Upcoming Windows 10 update may finally crack down on bloatware

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One of the most annoying things about getting a new PC or laptop is undoubtedly having to go through and uninstall the bloatware that many OEMs still package with their devices.

However a new Windows 10 update may be about to end this frustration for good by making it optional for extra software to be installed.

The changes, set to arrive in the upcoming Sun Valley Windows 10 update, will mean users can tailor exactly which tools and services are downloaded and installed onto their devices.

Bye bye bloatware

This crackdown will also include Microsoft's own products, as the company recently revealed it would allow users to remove software previously included in its Creators Update offering, including the likes of 3D Viewer and Paint 3D, after finding out many users simply never used them.

Windows 10 Build 21332, released to Dev Channel Insiders now, is the first edition to allow users to remove the likes of Paint 3D - although users who do want the tool can still download it from the Windows Store.

"3D Viewer and Paint 3D will no longer be preinstalled on clean installs of the latest Insider Preview builds. Both apps will still be available in the Store and will stay on your device after an OS update. So, if you upgraded your PC like normal, you shouldn’t see these apps changed in your app list," Microsoft wrote in its release notes.

Also seeing the exit is Math Input Panel, which allowed users to write mathematical formauls and insert them into documents using input tools such as styluses. The app is remaining as an optional feature titled “Math Recognizer” which can be installed via Settings > Apps > Apps & features and clicking “Optional features”.

The changes are already rolling out now in preview builds and updates to Windows 10, with the release of Sun Valley later in 2021 due to set them in stone.

Windows 10 Creators Update was released to great fanfare back in 2017 as Microsoft looked to open up the possibilities of what users could make with their devices.

"We believe that everyone is a creator at heart and that creativity is an essential human trait. And, no matter who you are, Windows 10 is built to empower the creator in all of us," the company said in its launch.

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Via WindowsLatest

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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.