We may be entering the post-PC era, if Apple is to be believed, but many of us still use computers and still choose Windows as our operating system of choice. Whether that will still be the case after the release of Windows 8 remains to be seen, but for now Windows it is.
The problem with buying a new Windows PC from a big manufacturer such as HP, Lenovo, Dell, or Acer is the amount of pre-installed software bundled on the machines. Most of it is useless, and none of it was requested by the buyer, hence why we refer to it as crapware. Thankfully there are solutions to the problem of crapware.
We asked you, How Do You Deal With Windows PC Crapware? The response was brilliant, with dozens of people weighing in with their opinions and suggestions for how to deal with crapware. We thank each and every one of you, as would everybody who is able to make use of the software and other methods for dealing with crapware if they had a platform to show their appreciation.
What follows is the list of programs our readers suggested for cleaning a new PC of the crapware, vendors insist on forcing down our throats. And with no need to pay Microsoft $99 for the privilege:
Suggestions other than using software included building your own PC from scratch, installing Linux instead of Windows, uninstalling unwanted programs manually, and using the publicly available ISOs which give you a fresh install of Windows without any of the various add-ons.
Comment of the week goes to LigJuryJr, who gets nothing but my admiration and respect (which is surely more than anyone needs) for:
Although Windows 7 came installed on my Asus laptop, I re-installed it from one of the publicly available ISOs Microsoft made available. (I’ve heard this doesn’t work for all brands, such as HP.)
Zero crapware!
This was the first comment to mention the publicly available ISOs, and it started a discussion during which they were linked to. This method is the best bet for people serious about starting out with clean machines free of extraneous programs. However, I would urge caution to those who aren’t fully computer-literate. They may find some of the crapware they’re deleting useful and may run into difficulties heading down this route.
We will be asking a new question tomorrow, so please join us then. ‘We Ask You’ is a weekly column dedicated to finding out the opinions of MakeUseOf readers. We ask you a question and you tell us what you think. The question is open-ended and is usually open to debate. Some questions will be purely opinion-based, while others will see you sharing tips and advice, or advocating tools and apps for your fellow MakeUseOf readers. This column is nothing without you, as MakeUseOf is nothing without you.
Image Credit: Florian
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