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Microsoft Tests New Tool To Remove OEM Crapware (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Windows 10 already includes ways to clear out applications and data to repair misbehaving systems or prepare them to be sold, courtesy of the Refresh and Reset features added in Windows 8. Microsoft is now adding a third option: a new refresh tool. Currently available only for Windows Insiders, the new tool fetches a copy of Windows online and performs a clean installation. The only option is whether or not you want to preserve your personal data. Any other software that's installed will be blown away, including the various applications and utilities that OEMs continue to bundle with their systems. Ars Technica points out that the tool isn't perfect. For example, "it installs a preview build from the fast track, but Microsoft notes that the new tool can sometimes install a version older than the one currently installed. When this kind of version mismatch occurs, the option to preserve your files is removed."
So, basically giving users the original OS disk? Like they did in the early days? I guess this is a good sign, moving away from the current model of "media free" on the HDD images, with no recourse to removing all of the crapware.
--WooooHoooo--
What about drivers?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
It appears that this tool downloads Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft, reboots your system, wipes the whole of the OS, and reinstalls the entire OS from said downloaded installation media and after all is said and done, you have a completely clean system that has absolutely none of the OEM bloatware. It would be like you built your own system and installed a clean Windows installation. Sure, I don't discount the use of PC Decrapifier but even with that it can leave things behind since program uninstall tools can and do often leave pieces behind.
What is interesting is that when I bought a Lenovo notebook and did a clean install of Windows 10 the installation of the OS didn't at all ask for a CD key and when I got back into Windows after the installation it said that it was activated via an OEM license. Far better than how it was done in the past.
I have heard that Lenovo has embedded bloatware into the BIOS of systems, and it uses official protocols so that Windows 8+ will automatically install that software. Will this step do anything against such software?
Reinstalling Windows doesn't really count as a "tool" for removing crap/ad/malware - More like burning the house down to get rid of mice.
Perhaps more importantly, Windows comes with quite a bit of stock crapware; I have to suspect that Microsoft would reinstall all of that, meaning that after using this "tool", you'd need to spend a couple hours disabling all the various telemetry hooks (not to mention the time it takes to install all your non-MS apps again).
Instead, people would do far better to just run something like Deep Freeze, where every time you boot you revert to a known good state of your own choosing.
Stop subsidizing my PC, charge me what it costs and leave that bloat out.
Thanks.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Wow, a bit angry aren't we? I'd refine your argument as most people don't want Linux on their primary computer. True. Most people know what Windows is and how it works. Linux is great at most things but the fragmentation and level of customization creates complexity that is a turn off to an awful lot of computer owners.
Want to solve the problem? Yank the "windows certification" of every single PC seller and maker that adds crap to the install and make them pay full retail proce for every copy of windows they sell on their machines.
Suddenly the problem of added garbage goes away overnight. And I mean it, it will stop by 8am the next business day you announce that.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
He wasn't using Linux, he was using his Android phone. :P
Place something witty here
So why does Microsoft allow crapware to be installed in the first place?
Let's see if this makes it past the lameness filter:
I run this remove_crapps.ps1 script after every new Windows Insider build, to remove the stuff I don't want (including OneDrive).