Windows 11 comes with numerous applications by default that offer little added value for many users — but still take up memory, clutter the Start menu, and start additional background processes. This so-called bloatware includes pre-installed tools, trial versions, games, or optional components that enter the system without being requested. The result: more entries in the Start menu, more services in the background, and sometimes even additional ads. A targeted clean-up ensures a better overview, fewer distractions, and an overall leaner, pleasantly quiet system in everyday use. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Manual removal via the settings Open the “Installed apps” item by right-clicking on the Windows icon. All existing applications appear in this list. Use the three dots next to an entry to call up Uninstall and confirm the removal. Many apps offer no productive added value. These include games such as Solitaire or Asphalt 8, trial versions, communication tools, Feedback Hub, Memos, Clipchamp or To Do. Many users also do not need Bing search, news, weather and Xbox components. If you want to use one of the removed applications later, reinstall it via the Microsoft Store. Foundry Manufacturers of laptops and complete systems often install their own utilities or antivirus test versions. Many of them check for updates, create monitoring services, or deliver ads. You remove these entries like any other app via the system administration. A thorough scan creates a focused system state and reduces background activity. You can also find the applications via appwiz.cpl. Enter the command in the taskbar search field. Foundry Bloatynosy for Windows 11 The portable tool Bloatynosy offers a structured approach to removing disruptive components more quickly and adjusting several system settings at the same time. You do not need to install the tool, but can start it directly under Windows 11. After starting, you can choose between “Experience” and “Dumputer.” The “Experience” button summarizes interventions that deactivate telemetry, hide advertising content, switch off optionally activated functions such as Recall or reduce Edge components. “Dumputer” specifically takes care of pre-installed apps and also removes entries that Windows regularly protects. Thomas Joos Bloatynosy expands its range of functions via a plug-in system. This allows you to activate additional options. These include the display of hidden file extensions, the complete removal of OneDrive and the recovery of deleted apps. The current version uses a revised interface, optimised navigation, new filters and additional plug-ins. This includes Block New Outlook Preinstall. The tool runs modularly, supports dark mode and offers stable display on devices with high DPI scaling. Win11Debloat as a PowerShell script Win11Debloat is a lean, script-based alternative without a graphical interface that is executed directly via PowerShell. The tool removes pre-installed bloatware, disables telemetry and advertising, switches off Bing search, Copilot, Cortana, and other AI functions, displays file extensions by default, cleans up Explorer and offers numerous options for customizing the taskbar. The script can be used both interactively and completely automatically. The easiest way to start it is via the Windows terminal with administrator rights. Then load and start the current version with the following PowerShell command: & ([scriptblock]::Create((irm `https://debloat.raphi.re/`))) If this does not work, download the script “gt.ps1”. Then start the terminal via the context menu with administrator rights and enter the following commands in the directory where you downloaded the script: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\get.ps1 Thomas Joos Win11Debloat offers three ways to clean up your system. The quick method (1) loads and starts the script directly via PowerShell. The classic method (2) relies on manually executing the downloaded files. The advanced method (3) is aimed at experienced users who want to integrate their own parameters and customized settings. You use a clear menu to specify which apps are removed and which system functions are customized. The standard configuration deactivates telemetry, tracking, advertising, Bing search, Bing AI, Copilot, Windows Recall, and Quick Start, among other things. It also removes a defined selection of pre-installed apps and shows file extensions by default. The script supports audit mode, interventions for other user profiles, and a sysprep mode through which new profiles automatically adopt customized settings. All changes can be undone. Many removed apps can be reinstalled via the Microsoft Store. Thomas Joos Sensible selection of methods Manual removal via the settings is sufficient for occasional system clean-ups. Bloatynosy scores points if you prefer a clear interface and want to use additional optimization functions at the same time. Win11Debloat is suitable for more in-depth corrections, for automated processes, and for technically experienced users who prefer a script-controlled tool. Result of a cleaned system After removing superfluous components, Windows starts faster, looks tidier, and does away with many superfluous notifications and advertising content. You actively control the installed applications and reduce unwanted background processes. This allows you to maintain an organized system status and concentrate on the tools that you actually use. Related content 12 easy tweaks that maximize your Windows 11 PC’s speed I finally decided to reset my Windows PC. Here are 6 signs you should, too 7 ways Windows 11 collects your data – and how to opt out Read...

