I am not familiar with Windows 10 . . . but it seems to include lots of "Junk".

[stockhausen]

I am not at all familiar with Windows 10 and have just built a desktop "Business" system using Windows 10 Pro. It seems to me that it seems to include lots of "Junk" and runs numerous processes and services. This system will be used with Word, Excel, email, Internet research, etc., it is unlikely ever to be used for games or for watching films or playing music.

Can anyone familiar with Windows 10 offer any advice on what can be removed and/or stopped?

 

[marc2003]

Just let go of the belief that the computer is yours and let Microsoft do it's thing. It's no use trying to battle it.

 

[ED209]

I am not at all familiar with Windows 10 and have just built a desktop "Business" system using Windows 10 Pro. It seems to me that it seems to include lots of "Junk" and runs numerous processes and services. This system will be used with Word, Excel, email, Internet research, etc., it is unlikely ever to be used for games or for watching films or playing music.

Can anyone familiar with Windows 10 offer any advice on what can be removed and/or stopped?

Visit this link

https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-remove-all-bundled-apps-in-windows-10/

W10 does seem to come with a load of crap bundled in, its getting as bad as manufacturers when they bundle new PC's with pre installed stuff no one ever wants

and you could always look at this

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

 

[AHarvey]

Unfortunately, since the massive update they did to win 10 the pro version is near useless and for business it's the enterprise edition that is needed. Small business Pro is fine but lacks some of the refinements of enterprise.

However, if you know your way around you can figure it out ok. I actually used a basic Powershell script to remove a lot of the junk that wasn't needed on our work PC's, games, social media bits etc.

Between powershell, Registry edits and 'something else that the name escapes me - group policies I think' you can lock it down and streamline it.

 

[Scort]

Currently doing our new corporate build for Windows 10 Enterprise, and even the image from VLSC is rammed with crap! Got it all stripped out via PowerShell now though, so it's being captured for deployment.

What annoyed me though, was how the 'creator update' re-enabled lots of stuff I had initially taken off - might make it fun with future updates...

 

[AHarvey]

Currently doing our new corporate build for Windows 10 Enterprise, and even the image from VLSC is rammed with crap! Got it all stripped out via PowerShell now though, so it's being captured for deployment.

What annoyed me though, was how the 'creator update' re-enabled lots of stuff I had initially taken off - might make it fun with future updates...

yep, had the same issue when I was running IT in my last place. You'd remove it, an update would pop it back in.

Same machines, same update schedule etc and the junk would have different names. Tried automating it with a powershell script to run from a batch file each time the PC was booted up but never got it to work 100% correctly.

 

[stockhausen]

Unfortunately, since the massive update they did to win 10 the pro version is near useless and for business it's the enterprise edition that is needed. Small business Pro is fine but lacks some of the refinements of enterprise.

However, if you know your way around you can figure it out ok. I actually used a basic Powershell script to remove a lot of the junk that wasn't needed on our work PC's, games, social media bits etc.

Between powershell, Registry edits and 'something else that the name escapes me - group policies I think' you can lock it down and streamline it.

Thanks for all that people. Unfortunately I don't know my way around Windows 10 - more pointless work and research required I fear.

I love the following opening statement from Wikipedia:

PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft.

We built a tool to allow you to remove the vast pile of rubbish we put in our OS.

 

[AHarvey]

Powershell is just an advanced DOS Command line, or command line interface from Linux/IOS.

Checked here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/easily-remove-bloatware-windows-10/

 

[Scort]

Oh yeah.... I especially like the way that MS turn back on the 'Start menu suggestions' after updating, basically trying to force more poop down you neck.

 

[Rroff]

Windows 10 really hasn't been designed with a business environment in mind, enterprise version a little bit better but still forcing some highly idealised model that doesn't really match real world use.

After two trials of 10 at work we are going to be on a mixture of Windows 7 and Linux indefinitely.

 

[ic1male]

I just discovered the damn thing is installing all kinds of crap like Candy Soda Saga or some other rubbish - by itself!

 

[ED209]

I just discovered the damn thing is installing all kinds of crap like Candy Soda Saga or some other rubbish - by itself!

W10 has a habit of re installing stuff removed when it does big updates. Have you just had the Autumn update install?

W10 also turns back on anything turned off before so the shutup10 software should be ran after every update to make sure disabled services are not re enabled without you knowing.

 

[ic1male]

Yeah I did the Autumn Creator's update a few days ago. I was looking at the Start Menu and there is tons of stuff with "New" underneath it.

 

[ED209]

Yeah I did the Autumn Creator's update a few days ago. I was looking at the Start Menu and there is tons of stuff with "New" underneath it.

That would be the update re installing all the pre installed crap again.

Go here and it gives you commands to remove them all again

https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-remove-all-bundled-apps-in-windows-10/

 

[Randomface74]

- remove everything from the start menu and shrink it as much as possible
- hide cortana
- go in privacy settings and set everything to max privacy
- uninstall xbox gaming thingy
- unpin everything from taskbar, pin stuff u want

reasonable starting point

 

[stockhausen]

- remove everything from the start menu and shrink it as much as possible
- hide cortana
- go in privacy settings and set everything to max privacy
- uninstall xbox gaming thingy
- unpin everything from taskbar, pin stuff u want

reasonable starting point

Sounds good, would you mind describing how to do all this, one item at a time?

