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Remove default Apps from Windows 10

Windows 10 comes preloaded with a lot of default apps. Depending on which version you have 1 , you will see various apps in your start menu that you don’t want. I previously explained how to uninstall OneNote from Windows 10, but you can actually remove any app you want.

The very first thing you should try is simply right-clicking on an app on the start menu and see if there is the uninstall option. If there is no such option, read on.

You will need to find PowerShell. Go to start and type PowerShell. You need administrator rights, so right click on it and choose Run as administrator.

Run PowerShell as an administrator

Now, you need to paste the appropriate code for each app you want to remove from Windows 10.

Remove 3D from Windows 10

Remove Camera from Windows 10

Remove Mail and Calendar from Windows 10

Remove Money, Sports, News and Weather from Windows 10

Remove Groove Music and Film & TV from Windows 10

Remove People from Windows 10

Remove Phone Companion from Windows 10

Remove Photos from Windows 10

Remove Solitaire Collection from Windows 10

Remove Voice Recorder from Windows 10

Remove Xbox from Windows 10

The following error seems to be incorrect, because the app is actually uninstalled and did not fail:

1 “N editions of Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 don’t include media-related technologies like Windows Media Player or Camera. To play or create audio CDs, digital media files, and video DVDs; organize content in a media library; create playlists; convert audio CDs to digital media files; view artist and title information of digital media files; view album art of music files; transfer music to personal music players; or record and play back TV broadcasts after Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 is installed, you’ll need to install a media player and other software from Microsoft or another company.”

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220 thoughts on “ Remove default Apps from Windows 10 ”

hello,
to uninstall APPX Package can be a wrong because Security updates or only updates.

Why?
i am working with many managed clients from Windows 7, 8.1 and now 10 SCCM 2012.
in the past i removed 5 Application from Windows 8.1 with powershell, after a while there comes updates from MS where them will be updated.
the client does not have it installed but the client is missing this updates and will them install but this failed.

i stop the use of this APPX now with GPO and Applocker and is very easy to use but for a better improvement i should them unpin or hideing but for this i search for a solution.

to modify the defaultlayouts.xml with LayoutModification a part as solution but only the half part. 🙂

any idea to hide are very welcome.

with best regards
André

(all ) that I want to do is delete the spps and the store so that no one can put them on this computer

I have tried to uninstall all these bloody stupid apps that no-one seems to want using the instructions as given but all I get is Get-AppxPackage & Remove-AppxPackage not recognized as cmdlt, object not found and various other stuff meaning it can’t remove them. Please advise.

Maybe figured out already, but what’s missing is that once you have your cmd window, you type ‘powershell’ to start the powershell prompt. Then you can execute the commands. Hope this helps!

no, it’s not enough to just type powershell. then using the powershell commands. that doesn’t work either. 🙁

I’m these steps worked for me in a fresh installation of Windows 10, but I did have to make sure I was running Powershell as an administrator. I apologize if this is something you verified, but if you haven’t it might be worth a shot.

If you start powershell as Admin it will show prompt as follow:
PS c:\>

You are using the cmd prompt. Find Windows Powershell (NOT FROM THE CMD PROMPT) and right-click then choose “Run as Administrator”. THEN copy and paste these cmd lines into WINDOWS POWERSHELL not into the cmd.exe screen. They will work for anyone on any copy of Windows 10 if you do it the way I just stated. Fact. Have fun good luck bye.

No it doesn’t work for everyone. I always run PowerShell and all others as an administrator. I get an error code each time I try to run these commands.
So now a question: Do I paste them exactly as you have them?
Example- Get-AppxPackage *xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage

Gee, thanks, bro! And thanks to Thomas also! You guys are geniuses! I got rid of XBOX! The jury’s still out on whether it’ll stay gone or return like Andre said. By the way, how many kinds ofidiots are there?

How can I remove Microsoft Edge?

