Windows 11 is famous for imposing strict hardware requirements and coming loaded with features that many don’t want or use. Luckily, there are still a few easy ways to make Windows 11 your own.
Winhance
Winhance is an open-source application that you can use to uninstall most of the default apps that come bundled with Windows 11. You can also use it to remove various optional features, like Hyper-V, WSL, or Windows Sandbox.
One of the main advantages of Winhance is how transparent it is. It isn’t just a script you click that automatically debloats your PC without your input. Instead, you can click to add or remove whatever you want.
If you want to debloat Windows 11, but you’re not sure about using a script that can be difficult to parse if you’re not familiar with PowerShell scripting, Winhance is a good option for you.
Winhance offers more than just the ability to debloat Windows 11 after you’ve installed it, though. You can actually use Winhance to customize a Windows 11 ISO, which means you can remove features and applications you don’t want in advance, or integrate additional drivers you might need before you ever install Windows.
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The ability to add drivers in advance isn’t something I often use, but it has been handy a few times in the past. For example, when I’m installing Windows 11 on my surface laptop, I can’t use the trackpad or keyboard under normal circumstances. I have to plug in a USB mouse and keyboard. However, if I load the drivers in advance, then I don’t have to worry about getting out the mouse and keyboard.
Winhance is versatile, free and open-source, and reliable. It is one of the portable applications I carry on my external SSD just in case I need it unexpectedly.
NTLite
NTLite is another Windows 11 debloater that features a full graphical user interface, in contrast to the options that rely on just a script.
Much like Winhance, NTLite can be used to surgically remove individual apps or system features from Windows 11 without purging things you may want, like Microsoft Edge. You can also use it to remove Windows components or drivers.
Just keep in mind that some things cannot easily be reinstalled once they’re removed, and you may need to completely reinstall Windows if you want to get them back.
NtLite has a limited version that you can use for free at home, but to get the most out of it, you’ll need a license. You can get a lifetime home license for about $48. Professional and business licenses cost $106 and $295 respectively.
W11Debloat
If you don’t need the more advanced features offered by NTLite or Winhance, you can use W11Debloat.
W11 debloat is a small open-source tool that presents a minimalist, tidy front-end that walks you through selecting which applications you’d like to remove from your current Windows installation. In cases where something cannot be completely removed, like Copilot or Recall, it has an option that allows you to disable them.
Beyond adding, removing, or disabling programs, you can also use it to apply a handful of popular privacy changes. For example, it has a Privacy section, which allows you to disable various trackers and customization options based on your activity. You can also disable Bing search in the Start Menu, tweak the taskbar’s behavior, and adjust when Windows updates are applied.
You’re also given the option to make the change to every user on the PC, or just apply to the current user.
ChrisTitus WinUtil
ChrisTitusTech’s WinUtil is one of the big names when you search for Windows 11 debloat, utilities, and for good reason: it just works.
Unlike most of the other options on this list, you don’t need to download WinUtil in advance to run it, you just run a single line in PowerShell.
To begin, search PowerShell in the Start Menu and click “Run as Administrator.”
Then paste in the following command:
irm “https://christitus.com/win” | iex
Once it opens, head to the “Tweaks” tab to select which applications or features you’d like to remove.
To make the process even less tedious, it has a series of preset recommendations along the top that will automatically pick some things for you.
I’d always recommend skimming them before blindly clicking. Nothing here should break your PC, but only you know what you have installed and what it does. What works on one PC may cause problems on another.
Is running a script blindly in the PowerShell Terminal a risk?
Unlike the other options, this debloat method’s default approach fetches something from the web the moment before it runs using a Terminal with elevated permissions. In theory, this is a risk, but it isn’t inherently a bigger risk than other debloat methods, all of which also make changes to your PC’s software.
The only major risk is that the author’s website is a very attractive target for hackers. However, that also applies to anything you’d download from GitHub, too.
Remember, just because you can remove something doesn’t mean that you should. Most apps listed by debloating tools can be safely removed, but some, like Edge, can sometimes cause issues if they’re removed.
