Windows 11 debloat and list of useful third party software.
I’m just a regular user of Windows, and until recently I was using Windows 10, but for various reasons, reluctantly I must say, I dared to install Windows 11 and regraded it almost immediately.
The forceful push by Microsoft to turn once an operating system into a spying and advertising and data harvesting platform is not my cup of tea. Luckily, there is still a trace of an actual usable operating system underneath it all so this was my attempt to de-bloat window 11 and remove as much of Microsoft’s software as possible and use alternatives. Mostly free. You are more than welcome to add your own additions in the comments and I'll try to keep it up to date and add more over time as I find more useful software.
I am not a developer or just what they call a power user. Someone who spends a lot of time in the OS and I want to know where everything is, and have it be a stable and predicable platform for other software.
I also wanted to remove Microsoft Defender antivirus and Microsoft browser. Edge. But that is a bit like playing whack a mole, since they keep updating them. However if you are inserted, there are two easy-to-remember names for programs. Edge remover and Defender remover.
Hopefully this list and software will be of use to you if you find yourself in the similar position as myself.
Lets begun, shell we?
Win11Debloat is a lightweight, easy to use PowerShell script that allows you to quickly declutter and customize your Windows experience. It can remove pre-installed bloatware apps, disable telemetry, remove intrusive interface elements and much more. The script also includes many features that system administrators and power users will enjoy. Such as a powerful command-line interface, support for Windows Audit mode and the option to make changes to other Windows users.
https://github.com/Raphire/Win11Debloat/wiki/
Winaero Tweaker: A freeware app created by Sergey Tkachenko that supports Windows 7 through 11. It offers fine-grained tuning for appearance, context menus, and privacy, including options to disable telemetry, restore classic features, and customize the taskbar.
Next I would suggest few small registry additions for quality of life improvements.
Copy To Folder
Move To folder
Take Ownership
Similar context menu options can be added using Winaero Tweaker: And I would recommend adding options to kill or terminate non responsive tasks, and to open CMD on the location where you are now. Option to boot into safe mode, with or without networking or to boot to normal mode. Very useful for troubleshooting.
Windhawk The customization marketplace for Windows and programs.
A free, open-source customization platform for Windows that allows users to modify the appearance and behavior of the operating system and its applications through a marketplace of community-created “mods.”
My recommendation is to at least install “Taskbar Clock Customization” from Windhawk.
Custom date/time format, news feed, weather, performance metrics (upload/download speed, CPU, GPU, RAM, battery), media player info, custom fonts and colors, and more.
Very useful way to have basic metrics about your machine in real time, easily visible at all times. When you are running fusion tools or anything really, it will show you is it rallying more on CPU, GPU or RAM and makes it easy to get situational awareness at any point with no need to use complex floating windows or anything that gets in the way.
Speaking of awareness. These days all sorts of apps and processed, some in foreground and some in background want to go online and often we are not aware of it. This next app will show pop up when something tries to go online and let you allow it or block it. Giving you choice and awareness. Next free app I would recommended is called:
Malwarebytes Windows Firewall Control By BiniSoft.org Free
"Windows Firewall Control is a utility designed to enhance the functionality of the built-in Windows Firewall. This free tool offers a range of features that allow users to manage their firewall settings more effectively. With Windows Firewall Control, users can create and manage rules for incoming and outgoing traffic, providing greater control over their network security. The program’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible for both novice and experienced users alike.
In addition to rule management, Windows Firewall Control provides notifications for blocked connections, allowing users to respond quickly to potential threats. This tool integrates seamlessly with the existing Windows Firewall, ensuring that users benefit from enhanced protection without the need for additional software. Overall, Windows Firewall Control is a valuable addition for anyone looking to improve their system’s security and manage firewall settings more efficiently."
https://download.cnet.com/malwarebytes- ... ntrol.html
I’ve tried all kinds of clean up tools for windows. I tend to prefer this one. (Wise Disk Cleaner) One click scan. One click to delete. I run it often and keeps deleting all the windows and applications junk. Cache etc. I run it every time after Fusion session and often deletes 1-4GB of leftovers. Never had a problem for it.
Wise Disk Cleaner Free Disk Cleanup and Defragment Tool Clean up useless and outdated junk files, browser traces, cookies, and history. Free up disk space, protect your privacy, and speed up your PC.
https://www.wisecleaner.com/wise-disk-cleaner.html
Revo Uninstaller and Revo Registry Cleaner
Revo Uninstaller helps you to uninstall software and remove unwanted programs easily. I can’t remember last time I used any other uninstaller or windows native one. This one does excellent job and I highly recommend it. I use pro version but free version exists as well.
https://www.revouninstaller.com/product ... ller-free/
The companion application is Revo Registry Cleaner which monitors activity of applications and what they write in registry so it can clean leftovers when they inevitably happen in windows system.
https://www.revouninstaller.com/product ... aner-free/
I use these two next to wise disk cleaner to keep things nice and tidy.
