How to Remove Bloatware From a New Windows Gaming PC

You unbox a new gaming laptop or prebuilt desktop, sign in, and before you have installed a single game there are trial antivirus pop-ups, a manufacturer control centre, three updater tools and a handful of games you never asked for. Learning to remove bloatware safely is the first job on any new Windows PC, because some of that software runs in the background from the first boot and eats memory, CPU time and storage you bought for games.

The trick is knowing what to delete and what to leave. Some preinstalled software controls fans, RGB lighting and keyboard shortcuts, and removing it can make the machine worse. Here is the process I use on every new system I set up.

What counts as bloatware on a gaming PC

Bloatware is software the manufacturer or Microsoft installs that you did not choose and do not need. On gaming PCs it usually falls into four groups:

Trialware: antivirus suites with a 30 or 60 day trial, office suite trials, photo editors and cloud backup offers.
Preinstalled consumer apps: casual games, streaming app shortcuts and social apps that Windows adds to the Start menu.
Duplicate utilities: a vendor's own driver updater, system optimiser or "game booster" that overlaps with Windows features.
Manufacturer control software: the hub for your laptop's fan profiles, power modes, RGB and function keys.

The first three are generally safe to remove. The fourth needs care, and we will come back to it.

Before you remove bloatware, make a safety net

Ten minutes of preparation saves a reinstall later.

Run Windows Update fully. Open Settings, then Windows Update, and install everything, including optional driver updates from your manufacturer. Restart and repeat until nothing is left.
Create a restore point. Search the Start menu for "Create a restore point", select your system drive, click Configure to turn protection on if it is off, then click Create. Name it something like "clean before debloat".
Write down what is installed. Take a screenshot of the Installed apps list in Settings. If something stops working later, you know what used to be there.
Note your laptop model. You may need to download the official control software again from the manufacturer's support page.

On a brand new PC there are no game saves to worry about yet, but on an older system you are cleaning up, follow our guide to backing up PC game saves first.

How to remove bloatware step by step

Start with the built-in tools. They handle 90 percent of the job without any third-party software.

Uninstall from Settings. Go to Settings, Apps, Installed apps. Sort by install date. Everything installed on the same day as Windows came from the factory. For each item you do not want, click the three dots and choose Uninstall.
Remove Start menu shortcuts. Many preinstalled "apps" are just shortcuts that download the app when clicked. Right-click each tile you do not want and choose Uninstall or Unpin.
Remove trial antivirus properly. Uninstall it from Settings, restart, then check Windows Security to confirm Microsoft Defender has switched back on. Some suites leave a removal tool on their support page if the normal uninstall fails.
Turn off startup leftovers. Open Task Manager with Ctrl, Shift and Esc, go to Startup apps, and disable anything you do not recognise as essential. Our guide on disabling startup apps for a faster boot explains what each common entry does.
Stop new suggestions. In Settings, go to Personalization, then Start, and turn off recommendations and tips. Under Privacy and security, General, turn off personalised ads. This stops Windows quietly pinning new suggested apps later.
Restart and check. After a reboot, open Task Manager and look at memory use at idle. On a 16 GB system, a clean Windows 11 install usually sits between 3.5 and 5 GB. Many factory images start at 6 to 7 GB.

What you should keep

This is where a lot of people go wrong. Do not remove these without checking what they do on your specific model:

Software type	Examples	Keep or remove
Laptop control centre	Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage, MSI Center, Omen Gaming Hub	Keep, but trim its extra modules
GPU software	NVIDIA App, AMD Software	Keep for driver updates and settings
Audio drivers and tools	Realtek, Dolby, Nahimic	Keep the driver, test before removing the app
Vendor optimiser or booster	Generic "PC booster" utilities	Remove
Trial antivirus	Any 30 or 60 day suite	Remove and rely on Defender

On many gaming laptops, the control centre is the only way to switch between silent, balanced and performance modes or change the GPU mode. Uninstall it and your fans may run at default curves forever. Instead, open it and turn off the parts you do not need, such as news feeds, game libraries or promotional offers.

Skip the one-click debloat scripts

Forums and videos often recommend running a big community debloat script that strips Windows down in one click. I understand the appeal, and some of them are well made. I still do not recommend them for most people.

These scripts often remove or disable components you may need later, such as the Microsoft Store, Xbox services used by Game Pass titles, or Windows Update features. When something breaks three months later, it is very hard to know which of 200 changes caused it. Some also need you to lower security settings just to run them, and copied versions from unofficial sources have carried malware.

The manual approach above takes about 30 minutes and you know every change you made. If you want to go further, a clean install of Windows from Microsoft's own media gives you a cleaner result than any script, with your manufacturer drivers added back afterwards.

Keep it clean after setup

Bloat creeps back. Game launchers add helpers, peripherals add companion apps, and updates sometimes reinstall suggestions. Once a month, sort Installed apps by date and look at the newest entries, then check Startup apps again. Our list of background apps quietly slowing down your PC is a handy reference for what to look for.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to remove bloatware from Windows 11?

Yes, as long as you remove it through Settings and avoid deleting drivers or manufacturer control software. Make a restore point first. Trialware, preinstalled games and duplicate utilities can be removed without any effect on stability.

Does removing bloatware improve gaming performance?

It mostly helps with boot time, idle memory use and background interruptions rather than raw frame rate. You may see smoother frame times and fewer stutters, especially on systems with 16 GB of memory or less, because fewer apps compete for resources.

Should I reinstall Windows instead of removing bloatware?

A clean install gives the cleanest result, but it takes longer and you need to reinstall manufacturer drivers and control software. For most people, removing bloatware manually is enough. Choose a clean install if the PC came with heavy trialware or feels slow after cleanup.