Ever since Windows 8, Microsoft has shipped a set of Modern apps with the OS which are not really suitable for use with the mouse and keyboard. When you first sign in, Windows installs those apps for your user account. Windows 10, the successor to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, comes with Universal apps bundled as well. Also, even if you uninstall them from your user account, many of them keep coming back as the OS gets updated and they are copied again to your user account from the system account. If you have no use for Modern apps, here is how to remove all bundled apps in Windows 10.
In Windows 8, Microsoft offered Modern/Metro apps and slowly started phasing out development of classic desktop apps. For example, you could use a Modern app to view images, but you could still continue to use the classic desktop version of Photo Viewer. It was the same situation for Windows Media Player which got replaced by Music and Video apps and so on. For some other cases, Microsoft left no classic alternative. Games and Windows Mail etc were removed completely and their place was taken by Modern apps only. In Windows 10, more classic apps are removed. For example, the Calculator app is removed and even the classic Personalization window is replaced with the new Settings app.
Universal/Modern apps are still suitable only for touch screen devices because they use WinRT controls which were designed with touch in mind. Putting Metro apps inside a window does not mean they are as usable as desktop apps for mouse and keyboard since the desktop apps use Win32 controls. There are plenty of users who are never going to use Modern apps. Thankfully, it is possible to delete most bundled Modern apps from Windows 10 and save a ton of disk space. Here is how it can be done.
Type the following command to remove all Modern apps from the system account:
Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
This means that all newly created user accounts will come without built-in Modern apps. This also means that new user accounts will be created faster.
Type the following command to remove all Modern apps from your current user accountstrong>:
Get-AppXPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
Here's yet another command you may find useful. Use it to remove all Metro apps from a specific user account. It's quite similar to the command above, just add -User username part. Substitute the user name of the account for which you wish to remove Modern apps in the command line in place of <username>.
Get-AppXPackage -User <username> | Remove-AppxPackage
Finally, here's a command that will remove Metro apps for all user accounts:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
This command will make sure that Modern apps don't keep coming back to your user account even after you uninstalled them.
That's it! Note that in Windows 10, the Store app can be uninstalled. See How to restore Windows Store in Windows 10 after removing it with PowerShell. Also, some apps cannot be uninstalled like the Contact Support app, Cortana, Photos, Microsoft Edge, Windows Feedback app and of course the Settings app. Also, the Store app made its way back to my system via some update.
Support us
Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:
Thanks for providing a way to remove all bundled apps from Windows 10
These suggestions help to clean up the operating system.
bundled apps are sometimes useless! thanks!
In Windows 10 Core 10240 this dont work .
Merci beaucoup Sergey ;o)
Very useful tips !
Enjoy :)
is there a command that spacifically deletes microsofts default browser, Microsoft Edge. I tend to enjoy using chrome for many reasons, mainly the apps that i have for it mixed with the theme i use for it suits me. But also because I dont like the app based browsers, i like the desktop browsers, and with Microsoft Edge opening when i click a link on Raptr to get a driver update or something like that it can kinda get annoying as I dont really like the other browsers
Edge cannot be removed
I managed to remove it. Incidentally. :-(
Prompt a way as to return Edge back!
Nice! But could you make a script to remove all but the Store app? The bundled apps are useless for me, but there are a few apps I want to download.
Thanks in advance!
Yes please,That’ll be useful.
That’s exactly what I’m looking for. Been trying to remove one app at a time but some a very persistent. And I want to keep Store since there’s some decent stuff there.
Thanks Sergey,
Worked ok on my 3 PCs, just “upgraded” to Win 10, all 10240, 2 x Pro and 1 Home. I guess I’ve busted the store app – so sad too bad. Hope it stays that way. Feeling a bit punch-drunk after sorting out a Win10/NVidia mess, then finding out what was broken because M$ now has an unimpressive substitute app for the function. Wow. It only took them about 25 years to realise something like “Snipping tool” was needed. Weather report was for somewhere 3000km away – and wrong. Turned on location momentarily, and it was 1,500km away and still wrong. No idea how people with limited download entitlements are going to cope with all the guzzling. Once all the garbage is gone, it’s not a bad OS :-)
Thank you!! This was the most frustrating part when Windows 10 booted for the first time. Next is to bring back the native control panel by default when I click Settings.
Wonderful site and beautifully detailed instructions!!!
“Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online” does not work at all here (Windows 10 final 64 bits Pro FR)…
Are you sure you ran CMD with admin rights?
