows 11 Debloater и её же варианте для предыдущей версии ОС — Windows 10 Debloater, функциях и использовании.
Использование Windows 11 Debloater и Windows 10 Debloater
На сайте разработчика представлены две версии Windows Debloater — для Windows 11 и Windows 10, обе имеют русский язык интерфейса и очень похожи по функциям, за исключением отдельных пунктов, применимых лишь к одной из версий системы. Скачать каждую из версий можно с официального сайта:
- Windows 11 Debloater
- Windows 10 Debloater
После запуска язык интерфейса будет выбран автоматически, если потребуется его изменить — используйте пункт «Language» в главном меню программы. Как и для других подобных инструментов, перед началом использования рекомендую создать точку восстановления системы.
Интерфейс программы разбит на несколько вкладок, на каждой из которых доступны те или иные настройки или действия. В описании далее — Windows 11 Debloater, но и в версии для Windows 10 всё аналогично.
- EZ Debloater — основные действия по отключению функций и элементов Windows или их включению. Здесь же производится запуск применения выбранных базовых настроек с помощью кнопки «Запустить скрипт».
- Advanced Debloater — отключение некоторых системных функций с предустановленными профилями, оптимизированных для ПК, ноутбука, минимального использования ресурсов или виртуальной машины.
- 3-я сторона — установка и удаление популярных сторонних программ.
- Приложения Windows — установка и удаление встроенных приложений Windows 11/10.
- Пользовательский интерфейс и персонализация — настройка поведения элементов пользовательского интерфейса, скрытие и показ системных значков, расположения панели задач и другие. Пункты на английском языке, но если задержать указатель мыши, появится всплывающая подсказка с описанием на русском (актуально и для других разделов программы).
- Конфиденциальность и Телеметрия — отключение или включение соответствующих функций Windows.
- Один диск — пункт для удаления или установки OneDrive.
- Система — настройки системных функций, таких как сетевое обнаружение, гибернация, планы электропитания, показ или скрытие кодов BSoD, автоматическая очистка диска и другие.
- Стартовое меню — настройки меню Пуск, в частности: показ или скрытие недавно установленных приложений, запуск PowerShell от имени администратора из меню Пуск.
- UWP-приложения — отключение или включение автозагрузки встроенных UWP-приложений Teams и Cortana.
- Игры — пара настроек, имеющих отношение к играм: подсказки Xbox и планирование GPU.
- Защитник и безопасность — настройки функций защиты Microsoft Defender, без полного отключения. Если требуется, вы можете полностью отключить Microsoft Defender другими способами.
- Контекстное меню — скрытие и показ стандартных пунктов в контекстном меню Windows.
- Другой — другие параметры, в частности — размер панели задач и изменение некоторых других её параметров.
Чтобы применить настройки, сделанные во всех вкладках, кроме первой, перейдите на вкладку «Выход» и нажмите кнопку «Вывод PowerShell».
Это выведет скрипт PowerShell, выполняющий все запрошенные операции, который можно либо сохранить на компьютере, либо запустить прямо с этой вкладки.
Подводя итог:
- Windows 11 Debloater и Windows 10 Debloater — интересный продукт, есть полезные настройки, которые часто востребованы.
- Набор доступных настроек кажется не полным: многие другие общеизвестные и часто используемые опции можно было бы добавить в уже имеющиеся категории (к тому же механизм их применения тот же), но по какой-то причине они отсутствуют.
- Функция вывода всех примененных действий в свой скрипт PowerShell — хорошо и может быть полезным для тех, кто постоянно использует собственный набор твиков системы.
Windows10Debloater
Script/Utility/Application to debloat Windows 10, to remove Windows pre-installed unnecessary applications, stop some telemetry functions, stop Cortana from being used as your Search Index, disable unnecessary scheduled tasks, and more…
Donate a cup of coffee
Be sure to look at the Contributors’ GitHubs to see if they have GitHub sponsorships as well since they have contributed to this open-source project. (https://github.com/Sycnex/Windows10Debloater/graphs/contributors)
Disclaimer
WARNING: I do NOT take responsibility for what may happen to your system! Run scripts at your own risk!
