Get rid of default apps in Windows 10

Get rid of default apps in Windows 10

How do you find the Windows 10 OS? Sure, it has its definite pros and obvious cons. One of the considerable disadvantages users usually want to tackle is a number of built-in universal programs (like Calculator, Cortana, File & TV, Get Started, Maps, news, People, etc.)that aren't so easy to manage.If you experience any difficulties on how to uninstall most Windows 10's default apps, look through this article to find simple answers.

Honestly, you can just ignore these universal programs as they occupy very little space on your device. But if you are really fed up with these Metro apps and you are looking for the neat Start menu, you can completely remove most of these programs from your computer.

The Uninstall option

The first thing for you to do is right click the app on the 'All Apps' list in the Start menu to check whether the program features the 'Uninstall' option. You can certainly apply this trick to Get Office, Get Skype, Microsoft Solitaire Collection, News, etc.

PowerShell

For programs that can't be deleted in the normal way, make use of Windows PowerShell – a configuration management framework by Microsoft that allows performing administrative tasks with cmdlets (command-lets). For that, launch the Start menu, look for the PowerShell software, right click its shortcut to choose the “Run as administrator” option. Otherwise,type PowerShell in the search box and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter buttons to launch it with administrator rights.

After the PowerShell window has opened, insert the Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers command there and press the Enter button. Doing this, you will obtain a list of all built-in programs. You can scroll down to find a tool to uninstall, copy its PackageFullName and type the following command: Remove-AppxPackage PackageFullName.

In case you want to remove all the default and pre-installed apps from all your Windows accounts, use this command: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage. If you are determined to uninstall all the apps from this very user account, type Get-AppxPackage -User | Remove-AppxPackage. Don't forget to change the default 'User' tooltip to your user's name.

Keep in mind that it's impossible to get rid of the most significant apps like Cortana or Microsoft Edge.Of course, you can make an effort, but you will see an error message implicating that these programs can't be removed from your Windows.

Reinstall default apps

If you have removed the default apps and understood that you were too hasty, keep your head up and get these programs back by inserting the following code into PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers| Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}. The process can take some time, be patient and let it finish. Then restart your computer to see the output result in the Start menu.

Organize your Start menu and enjoy the Windows 10's neat interface.