Bloatware: the unnecessary, storage-consuming software that comes preloaded on your computer. Bloatware is unwanted and takes up valuable space on your hard drive while making your computer run slower than it needs to. Some pre-installed software, like Lenovo’s Superfish, even had the potential to compromise the security of the device. Fortunately, Lenovo will no longer be installing Superfish or any other bloatware on their computers, according to Bit-Tech.
However, not all PC makers will follow in Lenovo’s footsteps because there’s big money in bloatware. According to PC World, the ever-lowering prices of computers causes PC vendors to make very little money on each computer they sell. To compensate for the loss of profits on hardware, bloatware developers (such as anti-virus services, browser extensions, and ad-filled games) pay computer manufacturers for a spot on their devices. This actually lowers the overall cost of the computer for the consumer. While some of these programs are useful, most contribute to making your computer start up slower and run sluggishly.
So how does one banish the bloat? If you know for sure that a program is not necessary you can go to your Control Panel in Windows and click “uninstall a program.” From there, you can locate the programs you want to remove and simply uninstall them. Sometimes you will have to restart your computer after uninstallation. It’s best to do this immediately after purchasing your PC and before installing any of your own software.
You can also use a tool such as PC Decrapifier, which walks you through locating and uninstalling bloatware so your computer can run faster.
A last resort for removing bloatware is to reinstall Windows completely. If you are a computer novice, this is best left to the professionals, but if you know your way around a PC you can reinstall Windows using a new Windows disc or a version of Windows loaded on a USB. PC World has a great article that explains this process in detail.
If you are still unsure, give cat-man-du a call and we will get rid of the bloat, whether you bought your computer from us or not.