Also, other variants of this repo are not technically «new» versions of this, but they are different in their own respective ways. There are some sites saying that other projects are «new» versions of this, but that is inaccurate.
How To Run the Windows10Debloater.ps1 and the Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1 files
There are different methods of running the PowerShell script. The methods are as follows:
First Method
- Download the .zip file on the main page of the GitHub and extract the .zip file to your desired location
- Once extracted, open PowerShell (or PowerShell ISE) as an Administrator
- Enable PowerShell execution
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force - On the prompt, change to the directory where you extracted the files:
e.g. —cd c:\temp - Next, to run either script, enter in the following:
e.g. —.\Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1
Second Method
- Download the .zip file on the main page of the GitHub and extract the .zip file to your desired location
- Right-click the PowerShell file that you’d like to run and click on «Run With PowerShell»
- This will allow the script to run without having to do the above steps but Powershell will ask if you’re sure you want to run this script.
Remember this script NEEDS to be run as admin in order to function properly.
How To Run the Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1 file
For the WindowsSysPrepDebloater.ps1 file, there are a couple of parameters that you can run so that you can specify which functions are used. The parameters are:
-SysPrep, -Debloat and -Privacy.
To run this with parameters, do the following:
- Download the .zip file on the main page of the GitHub and extract the .zip file to your desired location
- Once extracted, open PowerShell (or PowerShell ISE) as an Administrator
- On the prompt, change to the directory where you extracted the files:
e.g. —cd c:\temp - Next, to run either script, enter in the following:
e.g. — .\Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1 -Sysprep -Debloat -Privacy
Sysprep, Interactive, and GUI Application
There are now 3 versions of Windows10Debloater — There is an interactive version, a GUI app version, and a pure silent version.
-
Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1-> The silent version now utilizes the switch parameters: -Sysprep, -Debloat -Privacy. The silent version can be useful for deploying MDT Images/sysprepping or any other way you deploy Windows 10. This will work to remove the bloatware during the deployment process. -
Windows10Debloater.ps1-> This interactive version is what it implies — a Windows10Debloater script with interactive prompts. This one should not be used for deployments that require a silent script with optional parameters. This script gives you choices with prompts as it runs so that you can make the choices of what the script does. -
Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1-> There is now a GUI Application named Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1 with buttons to perform all of the functions that the scripts do. This is better for the average user who does not want to work with code, or if you’d prefer to just see an application screen.
Switch Parameters
There are 3 switch parameters in the Windows10SysPrepDebloater.ps1 script.
-
-SysPrep, which runs the command within a function: get-appxpackage | remove-appxpackage. This is useful since some administrators need that command to run first in order for machines to be able to properly provision the apps for removal. -
-Debloat, switch parameter which does as it suggests. It runs the following functions: Start-Debloat, Remove-Keys, and Protect-Privacy.
Remove-Keys removes registry keys leftover that are associated with the bloatware apps listed above, but not removed during the Start-Debloat function. -
-Privacy, adds and/or changes registry keys to stop some telemetry functions, stops Cortana from being used as your Search Index, disables «unnecessary» scheduled tasks, and more.
This script will remove the bloatware from Windows 10 when using Remove-AppXPackage/Remove-AppXProvisionedPackage, and then delete specific registry keys that are were not removed beforehand. For best results, this script should be run before a user profile is configured, otherwise, you will likely see that apps that should have been removed will remain, and if they are removed you will find broken tiles on the start menu.
These registry keys are
EclipseManager,
ActiproSoftwareLLC,
Microsoft.PPIProjection,
Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI
You can choose to either ‘Debloat’ or ‘Revert’. Depending on your choice, either one will run specific code to either debloat your Windows 10 machine.
The Debloat switch choice runs the following functions
Debloat,
Remove-Keys,
Protect-Privacy,
Stop-EdgePDF (If chosen)
The Revert switch choice runs the following functions
Revert-Changes,
Enable-EdgePDF
The Revert option reinstalls the bloatware and changes your registry keys back to default.