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With the update to the newest Firefox 146 version, you can enjoy a number of new features and improvements. A new backup feature saves important data even without synchronization, and using the Firefox Labs experiments will be easier. Plus, several security flaws have been fixed. Mozilla plans to release the next version, Firefox 147, on January 13th, 2026 (which coincides with Microsoft’s next Patch Tuesday). What’s new in Firefox 146? Firefox 146 provides Windows users with a backup feature for all important data. Its main purpose is to make it easier to switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Without synchronization, which would require you to log in, you can back up your browser data locally or to OneDrive so that it’s available on your new Windows 11 PC. (This backup feature is rolling out gradually, so isn’t available on all systems yet.) For the weather report on Firefox’s homepage, it makes sense for the browser to know your location. However, this isn’t always desirable, as privacy is pretty important to Firefox users. For users in the EU, the location is now only determined with the user’s consent (opt-in). This new improvement is also being introduced gradually. You can now also activate experimental features in Firefox without having to participate in the transmission of telemetry data. Security fixes in Firefox 146 Mozilla lists at least 13 eliminated security vulnerabilities in the 2025-92 Security Advisory. Five of the externally reported vulnerabilities are categorized as high risk, with two of them relating to errors in the JavaScript JIT compiler. A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability has also been fixed in the WebRTC component. The last two entries in the Security Advisory concern an unspecified number of internally discovered flaws, which are lumped under CVE-2025-14332 and CVE-2025-14333. They’re only considered medium risk. Attacks on these vulnerabilities are not yet known. Further browser updates In addition to Firefox 146.0, ESR versions 140.6.0 and 115.31.0 are also now available, although the latter is only available for Windows 7 and 8.1 and macOS 10.12 to 10.14. In these versions, Mozilla has fixed the above-mentioned vulnerabilities that are already present in the code of these browser generations, some of which were quite old. The latest Tor Browser 15.0.3 is based on Firefox ESR 140.6 and comes with the NoScript 13.5.2 extension. For users of Windows 7 and 8.1 and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 only, Tor Browser 13.5.26 is based on Firefox ESR 115.31, including NoScript 13.5.2. The Tor Project now hosts NoScript for its browser itself, as seen by the fact that the NoScript version has the suffix “.1984” (currently 13.5.2.1984). Otherwise, it’s identical to the version on Firefox’s Add-On Store. Thunderbird 146.0, which can now handle Exchange, and 140.6.0esr have also been released. The developers have fixed one or two security vulnerabilities that the mail app inherited from Firefox. Read...

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As a mom to six kids in rural Nebraska, it’s been hard for me to accept that the world is changing. Except for a few years in Omaha, I’ve lived in small rural communities almost all my life. It’s actually not uncommon in my community to leave your car—or home—unlocked and to know all your neighbors by name. But things are different from the way they used to be. We’ve had some close calls in the area with home break-ins and jail breakouts (which can be frightening if you’re home alone at night). While I knew I needed to get serious about securing my home, I’d been reluctant to go high-tech. After all, I live in an area that frequently loses power during bad weather and struggles to maintain good internet connectivity, which means app-based solutions can sometimes leave me in limbo. Giving smart locks a try But then I was approached with an interesting opportunity: PCWorld asked me to install a smart lock—my first—and share my experience. They knew that while I love gadgets and have written about dozens in the past, I was leery of trusting one with my home security. I can’t be the only person who’s had intrusive thoughts of being locked out of my home at 3 a.m. due to an app crash or because I forgot my PIN code.  Level Lock Pro Read our review Plus, I’m busy and not particularly handy, so my mind raced with concerns. Will it take a long time to install? Will my tech-averse husband hate it? Will we install it and then just never use that door again? Never one to back down from a challenge (I’m raising five boys, after all), I said I’d give it a shot. The biggest surprise? I can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner.  A smart lock has been the least complicated part of my home security routine, and it’s as smart as I want it to be—a big must if your household members have varying levels of tech comfort. You may be as surprised as I was at how uneventful the entire experience turned out to be (and that’s a good thing!) Installation was surprisingly easy First, before you ever buy a lock, get to know the doors in your home. You likely have an entry point in mind, but not all doors work with all locks. Most standard smart deadbolt kits, like the Schrage Encode Plus that I tried (read our expert’s review of the Schrage Encode Plus), have clear specifications on the packaging to confirm a fit. Even if it’s not explicitly stated, a given lock may not work on an antique, non-standard, or glass-filled door (e.g., French-style).  