Help! I did that and it deleted my windows store! When I try to find open any app, it tells me ‘You’ll need need a new app to open this ms-windows-store”.
How do I fix this?
You need a big fat *WARNING* THIS REMOVES THE WINDOWS STORE APP!!! above the ProvisionedPackage command: Windows 8 SP1 was pushed via the Windows Store. There is good reason to believe that some important stuff will come via the Store App in Windows 10 as well.
That needs to be followed either by a way to restore said Windows Store App… or a version of the script to NOT remove the Windows Store App.
Users beware.
So, it’s June 2016 now. I haven’t started the app store ONCE since upgrading to Win 10 in August 2015. I guess it’s safe to remove all the bloatware that Windows 10 comes with. If you happen to need a specific program, chances are, there is a MUCH better one by a third-party, anyway
You do realize that there are some pretty decent third-party apps that are exclusive to the Windows store, right?
I ran Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage to get rid of everything possible, then found a surefire way to get the store app back, fully functional.
***TO GET STORE BACK****….without waiting for windows to randomly reinstate it:
Run powershell as admin and run:
get-appxpackage -allusers(Removing apps doesn’t seem to delete them from disk, just un-register them)
Find the Microsoft.WindowsStore entry, it was the last one for me.
You want the PackageFamilyName entry.
Then run this powershell command, still elevated, replacing the ****** with the entry from above:
Add-AppxPackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\******\AppxManifest.xml" –DisableDevelopmentModeThe is what worked for me and I can install new apps that I actually want now :)
*If you get access denied or something, you may need to take ownership of the WindowsApps folder, but I’m not sure because I had already done it to see if there were still files there.
If this works properly for other users, then, Sergey, please add this to the post so its obvious for other users.
Actually, the PackageFullName entry is really what you need, or i guess just use the InstallLocation in place of the full path in the second command. I guess i just got lucky when trying random things.
Thank you very much Greg
This is very useful info.
Want to say a big “Thank YOU!” I was struggeling with how to get this fixed and you made it very clear. Once I read your solution it took all of 5 minutes to implement it and fix my issue. Thanks again!
Greg, you are a genius and my Hero!!!!!! After no fewer than 20 elaborate suggested solution, you fixed my problem in a few, clear steps. I’ll name my 30th child after you. ( Just kidding on the last statement).
Forever Grateful.
I will try this again once Sergey fixes the script to exclude the store
Does anyone have a list of all the programs this actually deletes? Looking through the names of stuff I see some called “Framework” as well as the recorder program which is actually useful to some people. So either this deletes some important (possibly very important) stuff or it doesn’t delete everything listed. Just curious what I’m uninstalling.
Help. I removed all apps including windows store. But the fix above to bring back store doesn’t work – says it’s not there. And now Windows Update doesn’t work at all – are the two related in some way?
Running Windows (RMT) Pro.
Hope this gets solved because I want this crud off my computer.
Here’s a list of most of the apps that were on my computer after installing win10. There were others but I didn’t include them because they appeared to be system related–some of the below may be critical as well. But the obvious ones are easy to see since the name coincides with a tile. A couple are apps that I installed, ie Download Music, etc.
PackageFullName : Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.22929.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.22929.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : 6565appdevworld.DownloadMusicMp3Free_1.1.3.3_neutral__7dxhpzdgsgr3p
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsFeedback_10.0.10240.16393_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageFullName : Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.4.8.176_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
PackageFullName : 51340ARTUR.YERSHOV.YouTube_2.1.0.10_neutral__t68j0ns4dz0tr
PackageFullName : 5E8FC25E.XodoDocs_2.4.5.32913_x64__3v3sf0k6w2rec
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1507.15010.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.BingFinance_4.4.200.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.BingNews_4.4.200.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.People_1.10241.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.Getstarted_2.2.7.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.BingWeather_4.4.200.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.3DBuilder_10.1.9.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.BingSports_4.4.200.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder_10.1507.7010.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsMaps_4.1507.50813.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_10.1508.17010.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.Office.OneNote_17.6027.10021.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub_17.6106.23501.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.ZuneVideo_3.6.12391.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.XboxApp_8.8.15003.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.ZuneMusic_3.6.12391.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
***************************This is the store–Beware, everyone likes this one ************************
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsStore_2015.8.12.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
********************************************************************************************
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsCamera_5.49.3001.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_17.6118.42001.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.Windows.Photos_15.803.16240.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection_3.3.8040.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
PackageFullName : Microsoft.WindowsPhone_10.1507.17010.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Thanks for the article, it was helpful. I’m facing a strange problem: upgraded from win7 to win10 and had a shortcut key (ctrl + alt + L) in win7 to launch Calculator. Now in win10 the shortcut still works (well, sort of) , but what I would like to do is to find out where this shortcut is now configured and remove it. Removing the app as advised in this article doesn’t help, the damned calculator just pops out every time I press the shortcut. Any tip or advice what to try next would be great!