The scheduled tasks that are disabled are
XblGameSaveTaskLogon,
XblGameSaveTask,
Consolidator,
UsbCeip,
DmClient
These scheduled tasks that are disabled have absolutely no impact on the function of the OS.
Bloatware that is removed
3DBuilder,
ActiproSoftware,
Alarms,
Appconnector,
Asphalt8,
Autodesk SketchBook,
MSN Money,
Food And Drink,
Health And Fitness,
Microsoft News,
MSN Sports,
MSN Travel,
MSN Weather,
BioEnrollment,
Windows Camera,
CandyCrush,
CandyCrushSoda,
Caesars Slots Free Casino,
ContactSupport,
CyberLink MediaSuite Essentials,
DrawboardPDF,
Duolingo,
EclipseManager,
Facebook,
FarmVille 2 Country Escape,
Flipboard,
Fresh Paint,
Get started,
iHeartRadio,
King apps,
Maps,
March of Empires,
Messaging,
Microsoft Office Hub,
Microsoft Solitaire Collection,
Microsoft Sticky Notes,
Minecraft,
Netflix,
Network Speed Test,
NYT Crossword,
Office Sway,
OneNote,
OneConnect,
Pandora,
People,
Phone,
Phototastic Collage,
PicsArt-PhotoStudio,
PowerBI,
Royal Revolt 2,
Shazam,
Skype for Desktop,
SoundRecorder,
TuneInRadio,
Twitter,
Windows communications apps,
Windows Feedback,
Windows Feedback Hub,
Windows Reading List,
XboxApp,
Xbox Game CallableUI,
Xbox Identity Provider,
Zune Music,
Zune Video.
Quick download link
iwr -useb https://git.io/debloat|iex
Allowlist and Blocklist
There may be some confusion, but when using the Allowlist/Blocklist, the checkmark means it is on the blocklist, and that it will be removed.
Credits
Thank you to a60wattfish, abulgatz, xsisbest, Damian, Vikingat-RAGE, Reddit user /u/GavinEke, and all of the contributors (https://github.com/Sycnex/Windows10Debloater/graphs/contributors) for the suggestions, code, changes, and fixes that you have all graciously worked hard on and shared! You all have done a fantastic job!
NOTE: This uses an outdated and no longer supported tool. The tool is still available, but has been marked as archived since September 2023. Follow tutorial at your own risk.
For many people switching from Windows 7, Windows 10 has shocking bloatware. This bloatware can often slow down their machine and sometimes even spy on them. This tutorial shows how to use a tool to debloat Windows 10. It’s a simple PowerShell script, and it’s important to do it with every new Windows 10 installation.
First, you’ll want to download the tool for debloating Windows 10. Go to this link: https://github.com/Sycnex/Windows10Debloater. Once you’re there, you’ll want to download the tool. Go to the top left and click on Code. Then, click Download ZIP. It downloads a zip file containing the PowerShell script and everything you need to run it.
Once downloaded, open the zip file in File Explorer and extract it to a folder named Windows10Debloater-master (should be the default name).
Next, go to Start and search PowerShell. Right-click on PowerShell and click Run as Administrator. Answer “yes” when prompted.
Now, here’s the tricky part. It will require you to run a few commands. Type the following into PowerShell:
cd C:\Users\[ENTER YOUR USERNAME HERE]\Downloads\Windows10Debloater-master\
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope LocalMachine
.\Windows10Debloater.ps1Now that it’s running, it should be smooth sailing from here on out. It will ask you whether you want to remove something, and the answers are up to you and which bloatware you’d like removed. I typically remove everything, but it usually doesn’t break anything. It’s up to you.
Conclusion
If Linux isn’t for you, this is one of the ways you can remove the bloatware and spyware from your PC. This won’t fully remove everything from Windows, and it certainly doesn’t prevent Microsoft entirely. Still, it’s an extra line of defense for your online security and the performance of your machine.