Linsey Knerl/Foundry We chose a door that was close enough to be in range of our home Wi-Fi network, but far enough away that we’d appreciate the convenience of locking it without having to physically walk to the door. In our case, this was the front door to our very cold-in-winter garage—which did not, unfortunately, have an existing lock. If your preferred door doesn’t have a deadbolt already, you can cut holes for one—which is what we did. Most hardware stores sell door lock installation kits, but be sure you purchase both the hole saw component and the latch plate jig. They may not be bundled together in the same kit. (If you don’t have a handy spouse like I do, this is a quick job for a handyman that should take less than an hour.) After we had a deadbolt hole and a place for a latch plate, the installation itself was super simple. The entire process took less than 10 minutes, so if you’re looking for a weekend project, this won’t even take the whole weekend. (Meaning, you can’t use it as an excuse to miss your least-favorite cousin’s wedding.) Linsey Knerl/Foundry Here are some highlights and tips from our installation: The door lock we chose came with an instruction booklet and an app to guide us through. I preferred the app because it had animated videos that really helped someone like me, who has little spatial ability. Reading all the steps before you start can be very helpful, as well.  The unique security code for your lock is likely printed on the instructions. Snap a photo of this with your phone so you’ll always have it, even if you lose the pamphlet.  To make the process smoother, check what you’ll need before you start and verify that you have each item (screws, plates, etc.) mentioned in the instructions. Our lock came with standard AA batteries, but not all do. Have a fresh set available so you can finish installation.  Separate bolt or screw types by size so you don’t accidentally use the wrong one for a particular step.  As long as you have a standard-sized Phillips screwdriver, you won’t need extra tools, but a second person can help when lining up the lock from the other side of the door.  As a final note, I’d strongly advise picking a door lock that runs on batteries. While hard-wired options are available, these are more appropriate for homeowners with access to an electrician and would likely lead to a more involved installation process. You can decide how smart your smart lock will be I have a love-hate relationship with gadgets due to privacy concerns and app fatigue. If you do too, that’s OK. Smart locks can be used as part of a connected ecosystem of smart devices or entirely on their own.  While you generally need to install the app and sign up for a free account to use a smart lock initially, continued use is optional. Our lock came with a key and a PIN pad, so it is unnecessary to connect to a smart assistant (Alexa, Google Home) unless you want to. In the event of a power or internet outage, I can rely on the lock’s battery power and PIN, or stick with the old-fashioned key on a ring. I also love this type of smart-lock configuration for “Wait Until 8th” households, as it allows kids to come and go without compromising on tech boundaries.  Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt Read our review Best Prices Today: $249.94 at Amazon | $319 at Schlage | Not Available at Amazon Prime I also like that our lock came with a guest PIN option, meaning a housekeeper, visiting family member, or dog-sitter can come and go with their own PIN. We can see when they came and went with notifications in the app, or even disable the PIN to revoke access.  Other locks come with fingerprint identification, something I really didn’t want. In the winter, we prefer to keep gloves on, and I’m really hesitant to give more personal data than necessary to any app or device. But you can always balance your unique needs and privacy concerns with any lock you choose.  It gave me peace of mind Ultimately, the right smart lock should make you feel safer than without one. In our case, I was impressed with a few features right from the start. For one, it was easy to check the lock’s status from anywhere, including my bed at three in the morning. This is a key factor in the middle of December, when I’m reluctant to brave the chilly temperatures in the garage to check if my door is truly locked. (Keep in mind that if you choose a Bluetooth-only smart lock rather than a Wi-Fi model or one with a network-connected hub, you’ll need to be physically near the lock to access it.) It also provides some assurance when I leave the kids home alone. Rather than texting to remind them to lock the door (and obsessively waiting for them to text back to confirm they complied), I can just check the phone app. I also get notified when they lock or unlock the door, whether they do so with the app, a connected device, the PIN pad, or the physical key.  My favorite use case is the ability to remotely lock the door immediately. Remember the escaped fugitive I mentioned earlier? It really happened in our small town, and it was nice to lock my door in the middle of the day from my kitchen without making the trek to the garage. While I doubt seconds matter in most cases, it is handy to be able to lock or unlock the door instantly.  