Dejunk a new PC the easy way

11/11/2010 

Q. I recently bought a new laptop that I was really excited for. But when I opened it up, there were tons of programs on it already. None of them look at all important. Most seem to be free trials of random software that I've never heard of. Is this stuff necessary? And can I get rid of it all?
-- Jesse from Quincy, IL, listens to my national radio show on WGEM 101.5 FM

A. There are a lot of names for software that comes installed on new computers. Some are less forgiving than others. We'll use the term "bloatware." Bloatware is unnecessary and often causes new computers to run slowly.

The profit margins on computers are slim. So, manufacturers install these annoying programs to increase profits. Developers pay manufactures to include their software on new computers.

This is usually why you get annoying registration and trial reminders when you boot up. The developers nag you in hopes that you'll buy the full versions of their software.

Make no mistake, however. The majority of this stuff is junk, and you need to get rid of it. Otherwise you can expect slow performance and more annoying messages.

That's because most of these programs are set to open at startup. Have you ever booted up your computer and waited 10 minutes before anything happens? Likely, bloatware is to blame. Your computer can't handle opening everything at once.

At best, these programs are wasting space on your hard drive. I'd rather fill that space with family photos or work documents.

Fortunately, you can remove bloatware from your computer. In most cases, it won't be terribly difficult. But it will take some time. You also need the right tools to remove everything.

First, remove any icons on the desktop that you don't want. Hold down the Control key and click on each icon that looks like bloatware. After you've selected them all, drag and drop them into the Recycle Bin.

Removing the desktop icons won't uninstall the software. In fact, Windows should display a message to that effect. So now it's time to uninstall these programs. Click Start>>Control Panel. Depending on your operating system, the next screen will look different.

If you have Windows 7 or Vista, double-click Programs and Features. You will see a list of all the programs you have installed. Select one you want to get rid of and click Uninstall. Follow the prompts to remove the program. You'll have to do this for each program you want to remove.

If you use XP double-click Add or Remove Programs. Select the program you want to uninstall and then click Change/Remove. Follow the prompts to remove the program. Repeat for other programs you don't want.

There are also some free programs that will wipe out a lot of bloatware for you. One is PC Decrapifier. (The name says it all!)You can download it for free here.

Using PC Decrapifier is pretty straightforward. Install the software on your machine and run it. Your antivirus software might flag it. Don't worry—it's clean. I've checked it thoroughly.

Once open, Decrapifier will ask you a couple of questions: Is your computer new? Do you want to make a restore point before you begin? Creating a restore point is a good idea.

Once that's done, Decrapifier will look for any known bloatware. It's surprisingly good at finding a lot of the junk that's installed.

The last screen lets you select other programs to uninstall. Select any programs you want to uninstall. Click Next to confirm. PC Decrapifier will remove all the programs you've selected.

Sometimes uninstalling the program isn't enough. Files attached to bloatware can be floating around on your computer, hidden from plain sight. To clean those out, I recommend CCleaner. Download it for free here.

CCleaner is a useful program to have. It removes these orphaned files. It can also work as a disk cleanup tool. It's a good idea to run it periodically to keep your machine running smoothly.

You can do one last thing to make your new machine as fast as it should be: Limit what programs open when you start the computer.

Navigate to Start>>Run in Windows XP. In the Run dialogue box, enter "msconfig" (minus quotes). Now hit Enter on your keyboard. If you're using Vista or Windows 7, click Start and type "msconfig" (minus quotes) in the Search box.

In the System Configuration box, click the Startup tab. You should now see a list of the applications that are set to open when you start your machine. Uncheck programs you don't want to launch at startup.

You can also hit "Disable all" in the bottom right to stop all of them. This isn't such a good idea. It will prevent your antivirus and spyware programs from running at startup.