Running Windows 11? Look at our “Windows 11 Debloater”! Check it out here!: https://freetimetech.com/windows-11-debloater-tool-debloat-gui/
Use our FREE software utility (Version 2.6.11) that has an EZ Debloater to debloat quick and easy, Advanced Debloater to basic debloating or use Fine-Tuning Debloater to select what you want from the many options. Choose the preset first ‘Debloat Preset’ to create the ultimate PowerShell script to debloat Microsoft Windows 10! Create your own radiobuttons preset and share! You can run the script directly from the program.
The red-circle option “None” is if you do not want to select either.
Read the label and ToolTip message popup when you hover your mouse over the selection for more information.
Table of Contents
LINK to Download:
https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV2611.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.10): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV2610.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.9): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV269.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.8): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV268.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.6): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV266.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.5): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV265.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.4): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV264.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.3): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV263.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.2): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV262.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6.1): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV261.zip
► Previous Version (V2.6): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV26.zip
► Previous Version (V2.5): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV25.zip
► Previous Version (V2.4): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV24.zip
► Previous Version (V2.3): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV23.zip
► Previous Version (V2.2): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV22.zip
► Previous Version (V2.1): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV21.zip
► Previous Version (V2.0): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV2.zip
► Previous Version (V1.8): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV18.zip
► Previous Version (V1.7): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV17.zip
► Previous Version (V1.6): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV16.zip
► Previous Version (V1.5): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV15.zip
► Previous Version (V1.4): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV14.zip
► Previous Version (V1.3): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloaterV13.zip
► Previous Version (V1.2): https://freetimetech.com/W10D/Windows10DebloatV12.zip
SOURCES, REFERENCES & IMPORTANT NOTICES
We based our tool on Chris Titus Tech’s GitHub PowerShell Scripts: https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/win10script as of Dec 12, 2021 and farag2’s Sophia Script for Windows: https://github.com/farag2/Sophia-Script-for-Windows as of April 18, 2023. Our tool is a mainly a front-end for the source scripts to make things easier to choose the many options. We add our own touches. Check updates for additions.
NOTICE: This program only edits and reads from TEXT files. Everything is done through text files so you can modify every option and function data.
README
There is a “EZ Debloater” tab page as main front of the program. It allows you to run common PowerShell scripts to debloat Windows 10. There are several restore/undo scripts you can choose from after if you choose. Some buttons in the “EZ Debloater” tab page has ToolTips (message popups) for more information.
Each button has a script you can see to modify if you want before running.
There is a “Advanced Debloater” tab page to basic fine-tuning debloating from 4 presets. There is also a “Undo All” to reset back to defaults. You can “See Script” to see your selections.
The “Fine-Tuning Debloater” allows you to create a PowerShell script file that you can run to finely tweak/debloat Windows 10. A restore point is created in the beginning so you can safely use this tool.
The options are arranged in different tabs and there is a preset “Debloat Preset” in the “Options” menu. You can choose a preset first and add your own choices. There is a “Windows Default Preset” to revert back to original Windows Default settings. You can also create your own radiobutton presets and share. There is also a “Opposite” menu choice to select the alternate radiobutton choices. This is good to revert the changes in a script to run.
In “Normal” mode, the “EZ Debloater” textbox that shows the script summarized. Switch to “Edit” mode to see the full PowerShell script.
In “Edit” mode for “Advanced Debloater“, you get a “RE” button beside each checkbox selection to “Read/Edit” the PowerShell script for each checkbox.
Also in “Edit” mode for “Fine-Tuning Debloater“, you can have a button beside each radiobutton (labelled with a first single letter of the radiobutton) to “Read/Edit” the PowerShell script for each radiobutton.
HOW TO USE
Installation
Windows 10 Debloater can be used without installation. You can use the application by unzipping the downloaded ZIP file and running the “Windows10Debloater.exe” file.
Basic Usage
EZ Debloater
In “EZ Debloater“, you can enable / disable main functions and apps.
- Click the button for the feature you want to enable or disable (for example, “Uninstall OneDrive“).
- The script is displayed on the right.
- Click the “Run Script” button to execute.
Advanced Debloater
In “Advanced Debloater“, you can select from the 4 presets to debloat: Desktop, Laptop, Minimal and Virtual Machine. You can further select the options you want. There is an ‘Undo All‘ option to revert everything back to defaults.