I won’t verify this works, since I don’t want to remove Edge just yet, but I’ve removed many other of the Windows 10 apps using the format:
Get-appxpackage *(HERE I INCLUDE SOME PIECE OF THE NAME, FOR EDGE I USED *edg*)
Then I check to make sure the package is correct (ie. actually edge), so my naming system is correct before removal.
Once I know my name *edg* is the correct app, I type the code using the OP format:

Get-AppxPackage *edg* | Remove-AppxPackage

I can verify *edg* points to the Microsoft Edge Package.

If you have problems removing these apps using Powershell try opening Powershell ISE and copy/pasting above code in that. You will need to right click Paste.

Be careful downloading and running Reimage Repair after deleting apps, on my PC it simply re-downloaded everything I’d just deleted.

This is fine for the user who was logged in at the time but if another user logs in, all the app icons are back on the Start menu. If you click on one it dynamically reinstalls the app.
There needs to be a more permanent solution.

Thanks you SO MUCH for this.

When I try to delete Mail and Calendar I get this message in Administrator: Powershell ISE (x86)

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Remove-AppxPackage
cmdlet Remove-AppxPackage at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
Package:

Get the same in just Powershell when right click and ‘run as administrator’.

Get the same when use “Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage” instead of “Get-AppxPackage *communi* | Remove-AppxPackage” that you recommend.
I have also used command as two separate items, same result.

Anyone able to help so I can delete this and many other inbuilt apps.

I currently cannot receive/send emails and I consider this app is part of the problem as I inadvertantly clicked it the other day and put in my email account info then decided to quit. Now, no email will come through in Outlook at all.

I ended up with most APPs in a “limbo” state. They are still in the Windows APPs folder and show on the ALL APPS screen but with a $ followed by a jumble of letters and numbers. Some of them are of use to me so I am in a similar condition to Brian. I would hate to have to spend hours restoring Windows 10 just for these mainly useless apps.

Is there a way to reinstall all, or selected APPs?
Or, are we now forced to a Windows Reset where Microsoft removes our programs?

What’s the code to delete uttorent?

Hi Ish
You can uninstall the uTorrent client by going to your control panel, then choose ‘Uninstall a program’ and remove uTorrent from the list of programs.

When I tried uninstalling uTorrent from control panel it gave me an error and asked me did I want to move the shortcut from there so I did…now there’s no way of uninstalling uTorrent as I can’t find an uninstall file anywhere…I tried to install it back so I can uninstall it…it gives me this error “A referral was returned from server.” I have no clue what that means. Can you please tell me if there is a way of uninstalling it through the PowerShell Program like the other apps and programs you’ve outlined at the top of this feed. Thanks in advance.

I have windows 10 and have used you mini blog to turn off apps
It work until an unknown update reset the apps and now I can’t open your mini blog any more. I see the actual blog but it resets in seconds to the initual page. Microsoft is really going to far. Now what?

Welcome to the future. Your computer is controlled now in windows 10 by MS$ o’mighty god. And no, I am not kidding, they won and can control what your pc can or can’t do and spy too even if you turn off shit, its hidden deep inside u cant really turn it off.

Windows 10 is the beginning of ‘No more control for consumer & no more privacy for the consumer”. Future is bleak man, adopt/accept it or strike back at the companies!

GNU/Linux is the answer, I run Debian 8.5

As a long-time Linux user, the vast gulf between the Microsoft and Open Source mentality grows more apparent daily. Linux users search for and install applications they want while Windows users search for a way to remove them with some measure of difficulty. The intent is not to start a Windows/Linux debate. I’m merely saying how much I appreciate what I use. So, why am I here?

1. I don’t live under a rock. Scraping undesired software off hard drives is something I do for others. Though my customers are reluctant to consider Linux as a desktop alternative, they’re still less than enthusiastic about what Microsoft’s built-in applications.

2. To thank Thomas for a concise and properly documented list of commands that provide answers to software removal.

I don’t get Power Shell. I get a long list of various powershell activites. Which to pick?

