Fresh Windows install and already drowning in Candy Crush, Microsoft 365 nags, Copilot buttons, and ads in places ads have no business being? Here’s how to sort it — fast, free, and without touching a single Settings page.
The Nuclear Option: Winutil
If you only do one thing, make it this. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
irm christitus.com/win | iexChris Titus Tech’s Winutil is a free, open-source tool that launches a GUI letting you remove bloatware, disable telemetry, kill Copilot, and apply privacy tweaks — all with checkboxes and one Apply button. Actively maintained, regularly updated, and genuinely excellent.
Remove Specific Apps with PowerShell
Want to pick and choose? Open PowerShell as Administrator and run these individually:
Get-AppxPackage *BingNews* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftSolitaireCollection* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *CandyCrush* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *TikTok* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *LinkedIn* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *ClipChamp* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *Teams* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *Xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftOfficeHub* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage *YourPhone* | Remove-AppxPackageThat last one kills the Microsoft 365 stub/launcher that keeps pestering you to subscribe.
Kill the Telemetry Service
Stop-Service -Name DiagTrack -Force
Set-Service -Name DiagTrack -StartupType DisabledThis stops Windows phoning home with your usage data in the background.
O&O ShutUp10++
For privacy tweaks beyond what PowerShell easily handles — disabling ads, Cortana, Recall, activity history, and more — grab O&O ShutUp10++ from oo-software.com/en/shutup10. It’s free, requires no installation, and has an Apply all recommended settings option that does most of the heavy lifting in one click.
Tip: Before running any of this, create a Restore Point — search Create a restore point in the Start menu. Takes 30 seconds and saves potential headaches.