Kwikset Halo Select Touchscreen Wi-Fi and Matter Enabled Smart Lock Read our review Best Prices Today: $259 at Amazon You can take it with you Finally, I understand the reluctance to spend a lot of money on a nicer smart lock, especially if you’re in a starter home—or if you plan to replace your door at some point. However, uninstalling the lock takes less time than installing it. So, if you keep all the parts from your original lock, it’s just as simple a process to put things back the way they were and bring your fancy lock to your next door (or location). With some of these locks costing hundreds of dollars, I like having the freedom to not be “locked” into a single door.  I’m a smart lock believer now I’m not sold on all new technology and will probably never invest in a smart fridge, for example. But I can’t deny that the smart lock has changed the way I think about security and may have actually enhanced (in a small way) how I live.  Having a smart lock makes safety a one-button push thing, like the fob on my car keys. It’s safety first, but without all the drama of waking up my husband at 3 a.m. to ask, “Are you sure you remembered to lock the door?” It gives my racing mind one less thing to ruminate on while keeping my most prized treasures (my family) a little bit more secure.  But you don’t have to be an obsessive checker like me to get value from a smart lock. Anyone who lives in cold climates or thinks hiding a key under the mat is an outdated idea can probably get on board with the gadget. Because protecting what matters most should feel simple, not stressful. Check out TechHive’s top picks for the best smart locks. Read...

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I did not have “Micron kills its consumer business” on my 2025 bingo card. The company announced the shuttering of its Crucial brand on Wednesday morning in unexpectedly simple, transparent language. The short version: Micron is concentrating on their business customers, where the demand has “surged” for memory and storage—thanks to data centers and their scaling up for AI. (Translation: ‘We can make way more money through enterprise customers, so we will.’) As noted in this same post, this decision ends 29 years of the Crucial brand. I can’t say I’m completely shocked. But I am surprised by what this move partially implies. Namely, enterprise’s hunger for memory and storage lasting for years and years. Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the surprising topics on our YouTube show or latest news from across the web? You’re in the right place.  Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website!  Am I nervous for consumers? Not just yet. But I am wondering if the somber estimate of RAM shortages lasting beyond this decade ends up proving true. I’m also wondering which other companies will back off consumer sales. And maybe more importantly, how such decisions will affect the development cycles and cost of new products. I don’t mean only RAM kits and SSD drives, though I could see any company producing memory or storage modules abandoning direct-to-consumer efforts. No, I mean anything that contains them, too—like graphics cards. For example, rumor has it that Nvidia may start expecting board partners to source their own memory. Individually, those smaller companies have less power to negotiate. That could then influence the pricing and quantities they get, which in turn would result in higher costs for consumers…and likely slower releases and fewer options, too. Similarly, I could see prebuilt PCs become less bleeding edge with their specs, either staying stagnant or even regressing. Sounds bad, right? So why am I not nervous? Let’s say consumers are faced with higher prices and sluggish innovation. Let’s assume too that everyday folk will push off tech upgrades for longer stretches. The market will have to adapt—and I am curious what that would look like. Chromebooks and GeForce Now have expanded what’s possible for people with low budgets or limited hardware. But I don’t want that approach to PCs to become the default.Matt Smith/Foundry To make up for lagging consumer hardware performance, does the shift to cloud computing accelerate faster? Or will software innovations make up for older, less performant consumer PCs and phones? Companies want everyone on a subscription model, but no one can afford all that exist.  I want the second scenario as our future, if we have to endure a hardware apocalypse. How can we make that happen? Consumers can vote with their dollars, and we must as things become bleaker. Local computing needs to remain a fundamental part of consumer technology. Chromebooks and GeForce Now are fantastic options, but the concepts they rely on—always online, fully dependent on remotely administered servers—cannot handle everyone’s needs. Plus, with online security devolving into a bigger and bigger dumpster fire, local computing is a defense against privacy and data leaks. When PCs first became mainstream, a basic model cost $1,500 to $2,500. Since then, consumer demand fueled the accessibility and openness of the PC—it’s a core reason for why I’m here writing these words and why you’re reading them. I don’t want to watch that die. So I’m choosing to believe we consumers