How to Stop Bloatware Being Automatically Installed in Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Changing certain settings won’t remove apps that are already installed, so you may still need to uninstall them manually.
• If manufacturer-supplied bloatware keeps coming back, you may need to check the manufacturer’s website for how to disable it.
• If you’re using a custom script to remove apps, review its contents first and create backups of your documents.

Even when you first set up a Windows 11 PC, chances are you’ll see several different apps already installed or being added after you log in. A lot of those are from Microsoft itself, like music players and game control modules. But some also come from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer, designed to give a laptop more diagnostic or tinkering tools. Some of these apps may be useful, but others can take up storage space or run in the background unnecessarily. Here’s what to do when you see bloatware automatically installs on Windows 11 likes to do.

Fix 1 – Prevent Bloatware Automatically Installs From Windows 11 via Settings

Windows can download certain applications associated with your device’s metadata. You can disable this feature to prevent Windows from automatically downloading these associated apps. This might mean you’ll still need to remove them after you complete the process.

Step 1. Go to “Settings” and click on the “System” tab.

Step 2. Go to “About” at the bottom, then click on “Advanced system settings.”

Step 3. Click on the “Hardware” tab and then click on “Device Installation Settings.”

Step 4. Select “No” to prevent Windows from automatically downloading applications associated with device metadata, then click “Save Changes.” If prompted by User Account Control, confirm the change.

Step 5. Click on “Apply” in the dialog window and close it.

Step 6. Find the app in the “Installed Apps” section of “Settings” and uninstall it.

This should ensure you don’t see the issue where Windows 11 bloatware keeps coming back.

Fix 2 – Use the Registry Editor to Prevent Bloatware Installations

The Registry Editor allows you to put a similar lock on installing apps across all user profiles on the PC (even future ones).

Step 1. Open the “Registry Editor.” It should automatically run in administrator mode.

Step 2. Drag over the address in the navigation bar and replace it with the following:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Device Metadata

Step 3. Double-click on the “PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork” setting in the right panel, then set its value to 1 and hit “OK.”

Step 4. Exit the Registry Editor, which automatically saves changes.

You may want to use the “Export” option at the top (in “File”), which creates a registry file that loads the current settings into the Registry. You can use this file to restore the previous settings if needed. However, it will undo any changes you make to the Registry later, as well.

To undo this change, double-click the modified value to 0.

Fix 3 – Using Group Policy to Prevent Windows 11 Bloatware

Group Policy allows you to propagate a change to a laptop or PC you’re connected to remotely (usually via corporate networks and management). Group Policy is only available for Windows 11 Pro and above.

Step 1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor by searching for gpedit.msc in the Start menu.

Step 2. Go to the following address:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation

Step 3. Double-click the setting “Prevent automatic download of applications associated with device metadata.”

Step 4. Change the setting to “Enabled” and apply the change, then close the Group Policy Editor.

Fix 4 – Use a Third-Party Script if Bloatware Automatically Installs Windows 11 Apps

If you want more control over what exactly you’re disabling, as well as the ability to modify Microsoft’s stock apps and advertisements, you can crawl through various privacy settings.

Alternatively, you can use a third-party script such as this Windows 11 Debloat utility. The GitHub repository that it goes to should be safe (and it comes with detailed instructions), but it’s best used on a device that doesn’t have any private data yet in case something does go wrong.