WinRAR is my archive manager of choice. I use pro version, but I think its worth it.
https://www.win-rar.com/start.html?&L=0
DiskGenius is a decent option for hard disk management.
Instead of pretty slow windows search, alternative could be Search Everything
https://www.voidtools.com/faq/
LockHunter is a foolproof file unlocker. When you can’t rename, close, delete copy or move files and folder because they are in use by another program. use this little software. Lock Hunter.
https://lockhunter.com/?ver=3.4.3.146&o ... _window_64
Bulk Rename Utility
The Free File Renaming Utility for Windows. Rename multiple files with the click of a button.
https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/
Duplicate Files Search & Link
Little free program that runs from context menu and can find duplicates across folders. Handy.
https://malich.ru/duplicate_searcher#download
TreeSize
I personally use pro version but there is free version as well of this very useful tool for using it like file explorer with option to see which files take up how much space. Making it easy to identify files that take up a lot of space and may no longer be needed or can be re-located.
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize
LibreOffice
As one of the alternatives to Microsoft ever more online and AI driven office suite that is more and more online with less and less value, there are free alternatives. One popular one is LibreOffice.
Joplin - note taking app. A good note taking alternative to what used to be space occupied by Evernote, that is now danger zone and best to be avoided I would recommend free and self hosted Joplin. Lots of useful community made plug ins for it as well.
Calibre - E-book management
“Calibre is a powerful and easy to use e-book manager. Users say it’s outstanding and a must-have. It’ll allow you to do nearly everything and it takes things a step beyond normal e-book software. It’s also completely free and open source and great for both casual users and computer experts.”
https://calibre-ebook.com/about
Regarding web browsers, personally I use Firefox fork as main daily driver although Mullvad Browser is also a good option.
https://mullvad.net/en/browser
And I use chromium browser, Vivaldi for when I need the compatibility in some cases
And for more privacy I sometimes use Tor Browser.
https://www.torproject.org/download/
So those would be my recommendations, but there are lot of options on the market these days. But my main browser and line of defense is LibreWolf. Unless you click on the big green download button online, this browser with its extensions can be all the protection you need.
A decent way to keep privacy is to segment your browsing habits to different browsers. Work vs personal. This email account vs that email account on different browsers etc,
LibreWolf - A custom version of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and privacy.
This project is a custom and independent version of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom.
LibreWolf is designed to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, while also including a few security improvements. This is achieved through our privacy and security oriented settings and patches. LibreWolf also aims to remove all the telemetry, data collection and annoyances, as well as disabling anti-freedom features like DRM.
A few extensions that I would recommend.
uBlock Origin - which should be included. An efficient wide-spectrum content blocker. Easy on CPU and memory. Don't leave your home without it.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firef ... ck-origin/
LocalCDN by nobody - Emulates remote frameworks (e.g. jQuery, Bootstrap, AngularJS) and delivers them as local resource. Prevents unnecessary 3rd party requests to Google, StackPath, MaxCDN and more. Prepared rules for uBlock Origin/uMatrix.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... ntraleyes/
Port Authority by Hacks and Hops - Blocks malicious websites from port-scanning your computer/network and dynamically blocks all LexisNexis endpoints from running their invasive data collection scripts.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... authority/
Brave search - Search Engine by Brave Software is what I would recommend. Its a decent balance of nonintrusive and still usable as search engine.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... ve-search/
Authenticator - generates 2-Step Verification codes in your browser.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... th-helper/
Clear Cache by TenSoja - Global cache cleanup and site data (cookies/storage) with time periods and notifications. Great for developers. F9 shortcut included!
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... learcache/
ClearURLs by Kevin - Removes tracking elements from URLs
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... clearurls/
Cookie Remover by Adam - Removes cookies for the current site
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... e-remover/
Copy PlainText by erosman - Copy Plain Text without any formatting
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... plaintext/
FoxyTab by erosman - Collection of Tab Related Actions e.g. Duplicate, Close Duplicates, Close to the Left, Copy Title, Merge Windows, Save as PDF, Copy Urls Tab/All/Left/Right, Host keep/close/close other, Sort by URL/Title, Asce/Desc, Move, Reload, Reload Timer.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/foxytab/
mPage by Matija Podravec - Simple dashboard-like RSS feed reader.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/mpage/
Open in Vivaldi by Andy Portmen - Open current page, link, or all tabs in the Vivaldi browser. Useful if your second browser if chromium browser like Vivaldi and you want to use it next to firefox browser for compatibility with certain websites.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... n-vivaldi/
Auto Tab Discard by tlintspr - Increase browser speed and reduce memory load and when you have numerous open tabs.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... b-discard/
A companion app to this memory saving extension is must have: Firemin
When a browser uses excessive memory, it can slow down your entire system, cause applications to freeze, and reduce overall efficiency. For example, it’s not uncommon for a browser to consume over 250 MB of memory immediately upon startup, which can escalate to over 3 GB after several days of continuous use. This can be a significant issue for users who keep their browsers open for extended periods.