- Click the preset you want for your computer (for example, “Desktop“).
- Checkboxes are checked with the preset. Add or subtract to customize.
- Click the “Run Script” button to execute. A confirmation window will popup to continue.
Fine-Tuning Debloater
In “Fine-Tuning Debloater“, select the items you want to enable / disable with the radio button.
When you have made your selections, open the Output tab screen.
- Click the “Output Powershell” button to view the script.
- Click the “Run PowerShell” button to run the script. The “Run PowerShell” button creates a PowerShell script called “runpsscript.ps1” in the same directory and runs it.
Manual Running
With “Save” button, save the PowerShell script above as whatever you wish in the same directory with the other files and then run it using the following commands.
But first, launch PowerShell (Run as administrator) and navigate to where your script is.
- Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
- ./YOUR_SCRIPT_NAME.ps1
YOUR_SCRIPT_NAME is the name of the PowerShell script you just saved.
UPDATES
FUTURE UPDATES
We will add more languages for ToolTips and UI. 1. Created ‘Gaming Debloater‘, 2. Created ‘Windows 11 Debloater‘.
UPDATE v2.6.11
Added ToolTips for Windows Apps in English, Fixed bugs
UPDATE v2.6.10
Added UA, CZ, TH and ID languages
UPDATE v2.6.9
Fixed EN ToolTips
UPDATE v2.6.8
Fixed bug
UPDATE v2.6.7
Added more 3rd Party. Fixed bugs
UPDATE v2.6.6
Added Search tab for Fine-Tuning Debloater. Search now searches ToolTips too including radiobutton name. ToolTips for Advanced
Debloater. Fixed bugs
UPDATE v2.6.5
Fixed bugs
UPDATE v2.6.4
Fixed bugs, More 3rd Party and Search 3rd Party
UPDATE v2.6.3
Redesign using https://github.com/Kinnara/ModernWpf
UPDATE v2.6.2
Add more option for Fine-tuning debloater and fixed some bugs
UPDATE v2.6.1
Added Edit mode for Advanced Debloater
UPDATE v2.6
Fixed Open PS1 files for Fine-tuning Debloater selections
UPDATE v2.5
Advanced Debloater tab for basic fine-tuning, Removed O&O Shutup, Open PS1 files for Fine-tuning Debloater selections, Rearranged files and folders
UPDATE v2.4
Added list counter to summary and output for EZ Debloater, Added more 3rd Party radiobuttons, Added Install radiobuttons for Windows UWP Apps, Cleaned up code
UPDATE v2.3
Added UI translation for 17 languages, EZ Debloater is now has two modes: ‘Normal’ and ‘Edit’. ‘Normal’ shows the summarized
selected script and ‘Edit’ is the PowerShell script
UPDATE v2.2
Added ToolTip languages: NL, EL, AR and TR
UPDATE v2.1
Added ToolTip languages: DE, IT, and RO. Folder called ‘Localizations’ created to store all tooltips.txt files
UPDATE v2.0
The tabs to create a customized PowerShell script and run has changed to use Sophia Script functions so totally different now. Old radiobutton saved presets not compatible with this new version. UI has been updated. There is a ‘Windows Default’ preset. Bug fixes.
There are many ToolTip languages for radiobuttons: EN, RU, PL, FR, ES, PT, CN, KR, JP and VN. More to come!
UPDATE v1.8
Fix bugs and updated Essential Tweaks in EZ Debloater
UPDATE v1.7
Update and clean up code, added more comments, added Disable News & Interests in ‘UI’ tab. Add more 3rd Party install options in ‘3rd Party’ tab
UPDATE v1.6
Updated ‘EZ Debloater’ tab buttons and updated scripts with changes and fixes
UPDATE v1.5
Updated ‘EZ Debloater’ scripts with bug fixes and network tweaks
UPDATE v1.4
We created a front tab page called ‘EZ Debloater’ that allows you to run common debloating and restore scripts. After pressing a button, it’s script is shown to you see/modify then run
UPDATE v1.3
We recreated the program in a different language and new user interface (C# + WPF). We added the option for Reading and Editing the ‘functions.txt’ file by clicking the small square button with each radiobutton
UPDATE v1.2
For more information about a option, place your mouse cursor over the radiobutton for a ToolTip. A ToolTip is a balloon message popup that shows when you rest your mouse cursor over a radiobutton. ToolTip in English
UPDATE v1.1
The “Windows Apps” tab now has all the choices for debloating all 45+ Windows apps. Select to remove them or select to ‘LeaveAlone’ (stay on your computer)
FILES
There needs to be 13 files for this program to run properly.