As noted the xbox removal fails with the error messages listed. I’ve found that the only way to remove xbox was from a mounted offline WIM.
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Path (MountDir) -PackageName “Microsoft.XboxApp_xxxx.xx.xx.x.x_neutral_

_xxxxxxxx”
where (MountDir) is the path you have mounted the offiline WIM such as D:\Image\Offline and the xxxx.xx in the package name will vary dependent upon the Windows 10 version such as Windows 10 Professional build 1511 or Windows 10 Education

How do you do this again? How does one mount an offline WIM? What does that even mean?

Many THX from a frenchy for your most useful post!
Will forward this page to friends 🙂

CCleaner kan do the same, using the uninstall funktion.

Hi,
Are you able to help me with the following? How can I remove some build in apps from my smartphone running W10? I’ve already done it on my laptop with powershell, but don’t know how to do the same on my phone as it doesn’t show up with a drive letter on the pc.
Markus

The above commands are good for “current users”. How about “all users” or “default users”?

I tried “Get-AppxPackage -allusers | Remove-AppxPackage” and/or “Get-AppxPackage -user username | Remove-AppxPackage” and logged in a regular user, still I see all the Windows 10 App!

Could you please help to remove OneDrive and InsiderHub from Windows 10 OS.

uninstall insider hub
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the System icon.
2. Click/tap on Apps & features on the left side, and click/tap on the Manage optional features link on the right side.
3. Click/tap on the listed Insider Hub, and click/tap on Uninstall.
4. The Insider Hub app will now be uninstalled from all users on the PC.

It would be very nice; and very honorable if your idea worked-but; Micro Soft/Vendors do not want their windows into our lives closed! There is not a simple way to get ride of Explorer/One Cloud; or many other of these hellish monitoring tentacles!

Hi. I tired to delete Apps as it has mentioned above, but I do not know the codes. What is the Code.

And, I did typed into the Powershell as a “Get-AppxPackage *xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage” and
it has still been asking …

What am I supposed to type now?

Youre supposed to copy and paste them and they’ll work

Does anyone know how to remove the Contact Support app?

This app can’t be removed.

Hi, all,
Like Ian Smith also asked in previous question…. how do you get rid of Windows 10’s “Contact Support” & “Windows Feedback” on a stable way that is also supported by microsoft. (so not hacking the product on a dirty way out of the OS). Or how can the icons/shortcuts be removed from the All Apps list?
On a corporate- & VDI image this is not allowed. Via PowerShell and Appx commands this seems not possible. Also the shortcuts cannot be found (it seems).

I’ve tried for 2 days to remove Windows Mail, after inadvertently opening it and putting in my email account (in preparation for Windows Live Mail 2012 being dumped at the end of June).

Windows mail is a pile of junk so I wanted to get rid of it. I read as much as I could on the web but everything failed. Then I read another post where it was recommended to try CCleaner.
Hey presto, no fuss, no PowerShell and command prompt – it was uninstalled in seconds. Maybe this can be used to uninstall other unwanted apps

Its work for me Thank you so much for a nice sharing.

nice and works perfectly

Hi everyone,
Nobody issue solved ? I tried but sysrep later or new user login , deleted all apps come back . Thank u so much your help.

how can i unistall facebook and massenger and lync
plz help me i get confuse

como puedo desinstalar windows media feature pack.

I’m trying to uninstall “Xbox” from my pc, but when I type: Get-AppxPackage *xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage, I get a MASSIVE error saying:

Remove-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CFA, Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CFA)
error 0x80070032: AppX Deployment Remove operation on package
Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_1000.14393.0.0_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy from:
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_cw5n1h2txyewy failed. This app is part of Windows and cannot be
uninstalled on a per-user basis. An administrator can attempt to remove the app from the computer using Turn Windows
Features on or off. However, it may not be possible to uninstall the app.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] 68b3b888-f32d-0002-3bf8-b6682df3d101 in the Event Log or use
the command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID 68b3b888-f32d-0002-3bf8-b6682df3d101
At line:1 char:26
+ Get-AppxPackage *xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage
+

+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (Microsoft.XboxG…l_cw5n1h2txyewy:String) [Remove-AppxPackage], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.RemoveAppxPackageCommands.RemoveAppxPackageCommand

Sorry if this message is long and spammy, but xbox is weirdly affecting my computer and games (caps CS:GO to 30 FPS) please help!