Firemin is a lightweight tool created to address memory leaks in web browsers. By reducing memory consumption, it helps your browser run smoothly and puts less strain on your computer. Although it was originally developed for Firefox, Firemin works with any executable file, making it a flexible solution for enhancing the performance of various applications.
Firemin operates by calling the Windows API function EmptyWorkingSet at regular intervals, which forces a process to release unused memory back to the system. While Windows does perform memory management tasks automatically, it doesn’t always do so as frequently as users might prefer. Firemin steps in by executing this memory cleanup several times per second, significantly reducing the memory footprint of your browser.
Some may argue that this approach is unnecessary due to Windows’ inherent memory management. However, Firemin provides a more aggressive optimization, ensuring that your browser remains lean and efficient. While the effectiveness of this method can be a topic of debate, the practical results speak for themselves. If Firemin enhances your browsing experience, it’s a valuable addition to your toolkit.
Auto Tab Discard and Firemin little app allows me to have 500+ tabs open at all times in librewolf and use only few hundred MB of memory. It will clear out memory consumption and only allow me to work with tabs I need while unloading the rest. If you want constantly have browser in the background for quick access while you work with more memory demanding apps, this is the way.
https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/firemin/
other useful maintenance tools offered by [url]https://rizonesoft.com are:[/url]
Resolute: Computer Repair Toolkit
https://rizonesoft.com/resolute-compute ... r-toolkit/
Complete Internet Repair
https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/comple ... et-repair/
There are many DNS managers out there. I have used Dns Jumper for long enough to keep using it. Simple and effective.
DNS, or domain name system, is the internet protocol that turns human readable website names (such as sordum.org) into machine readable numeric addresses. In some cases, you can improve browsing speed and/or improve your security by replacing the DNS provided by your internet service provider. DNS Jumper is a tool which makes this easy for you.
Dns Jumper v2.3
https://www.sordum.org/7952/dns-jumper-v2-3/
For multimedia management and playback I have few recommendations.
K-Lite Codec Pack Mega
he Mega variant is the largest of the four variants of the codec pack. It provides everything that you need to play all your audio and video files. Compared to Full variant it contains some extras such as ACM/VFW codecs that can be used by certain old video encoding applications such as VirtualDub.
https://www.codecguide.com/download_k-l ... k_mega.htm
If you don't install the codecs MPC-BE will work with internal ones, but you might want to install separate program for generating thumbnail preview for various media files. K-Lite Codec Pack Mega comes with it, but you can also get it as standalone.
Its called Icaros and it can provide Windows Explorer thumbnails, for essentially any video media format supported by FFmpeg, this includes popular filetypes such as: Mkv, Flv, Avi, Mp4, Mov, Rmvb, M2ts, Ogm etc. Besides the FFmpeg supported filetypes, Icaros also contains custom parsers, which can produce Cover Art thumbnails for Mkv, Flac, Ape, and Mpc files. Icaros also provides Windows Explorer properties for the following popular filetypes: Mkv, Flv, Ogm, Ogv, Ogg, Flac, Ape, and Mpc. Requires .NET.
https://www.videohelp.com/software/Icaros
MPC-BE (Media Player Classic - Black Edition) is the preferred media player for Windows users seeking a lightweight, yet powerful multimedia experience.
https://www.free-codecs.com/download/mpc-be.htm
PotPlayer is another good alterntive for multimedia player.
I know VCL player is popular but I never liked it myself. MPC-BE plays it all.
…
For images I would recommend free Honeyview:
Honeyview is a fast, powerful, and free image viewer.
https://www.bandisoft.com/honeyview/
While its still great and available, since than it has been updated to paid version as well called: BandiView
Paid version of it is worth it since you can preview almost any image format as thumbnails and play it back in windows. Including openEXR, PSD, GIF even SVG's etc.
https://www.bandisoft.com/bandiview/
ShapeConverter - Convert Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, SVG and EPS files to WPF/XAML shapes
https://github.com/gomi42/ShapeConverter
The two useful video converter programs are...
Shutter Encoder - A converter designed by video editors. The professional compression tool accessible to all.
https://www.shutterencoder.com/
Handbreak - HandBrake is a open-source tool, built by volunteers, for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