can (and must) stave off such a regression. In this episode of The Full Nerd  In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith dig into my annual list of the best DIY gaming PCs buildable with Black Friday deals, plus our predictions for CES 2026. As gloomy as we sound, it was a fun discussion—I enjoy sifting through all the deals and then jigsaw-puzzling them into build lists. Really cool to have crossed the 10-year mark with this tradition! As for CES, we have decided not to play a drinking game based on how often “AI” is mentioned in keynotes and press releases. We’re too old to weather the guaranteed massive hangover. I lived my best streamer-beanie life during this episode. (Gordon’s takes on life were so hilarious.)Willis Lai / Foundry Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time! Don’t miss out on our NEW shows too—you can catch episodes of Dual Boot Diaries and The Full Nerd: Extra Edition now! And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.  This week’s packed nerd news I came back from our holiday weekend feeling as if I hadn’t heard much news. But plenty still happened behind the noise of AI and its affect on hardware, even if it wasn’t particularly cheery. So on theme with Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to all the wonderfully crazy weirdos who do things like play Minecraft on a receipt printer—I find it great for morale as a hardware enthusiast. And a lover of doing dumb, harmless things for entertainment. That drive is pretty tiny.Mark Hachman / Foundry Long live emoticons: I’m in the minority of folks who still use emoticons, rather than emoji, for conversations. Reading up on emoticon history (as cataloged by former PCWorld contributor Benj Edwards) put a real smile on my face. It was simpler times then. Though humans were still very human. Am I old now? No, it’s the children who are wrong: I identified strongly with this rant from my colleague Mark Hachman, about the physical size of modern external SSDs. (I have too many things to track these days…) So…Year of Linux for real? According to the Zorin OS developers, the latest release of their distro hit an all-time high of 1 million downloads in just five weeks. Steve benchmarked a bunch of Linux games, btw: Our friend Steve Burke & team over at Gamers Nexus dove deep into Linux gaming performance. If you’ve been curious about how a switch off Windows would go, definitely check out this video. Microsoft’s new ugly holiday sweaters are kind of… cute? Except that Zune one. Burn it with fire. Also, it’s a no for me on the Copilot logo mixed in with ’90s nostalgia. And the Xbox one is okay only if you’re a huge brand fanatic. …Okay, yeah, let’s just skip all of these. An expensive slice of Pi: Sadly, RAM pricing affects our favorite budget single-board computer, too. Oh no: I don’t want Google Gemini on my phone. I also rely heavily on Google Assistant to set reminders for me. If this goes beyond just Android Auto, March 2026 may be the month where everyone finds out just how truly bad I am at keeping track of things on my own. ð?? Yep, that’s Minecraft on a receipt printout.smilly (YouTube) / Tom’s Hardware Playing Minecraft on a receipt printer is a thing? Well, it was for a YouTuber who decided to give a go. Very entertaining concept. Almost as good as playing games with bananas or pomegranates. Friends laughed at my living room PC. But who’s laughing now? I mean, really no one, because Netflix killing casting support is just a crappy bit of news. But I do feel vindicated about the little buddy attached to my TV. My kind of ethical hacking: Organizers at Kawaiicon in New Zealand built a system to monitor CO2 levels in the air, as a proxy for viral infection risk. Pretty dang neat bit of hacking. (It’s a hacker conference though, so I guess the digital kind went wild and free, for science and fun.) (Yes, a hacker con, not an anime con.) (No, I did not expect that either.) On the topic of privacy: Proton just released an Excel alternative for its users. In combination with its Word alternative (Proton Docs), it’s now a possible viable alternative to Google’s free webapps. Time to roll up my sleeves and give it a spin, for the sake of reporting. Japan invents ‘human washing machine’: But fails to consider what will not get washed if a human sits in a recliner the whole time while being (gently) hosed down. (Ew.) I expected more from the land that gave us high-tech bidets. Uh oh. Cherry is having big financial problems: To stay afloat, parts of their business will be sold—and production of their well-known switches will shift from Germany to China and Slovakia. Feels like the Cherry we knew will not be the one that survives. RAM is so expensive, Samsung won’t even sell it to Samsung: My colleague Mike Crider has a way with headlines—and this one’s so good I had to include it here, even though everyone’s saturated with memory-related news. It is quite the sign of the times.  I have a dilemma: As mentioned on the show, I have an insufficient quantity of holiday sweaters for our December episodes. Should go with a classy holiday sweater to round out my collection? Or should I lean even harder into the ugly holiday sweater theme? Decisions, decisions. Catch you all next week! ~Alaina This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld. Read...

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