Any luck removing it? If so, how?

Last (Aug 16) update for the photo app broke something now I get errors in reliability monitor showing the app stops working several times a day.
Whats the best way to delete or repair this app completely for all users?

How can i delete OneDrive and Microsoft Edge from my computer.

Hi Rikke
I also wrote an article on how to remove OneDrive from Windows 10 on this blog.

Thanks to all the positive feedback including the sucky application/OS &*nix. Those of you who detest the way Microcaca is going through, please be sure to reformat your system and get a Commodore. Perhaps PCs are not for you and Xbox or gamming platforms are. These day and age, you can even use your phone instead of M$. Thomas.. thank you so much.. it has helped quite a lot and “ALL” tips worked on the systems by following each tip correctly. Thanks again

Hello,
my taskbar,start button,calendar,edge etc. dont work…its the 4th time since i installed windows to…i tried every possible solution but nothing seems to help…
any help.

None of these uninstall commands seem to work, yet i am running PowerShell with admin rights.

thanx bro. U R GREAT BRO. YOU ARE “AWESOME”

I am running CCleaner Professional and under “Tools” there is an “Uninstall” choice. I opened the Uninstall and found the following apps that could be (?) uninstalled, Groove Music, 3D Builder, Alarms and Clocks, Camera, Mail and Calendar, Maps, Messaging, One Drive, Solitaire Collection, Sticky Notes, Microsoft Wi-Fi, Movies & TV, One Note, Paid Wi-Fi & Cellular, Sports, Store, Store Purchases App (these last 2 Microsoft keeps updating each time I use the Web – pisses me off), Tips, Voice Recorder, and last but not least Weather. I have all ready uninstalled Xbox. Has anyone else used CCleaner to uninstall? I am going to send an email to CCleaner and ask if the apps in question are COMPLETLY removed? Any comments? One thing I like about CCleaner is that you can COMPLETLY delete. Meaning “right over” the item(s) 3-times, or 7-times, or 12-times. I do it 7 times and there is not that much time delay – maybe 4 seconds. I am going to Linux in time.
Mike

Thanks, Mike. CCleaner did it for me – the free version. So far, Groove music has not reappeared in my start menu, nor does it show up as an option when I want to play a music file. I haven’t found it under the programs list, either. I got rid of Xbox and a number of other unwanted and unneeded programs this way. At this point I don’t particularly care if it’s on my computer somewhere, I’m just happy that it doesn’t keep popping up as an unwanted option for playing music, nor does it clutter my start menu. The only caveat is that I haven’t had any updates lately so I don’t know if it will reappear somehow.

Right! I, too, plan to go to Linux eventually. Microsuck is too annoying and time consuming. Why pay a company to annoy you and spy on you for the government? And the same is true of goobersmooching Google! Got a Cricket phone that has so much Google crap and blasted bloatware (pre-installed) that I could only put 2 or 3 good apps on it! I just want to find a cheap computer WITHOUT an OS try out Linux first and get used to it before putting it on this one.

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Visited this and think it can help, Just change all the Xbox shows in the registry as mentioned here to 4 – https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-and-remove-game-bar-windows-10-creators-update before typing this in the powershell Get-AppxPackage *xboxapp* | Remove-AppxPackage

Trying this at work, and I am getting the error:

‘Get-AppxPackage’ is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

For the love of Tux and Steve, I hate Microsoft Windows so very much… Thank God I have a Mac, Linux and (still) Windows Vista, at home.

hello good afternoon thomas how can i remove microsoft edge, alarm and clock, maps, messages, mobile data plans

I tried to remove Photos with this method. It has left Photos but uninstalled Photoshop instead. Any ideas?

MUCHAS GRACIAS DESDE COLOMBIA

Your style is really unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from.
Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this blog.

Who can I speak to about advertising on your site?