Bought a new laptop with good specs but it still feels sluggish? That is because Microsoft packs Windows 10 and 11 with dozens of pre-installed apps (bloatware), background services, and telemetry tracking that eat your RAM, consume internet data, and slow down everything.
Apps like Candy Crush, Spotify, Disney Plus Hotstar, Microsoft Teams, Copilot AI, Bing widgets, and dozens of others come pre-installed even though you never asked for them. They run in background, send data to Microsoft servers, and make your computer crawl.
Today I will show you how to remove all this junk using Chris Titus WinUtil, a free trusted tool used by over 30 million people worldwide. The entire process takes under 15 minutes and your PC will feel noticeably faster immediately after.
For more Windows speed tips, check our Top Windows Hacks Productivity Tips and Hidden Windows 11 Productivity Shortcuts.
What is Chris Titus WinUtil?
Chris Titus Tech (popular tech YouTuber) created this free open-source tool to help users take control of their Windows system. It removes bloatware, disables privacy-invading tracking, installs useful apps automatically, controls Windows updates, and optimizes performance.
Completely free, regularly updated, safe to use, and works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Preparation (Do This First – 2 Minutes)
Create System Restore Point (Safety Net)
If something goes wrong, this lets you go back to current state:
- Press Windows key + S, type "Create restore point", press Enter
- Click "Create..." button
- Name it "Before Debloating" and click Create
- Wait 1-2 minutes until done.
How to Download & Run WinUtil
Online Command (Needs Internet)
- Right-click Start Menu → Select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin)
- Click Yes when permission window appears
- Type this exact command and press Enter:
- Tool downloads and opens automatically in 10-30 seconds
For managing slow connections, read Save Internet Bandwidth Data Saver Chrome Extension.
Understanding the Interface
When WinUtil opens, you see these tabs at top:
- Install: Install hundreds of apps (Chrome, VLC, 7-Zip, etc.) with one click
- Tweaks: THIS IS WHERE DEBLOATING HAPPENS – main focus of this guide
- Config: View system settings and advanced options
- Updates: Control when/how Windows updates happen
- Win11 Creator: Build custom debloated Windows ISO (advanced users only)
Click "Tweaks" tab now.
Step-by-Step Debloating Process (5 Minutes)
Step 1: Expand "UWP Apps" Section
Under Standard Tweaks, find "UWP Apps" subsection and expand it. These are the pre-installed apps consuming your resources.
Step 2: Check These Boxes (Safe Removals)
Select these options by checking the boxes:
Remove These Apps (Safe – Most People Don't Need Them):
- Clipchamp (video editor)
- Copilot (AI assistant eating RAM constantly)
- Dev Home (developer tool)
- Microsoft Teams (Consumer version – huge resource hog)
- Movies & TV app
- New Outlook (heavy email client)
- Solitaire & Casual Games (unless you play them)
- Spotify (pre-installed OEM version)
- Tips app (beginner tips you don't need)
- Weather & News Widgets (taskbar clutter)
- Paint 3D (classic Paint still available)
- People app (useless contact manager)
- Disney Plus Hotstar / Candy Crush / Bubble Witch (if present)
- OneNote Win10 (web version works fine)
- Wallet app (rarely used in India)
Step 3: Disable Telemetry Services
Under "Services" subsection, check these boxes:
- Disable Connected User Experiences and Telemetry
- Disable Diagnostics Tracking
- Disable Customer Experience Improvement Program
This stops Microsoft from collecting your usage data in background.
Step 4: Apply Tweaks & Restart
Scroll to bottom of Tweaks tab, click "Run Tweaks" or "Apply" button. Wait for progress bar to finish (2-3 minutes). Then restart your computer.
Done! Your Windows is now debloated.
Windows 11 Specific Items to Remove
Windows 11 has extra bloat beyond Windows 10. Additionally check these boxes if using Windows 11:
- Remove Copilot Integration (AI sidebar)
- Disable Recall Feature (screenshots everything you do)
- Hide "Recommended" from Start Menu
- Remove Chat/Teams icon from taskbar
- Disable Widgets button (nobody reads that news feed)
- Enable Classic Right-Click Context Menu (shows all options immediately instead of "Show more options")
These changes make Windows 11 feel much cleaner and closer to familiar Windows 10 experience.
Windows 10 Specific Items to Remove
Windows 10 users should additionally check:
- Xbox app (unless you game on PC)
- Xbox Game Bar (background recording wastes resources)
- 3D Builder app
- Alarms & Clock UWP version
- Mail & Calendar UWP apps (use web versions instead)
Also ensure ALL telemetry boxes are checked because Windows 10 has very aggressive data collection enabled by default.
