10 Useless Windows 10 Features You Should Disable and Remove

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Freeing up space from unnecessary tools that Microsoft has carefully preinstalled for us.

Windows 10 is packed with features, and not all of them can be useful to you. Many components can be removed so that they are not an eyesore, and disk space will be freed up. For owners of Ultrabooks with a 128 GB SSD, this is not bad.

Most of the applications listed in this article can be found by clicking Start → Settings → Applications → Applications and Features → Additional Features. Here you need to select the unnecessary component and click "Delete".

Separate instructions are provided for those parts of the system that cannot be removed in the Options menu.

Deleted packages can be restored by clicking Add Component. So, if necessary, you will be able to bring the system back to its original form. So let's start cleaning.

1. Cortana

The latest 20H1 update brings Cortana to Windows 10 computers - even those that didn't have it before. Russian users with bated breath click the coveted blue circle … and see the inscription "Cortana is not available in your region."

Why add an assistant who does not speak Russian to systems with Russian localization is unknown. Therefore, it is better to remove it so that it does not take up space.

Right-click the Start icon, then select Windows PowerShell (Admin). Enter the command:

Get-appxpackage -allusers Microsoft.549981C3F5F10 | Remove-AppxPackage

And press Enter. Cortana will be removed.

If someday Microsoft does make Cortana available for Russia, you can easily from the Microsoft Store.

2. Internet Explorer

Usually Internet Explorer is used to download Chrome or Firefox after reinstalling Windows 10. And then you can safely remove it too.

Click Start → Settings → Applications → Applications and Features → Additional Features. Select Internet Explorer and click Uninstall. That's all.

If it turns out that you still need Internet Explorer, click Add Component in the same window, select the appropriate package and click Install.

3. Windows Media Player

An extremely useless player that looks like the good old Windows XP days. Microsoft, apparently, themselves realize its uselessness, because in the system besides it there is "Groove Music" and "Movies and TV".

Since most users after installing Windows 10 still use the mentioned programs from Microsoft or download third-party players, Windows Media Player can be uninstalled. This can be done in the "Additional components" window.

4. Paint

Some people paint primitive comics in Paint, but for most people this editor is useless. It has so many quality free alternatives.

Previously, Paint was built into the system so that it could not be removed, but with the 20H1 update, Microsoft made it possible for Windows 10 users. You can find Paint in the Additional Components menu.

5. WordPad

A simple built-in text editor without any outstanding features. It does not know how to open DOC and DOCX formats, and saves typed texts in not the most popular RTF format. In short, a pretty useless thing.

WordPad is uninstalled through "Additional Components". You can use Microsoft Word, Open Office, or Google Docs instead.

6. Windows Fax and Scan

This piece is necessary if your computer is in the office. But among home users, there are a lot of those who do not have a scanner or a printer. As for the fax … many people will not remember the last time they sent a fax.

In the Options menu, find the Windows Fax and Scan package and click Uninstall. If desired, it can be easily returned to its place.

7. "Quick Support"

The built-in Windows 10 Quick Help tool is a good thing in theory, but few people use it in practice. Everyone basically helps their friends through alternative remote access programs.

If you already have TeamViewer installed, or if your friends are able to access Odnoklassniki without assistance, the Quick Support package can be uninstalled.

eight."View Tasks"

Task View or Timeline is the button next to the Start menu that, when you click on it, brings up recently opened files and documents. If you use a Microsoft account and mobile apps, you can also find files from other devices here, such as Word documents open on your iPhone or Android.

It's a funny thing, but so far it only pulls for a concept. It is very inconvenient to navigate the files here. And it is not clear why something should be searched for in the timeline, if there is a search, folders and a menu of recent documents in the "Explorer" and on the taskbar. All in all, Timeline is a beautiful but hardly useful tool.

To turn it off, click Start → Settings → Privacy → Activity Log.

Disable the "Save my activity log on this device" and "Send my activity log to Microsoft" checkboxes. Then deactivate your account under "Show activity from these accounts" and click "Clear".

Finally, right-click on the taskbar and disable Show Task Viewer Button.

9. "People" button

This button on the taskbar displays your contacts and allows you to pin them to the taskbar. In principle, the idea is not bad, but this function is integrated only with the "Mail" Windows 10 and Skype, so there is no use from it, consider it.

Right-click the taskbar and click Show People Panel on Taskbar. That's all.

10. Universal applications

In addition to the above components, there are many more "Universal Apps" in Windows 10. These are the ones that open when you click on the tiles in the Start menu. They are optimized for touch screens.

Their usefulness varies from case to case, for example, "Mail" or "Photos" are quite worthwhile programs. But why would you need a 3D Viewer or Xbox Console Companion if you don't have a 3D printer or a Microsoft console?

You can remove 3D Viewer using the Windows PowerShell command:

Get-AppxPackage * 3d * | Remove-AppxPackage

And to remove the "Xbox Console Companion" you need to type:

Get-AppxPackage * xboxapp * | Remove-AppxPackage

For a complete list of commands to remove other universal apps, see our guide.

If you choose to repair these programs, you can find them in the Microsoft Store. Or type the Windows PowerShell command to restore everything in bulk.

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$ ($ _. InstallLocation) AppXManifest.xml"}

But keep in mind that you only need to execute the command if you are very fond of Microsoft applications.