Go to your Start menu folder and delete the shortcut.
THat’s it. It is still there.
There are small heroes, which have better and easier ways to that:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3is12h/windows_10_default_app_remover_update_12_source/
Works GREAT an does exactly, what i looked for! :-)
Hi, I read your instructions on removing core Win10 app.
Thank you for this tutorial. You do not know how is it possible that after another user logs are re-installed applications?
Windows reinstalls apps at two differnt times:
1 – Updates (thanks MS … not!!!)
2 – new user logging in.
To remove all apps for all new users:
Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
I tried the first one and it gave me this error:
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage : Unspecified error
At line:1 char:38
+ … ppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage], COMException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Dism.Commands.RemoveAppxProvisionedPackageCommand
It gave me below error
Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF6, Package could not be registered.
Merge Failure : error 0x80070003 : Cannot register the Microsoft.WindowsStore_2015.23.23.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe package because there was a merge failure with the following file: C:\Program
Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_2015.23.23.0_neutral_split.scale-100_8wekyb3d8bbwe\resources.pri
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] e4936c11-3f2a-0000-c38b-93e42a3fd101 in the Event Log or use the command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID
e4936c11-3f2a-0000-c38b-93e42a3fd101
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage -register “C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Win …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (C:\Program File…ppxManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
this command Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
will fail for all of the package. You cannot uninstall package for all users unfortunately.
Thank you. It is beyond belief that MS would bundle games in a corporate version of their OS.
Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
I get “unspecified error” from this command. ^
For anyone looking to prevent certain apps from installing for new users use this in a powershell admin console or script with admin rights (You can add or remove apps as you please. I intentionally left out the calculator and photo viewer. You may want to keep the store. I didn’t):
$Applist = Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*3DBuilder*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*Appconnector*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*BingFinance*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*BingNews*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*BingSports*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*BingWeather*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*CommsPhone*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*ConnectivityStore*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*Getstarted*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*Messaging*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*MicrosoftOfficeHub*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*MicrosoftSolitaireCollection*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*OneNote*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*Sway*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*People*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*SkypeApp*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsAlarms*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsCamera*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*windowscommunicationsapps*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsMaps*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsPhone*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsSoundRecorder*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*WindowsStore*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*XboxApp*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*ZuneMusic*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*ZuneVideo*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*xbox*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
$Applist | WHere-Object {$_.packagename -like “*contact support*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
Hi everyone,
Nobody issue solved ? I can try but not working . Sysrep later or new user login always all apps come back . Thank u so much your help.
Regards
Do they come back for all users? Or only for a new user account?
Very helpful website and great advices.
Unfortunately -AllUsers does NOT work. I used it, as well as all other commands and could successfully delete it from current user and administrator but not from other not administrator user, when switching all the apps are still there and they do work.
hi, thx for info. Your wrote “to delete most bundled Modern apps”. Why “most”? Which ones can’t be removed?
thx
Very nice. Thanks a lot :)
thanks Sergey, appreciate this tutorial on how to get rid of these annoying apps. Windows10 = Genesis(Terminator Reference) IMHO
Hey there. I’m a first time learner when it comes to power shell, and I more or less have the gist of it. But it seems that this guide and -> https://winaero.com/how-to-restore-windows-store-in-windows-10-after-removing-it-with-powershell/, pretty much did not anticipate my version or build as I cannot reinstall the Microsoft Store app again! I followed everything to the letter, and I cannot even so much as find the app folder in WindowsApps.
I basically just need the Microsoft Store installed again. I don’t care about any of the other apps quite frankly.
Also in addition, I used to get the start menu moved to a different monitor by using software called DisplayFusion (I am on multi-monitor). Now ever since I used that guide, the start menu doesn’t carry over again. Is there another app package I’m missing? Please help!
Thanks a million in advanced!
That’s why I still use Windows 7 instead. Later I will switch to Linux. Microsoft looks at people as idiots – not me ! Thanks, I don’t want their spyware-adware-bloatware-bombarded with bad updates “OS”. Which is supposedly the last one – but still there it is in the name that 10..