How to remove stock apps from Windows 10
Windows 10 comes with more apps out of the box than Windows 7 did and these apps aren’t all popular. Microsoft has finally stopped forcing unnecessary games like Candy Crush onto its users but that doesn’t mean the stock apps are going to disappear. You can uninstall these apps from PowerShell however, if you’re not comfortable using it, you can use an app called O&O AppBuster to remove stock apps from Windows 10.
The one advantage of using O&O AppBuster is that it can also install apps that have been removed. If you accidentally remove an app, getting it back is going to be easy.
h2>Remove stock apps
Download O&O AppBuster and run it. Wait for the list to load and select the apps that you want to uninstall. If you scroll through the list, you will see that the apps are divided into various categories one of which is Hidden. This category is small and has apps that are essential system apps.
O&O AppBuster can uninstall them but make sure that you create a system restore point because uninstalling a Hidden app might create problems for you. After selecting the app, click the Remove button.
You will run into a confirmation dialog and a dialog asking if you want to remove the app for a single/current user, or for all users.
Reinstalling apps
O&O AppBuster can install apps that have been removed but there is one condition; the apps must not be ones that can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. If they can be downloaded from the store, they can’t be installed from the app. For apps that cannot be installed from the store, e.g., the Mobile Plans app, the app can install them.
These types of apps will continue to appear in the list of apps even after they have been uninstalled. Select the app you want to restore, and go to Actions>Install Apps.
The app is thorough in what it does and it isn’t just for uninstalling stock apps. You can use it to bulk remove other UWP apps that you’ve installed yourself. As with the Microsoft apps that are available in the Microsoft Store, these apps can be installed again from there and not from the app itself.
While O&O AppBuster can install apps again, it isn’t going to preserve any user settings. If you have data saved to these apps, e.g., notes in the Sticky Notes app, you need to back them up first. Installing the app won’t get them back.