It sounds like a perfect topic for a "Sticky".

On Windows 7 (and earlier), with which I have reasonable experience, you can switch off Automatic Updates and initiate updates manually; I gather that this is no longer possible with Windows 10?

 

[darael]

The vast majority of what has been suggested can be done using MSMG Toolkit: https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/msmg-toolkit.50572/

The difference being is that you're preparing an installation image without the apps, etc. But it does so much more, it'd be a crime not to look into what MSMG can do and consider it.

The MSMG ToolKit is basically a Tool to Service, Customize, Add or Remove Features and Components, Enable or Disable Features to Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.

Spoiler: Features

• Copy Source DVD Files from DVD Drive
• Extract Source DVD Files from ISO Image
• Extract Source DVD Files from OEM / IMG Image
• Convert Windows Store ESD Image to WIM Image
• Convert Windows Media Creation Tool (MCT) Image to WIM Image
• Convert Windows ESD Image to WIM Image
• Convert Windows WIM Image to ESD Image
• Convert Source WIM Editions
• Integrate Windows Updates
• Integrate Windows Setup Media Updates
• Integrate Windows Language Packs
• Integrate Windows Device Drivers
• Integrate Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
• Integrate Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2
• Integrate Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.1
• Integrate Microsoft Data Deduplication
• Integrate Microsoft Edge Browser App
• Integrate Windows Accessibility Braille
• Integrate Microsoft Win32 Calculator
• Integrate Open Secure Shell (SSH)
• Integrate Windows Management Framework 5.1
• Integrate Windows Media Feature Pack
• Integrate Windows Multimedia Restricted Codecs
• Integrate Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
• Integrate Windows System Restore
• Integrate Windows To Go Workspace
• Integrate Remote Server Administration Toolkit (RSAT)
• Integrate Microsoft Default Metro Apps
• Integrate Microsoft DaRT Tools to Boot & Recovery Images
• Integrate Windows Thin PC Add-on Packages
• Integrate Microsoft DirectX 9.0c
• Integrate Microsoft Games
• Integrate Windows Sidebar
• Integrate Windows 8.1 Media Center Generic Activation Tokens
• Integrate Windows 8.1 Pre-Activation Data & Tokens
• Integrate Terminal Server Patch
• Integrate Custom Themes UxTheme Patch
• Integrate Custom Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
• Integrate Custom Default User Account Pictures
• Integrate Custom System Files
• Integrate Windows PhotoViewer Metro Mods
• Integrate Windows MediaPlayer Metro Mods
• Integrate Windows Win32Calc Metro Mods
• Remove Default Metro Apps
• Remove Default Metro Apps Using Apps List
• Remove Default Metro Apps Association
• Remove Windows Components
• Remove Windows Components Using Package List
• Import Default Metro Apps Association from XML File
• Export Default Metro Apps Association to a XML File
• Import Tweaks
• Make a DVD ISO Image
• Burn a ISO Image to DVD
• Copy Source to Bootable USB Flash Drive
• Sync Source Boot and Install Images to Bootable USB Flash Drive
• Burn an ISO Image to Bootable USB Flash Drive
• Format a USB Flash Drive
• WIM Manager to Display, Delete, Rename, Export, Split, Merge, Capture, Apply, Cleanup, CheckHealth, ScanHealth WIM Image Indexes
• Load/Unload WIM Image Registry for Modification

 

[mistersprinkles]

I am not at all familiar with Windows 10 and have just built a desktop "Business" system using Windows 10 Pro. It seems to me that it seems to include lots of "Junk" and runs numerous processes and services. This system will be used with Word, Excel, email, Internet research, etc., it is unlikely ever to be used for games or for watching films or playing music.

Can anyone familiar with Windows 10 offer any advice on what can be removed and/or stopped?

Leave it alone. Even if you turn off the spy stuff windows will turn it back on. Just let it run vanilla and live comfortably in the knowledge that Microsoft knows all, and sees all.

 

[Haggisman]

Anyone as cynical as me to think this is all M&S gearing up for a "classic" version of Windows at some point - e.g. all the security and usability of a modern OS but without all the spyware in 10? I mean, they can't really be stupid enough to believe that people actually want all the **** that's being forced on them... can they?

 

[AHarvey]

Anyone as cynical as me to think this is all M&S gearing up for a "classic" version of Windows at some point - e.g. all the security and usability of a modern OS but without all the spyware in 10? I mean, they can't really be stupid enough to believe that people actually want all the **** that's being forced on them... can they?

What they should do is on installation, ask some questions about what it's going to be used for an create a custom install. Business only? no games and install office automatically. Home user, gaming, development etc.

It makes sense. Or the ability to switch between modes while using it. Switch to gaming mode and it cuts down all the background **** and focuses on performance etc.