►Windows10Debloater.exe : The GUI program.
EZ Debloater
►ezdebloater.txt : contains the PowerShell scripts for the ‘EZ Debloater’ tab page.
Advanced Debloater
►advanceddebloater.txt : contains the PowerShell scripts for the ‘Advanced Debloater’ tab page.
►desktoppreset.txt : contains the ‘Desktop’ preset for ‘Advanced Debloater’.
►laptoppreset.txt : contains the ‘Laptop’ preset for ‘Advanced Debloater’.
►minimalpreset.txt : contains the ‘Minimal’ preset for ‘Advanced Debloater’.
►vmpreset.txt : contains the ‘Virtual Machine’ preset for ‘Advanced Debloater’.
Fine-Tuning Debloater
►data.txt : contains the options(function names) to select from (usually only 2 options that something is Enable or Disable). Notice the sections and how a comma and double quotes separate them. The last option in each section does not have a comma. Add or substract from the set.
►functions.txt : contains the complete functions named from data.txt. These are the commands that get run. Add or substract from the set.
►debloatpreset.txt : contains debloat preset. Click this option from the menu in program.
►defaultpreset.txt : contains Windows Defaults preset. Click this option from the menu in program.
Localizations – Translations
►tooltip.txt : Contains ToolTips for each radiobutton option.
►ui.txt : Contains UI text for each UI element/control.
►README.txt : This text file for information and link resources.
VIDEO WALKTHROUGH
ALTERNATIVES
SophiApp is the full GUI version of Sophia Script for Windows. It is made in pure C# and WPF. Features all the functions of the Sophia Script for Windows in a standalone EXE. Link: https://github.com/Sophia-Community/SophiApp
We have an alternative on our second site BenchTweakGaming.com – Sophia Script for Windows and Wrapper. We work with farag2 on his Sophia Script for Windows. Link: https://benchtweakgaming.com/2020/10/27/windows-10-debloat-tool/
We have a Windows 11 Debloater ready. Try it here! Link: https://freetimetech.com/windows-11-debloater-tool-debloat-gui/
We now have a Gaming Debloater on FreeTimeTech.com. Optimize Windows for GAMING! Check it out! Link: https://freetimetech.com/gaming-debloater/
We also have Optimize-Offline Front End. Optimize-Offline is a Windows Image optimization module for Windows 10. Our tool allows to easily change Optimize-Offline JSON configuration setting file using a GUI. Link: https://benchtweakgaming.com/2020/11/01/optimize-offline-gui-tool-front-end/
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Windows 10 is one of the most successful operating systems in the world, with its range of features, benefits, and other forms of functionalities. However, if you keep your Windows PC with you for some time, it’s bound to get pretty convoluted and filled up with all the different applications, programs, files, and other software you can download on the device.
While it’s possible to clear your cache in Windows, some data will be stored on the PC even if you can uninstall apps and clear your storage. This is where the Windows Debloater program comes in, offering an excellent solution for worried PC users to speed up their devices like never before. This guide will cover all you need about the phenomenon and discuss how to debloat Windows 10 with Windows Debloater.
Without wasting any further time, let’s get started right away.
What is Windows Debloater?
Windows Debloater isn’t anything you’d typically expect after hearing about it for the first time. It’s not an official Windows application or software that can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. Instead, the utility is available to be grabbed from GitHub—the world’s largest repository of software, scripts, and applications.
