

Now these aren’t generally considered bloatware. You very likely have programs buried in your hard disk that you don’t need anymore. Programs you forgot you had, or never use Remember Superfish? Some programs you might have on your PC can pose a security risk - and should be taken care of immediately. But I’ve seen friends and family use browsers with enough hideous toolbars to make Satan weep. Ok, admittedly, that thing up there is the absolute toolbar apocalypse. These apps nest themselves in your browser or taskbar, and provide nothing of value other than displaying advertising. You need these like you need a bad cold before the holidays. If you're interested in keeping the most popular apps automatically up-to-date, you can do what I do and use PC TuneUp. Who needs a one-trick pony like this that can only updates a handful of apps? Uninstall! Both of them useless to me, yet both kept running in the background. Here’s an example: My Alienware gaming PC came with an app for downloading programs I may have purchased together with my PC, and a software updater which finds a whopping one (!) update per year. “Solution centers”, updaters, or other tools you might not need (or only in extremely rare cases).

More preinstalled programs that serve little or no purpose for you. Antivirus software, video playback apps, and office tools are some of the most common offenders. Then they expired and started begging you for money. When you got your PC, chances are it came with a few program trials preinstalled by the manufacturer. You know those programs and apps in your PC that you never asked for in the first place? Toolbars, pre-installed trials…That’s bloatware right there.
