When you buy a new laptop, the most common thing is that it already comes with the operating system installed from the factory, and with it many applications that we usually call bloatware, since most are trial versions of software with which one seeks to pay later once the period is over, or other applications from the manufacturer which normally are worth nothing. For this reason, the “healthiest” thing is that when you buy the laptop, you must uninstall many apps which come to install others that you will need: in this article we will help you to select which ones.
I wish when we bought a new laptop it came with Windows “and that’s it”, but the reality is that it never does and we’ll have to spend a few minutes (usually it won’t take more than half an hour) to prepare the equipment and really ready to use. So let’s go.
What apps to uninstall from newly purchased laptop
One of the first things you’ll need to do on a recently purchased laptop (after the initial wizard to connect the computer to the internet, name it, etc.) is right-click the Start button and select the Start Button option. above, “applications and features”, because from here we can uninstall most factory-installed bloatware on the computer. From there, by simply clicking on the three dots to the right of the application and selecting Uninstall, we can get rid of it.
You should keep in mind that not all laptops have the same software installed from the factory, but there are many applications from the following list that we are going to show you that you will find and can safely uninstall:
- Everything about McAfee: many laptops come with this antivirus installed at the factory, but with a trial version which, when it expires, will ask us to pay for a license. In addition, we have often told you that these antiviruses are completely useless when you have stock Windows, and they also slow down the operation of the laptop a little.
- Microsoft Office (+ sub-apps): similarly, many newer laptops come with Office installed from the factory, or rather with an installer to download and install it…but then it will ask you for a Licence. It is recommended that you uninstall this “installer” and install our own Office from scratch, and with that keep in mind that other apps in the suite are also installed separately, such as OneNote, Teams, Onedrive, etc.
- Other applications such as Solitaire, Opinion Center and other tools that come by default with Windows and that we are not going to use.
- Manufacturer-specific tools: if you bought a Dell laptop, look for Dell-related installs…if it’s Lenovo, do the same for Lenovo, etc. Tools like the Feedback Hub, etc. from the manufacturer are useless, and in fact they tend to be quite annoying as they suddenly appear in the foreground when you’re doing something else at random times.
Applications that need to be installed on a new laptop
Of course, there are other applications that will be useful on a recently purchased laptop, although as always it will depend on what you are going to use it for and what needs you have. From our point of view, on a new laptop, no matter who it is intended for, we always install at least four applications:
- The original Office suite.
- VLC video player.
- WinRAR compressor/decompressor.
- The Chrome browser (it already depends on your tastes, you can install FireFox or any other).
By doing this, the laptop will be ready to go and perform much better than if you let all the factory bloatware take up space and resources on the laptop.