Install Useful Apps After Debloating (Optional)
After removing junk, install actually useful software through Install tab:
Must-Have Free Apps (Check Boxes to Install):
- Google Chrome / Brave Browser / Firefox
- 7-Zip (file compression)
- Notepad++ (text editor)
- VLC Media Player (plays any video format)
- qBittorrent (torrents)
- PowerToys (Microsoft power user tools)
- Everything (instant file search – 100x faster than Windows search)
- OBS Studio (screen recording)
- GIMP (free Photoshop alternative)
- WhatsApp Desktop / Discord / Signal
Click "Install/Upgrade Selected" and everything installs automatically without visiting individual websites. Saves hours of manual work.
For productivity software recommendations, see Google Sheets Hacks Business Finance and 7 Mac Hacks Tricks Shortcuts (many tools work cross-platform).
Control Windows Updates (Prevent Forced Restarts)
Go to Updates tab in WinUtil and choose:
Best Option for Most Users: "Security Channel Only"
- Installs critical security patches only
- Delays feature updates that often break things
- Prevents "Update and Restart" pop-ups during important work
Alternative: "Delay Updates"
- Pauses ALL updates for up to 35 days
- Use this during exam periods, project deadlines, or travel
Avoid "Fully Disable Updates" unless you manually update regularly – skipping security updates leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers.
Common Problems & Quick Fixes
PowerShell Shows "Scripts Disabled" Error
Run this command first in PowerShell (Admin):
Type Y and press Enter. Then retry the WinUtil command.
Apps Reappear After Major Windows Update
Normal behavior. Simply run WinUtil again and re-apply your tweaks. Takes 2 minutes.
Start Menu Search Not Working
You accidentally removed Windows Search component. Re-open WinUtil, look under Start Menu/Search section, uncheck any disabled search options, apply tweaks, restart.
Microsoft Store Apps Won't Open
Open PowerShell (Admin) and type:
Press Enter. Store will reset and reopen automatically.
Pro Performance Hacks (Bonus)
Combine debloating with these for maximum speed:
Hack #1: Disable Startup Programs Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Go to Startup tab → Disable everything except antivirus. See Increase Speed Reduce Background Processes Android for similar principles applied to phones.
Hack #2: Change Power Plan Settings → System → Power & Sleep → Additional power settings → Choose "High Performance" (uses more battery but much faster). For laptops, also read Save Android Battery for battery optimization tips.
Hack #3: Turn Off Visual Effects Search "View advanced system settings" → Performance section Settings button → Select "Adjust for best performance" → Click OK. Makes Windows look plain but runs significantly faster.
Hack #4: Clean Temp Files Weekly Press Windows key + R, type %temp%, press Enter, delete everything inside. Then type temp in same Run box and delete those too. Frees up several GB of wasted space.
Hack #5: Monitor Before/After Results Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) before debloating. Note RAM usage at idle (should be 3-4GB on 8GB systems normally). After debloating and restart, check again. Should drop noticeably. Screenshot both for satisfaction!
NEVER Remove These Items (Safety List)
While WinUtil is safe, avoid removing or disabling these unless you are expert user:
Never Remove Apps:
- Microsoft Store (needed for installations and updates)
- Windows Security / Defender Antivirus
- Microsoft Edge WebView (many apps depend on it internally)
- .NET Framework components
- Visual C++ Runtimes
- Display/audio/network drivers
Never Disable Services:
- Windows Firewall
- Windows Update service (delaying is okay, disabling completely risky)
- DNS Client
- Network List Service
- Print Spooler
- Plug and Play
Removing these breaks Windows functionality, crashes apps, or leaves you vulnerable to attacks. When in doubt, leave it alone.
Final Result
After completing this simple 15-minute process, your Windows computer will boot significantly faster with startup times improving by 20-40 seconds depending on your system. You will notice 1-3GB of freed RAM because background bloatware apps are no longer consuming memory, and CPU usage at idle drops dramatically since unnecessary services have stopped running. Laptop users can expect 15-30 minutes of additional battery life per charge cycle because fewer processes are running in background. Those annoying notification pop-ups from Candy Crush, Spotify tips, and other pre-installed bloatware disappear completely, giving you a cleaner taskbar and Start Menu interface.
Most importantly, your privacy gets protected as telemetry tracking services that were constantly sending usage data to Microsoft servers are now disabled. The overall experience feels like using a fresh Windows installation without any of the hassle involved in formatting your drive and reinstalling everything from scratch. Many users report their old laptops feeling brand new again after properly debloating with this tool.