Windows Debloater allows you to run a series of scripts and remove bloatware from your PC. In addition, it uninstalls unwanted pre-installed data from the operating system that you don’t need on your device. All this is done to speed up your Windows PC and make it work better than ever.
Debloater also prevents Cortana—Windows’ very own virtual assistant—from operating and, therefore, saves chunks of data from being used up if you don’t use her. It features a friendly user interface that even the most beginner of users can understand right from the get-go. Now that you know what we have at our disposal here let’s get on with the actual working part of the software.
An important note
Before we can start employing the functionality of Windows Debloater on your PC, it’s worth mentioning a little about System Restore first. This exclusive Windows feature lets you restore your Windows version to a previous version in time, thereby dismissing all the changes made to it after that. For instance, imagine you downloaded an update for Windows two weeks back, but ever since then, your device isn’t working right.
By using System Restore, you can go back to this previous state of your Windows, Restore Point, and negate all changes made to the operating system. Since Windows Debloater is risky because it could erase something from the PC that might be important to you, consider setting up a Restore Point before you begin. To find out how to do this, look at our how to use System Restore on Windows 10 article.
Let’s continue with the rest of this tutorial and talk about installing Windows Debloater on your Windows PC.
Installing Windows Debloater
Follow the steps to download the Windows Debloater utility on your device painlessly.
1. The first step is to use this direct link and get to the main Windows 10 Debloater page on GitHub. When you’re there, click on the “Code” button to reveal more options, and then finally choose “Download ZIP.”
Downloading the ZIP file of Windows Debloater
2. After downloading the ZIP file of the software, proceed to the File Explorer system utility on your Windows PC and unzip the file. You can do this easily by double-clicking on the file and selecting 7ZIP, followed by choosing “Extract all.” You can also use other applications to unzip the downloaded file folder.
Extracting the relevant files
3. After unzipping the Windows 10 Debloater folder, enter the directory and find the “Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1” file. Double-click on the file to reveal more options and select “Run with Powershell,” a command-line interface (CLI) capable of performing various tasks for your cause.
Running the relevant file with PowerShell
4. After you run the file mentioned above with the PowerShell command-line interface, a new window will appear to take you through the initial setup of the Windows 10 Debloater software. At the initial stage, the command-line interface will ask if you’d wish to implement any change in the execution policy of the software. Press the “N” key on the keyboard to get to the next step.
Going past the policy stage
5. After saying “No” to the command-line interface, PowerShell will take a moment or two and process your request. After a short while, the software’s main graphical user interface window will surface, making it possible to get started with debloating the Windows PC.
Windows 10 Debloater software
Now that you’ve correctly installed the script at hand, it’s now time to get into its functional capability.
Using Windows Debloater to debloat Windows 10
To get started with the working mechanism of the Windows Debloater software, you first have to decide the usage of your Windows PC. If it has been a couple of years since you bought the device and have been using it consistently, it’s probably best to select the “Customise Blocklist” option. That way, you will not be at any risk of losing important and personal stuff.
The total control of what kind of bloatware is removed from the PC will reside in your hands manually, so we recommend going for that route. If your PC is relatively new, you might as well choose the “Remove All Bloatware” option for the best results.
Removing all bloatware
After clicking on “Remove All Bloatware,” the process for deleting unnecessary Windows files will begin on its own, so you will not need to do anything on your end other than wait. You’ll also see that the PowerShell window will start forming all relevant commands to get some work done and effectively boost the PC’s performance.
Operation completed
After the process completes, give your PC a fresh restart to make the applied changes manifest just the way you need. This was all the important stuff you should be caught up on regarding debloating your Windows PC. It is now time to conclude the article.
Conclusion
Windows 10 PCs are willing to run as effectively as you’d want them to, provided you occasionally take care of their internal components. Such is the purpose of the Windows Debloater software that we’ve gone over just now in this article. It’s a pretty effective tool that runs a series of scripts on the PC and clears unneeded data previously slowing down the PC.
Now that you’re well aware of the working mechanism of the software in question do let us know in the comments section whether you found the utility helpful for your cause or not. We suggest running Windows Debloater now and then to keep your PC clutter-free.
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