10 ms·

Installed windows on a computer for the first time in about 5 years. I was surprised to see how much bloatware were pre installed (Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, e

Installed windows on a computer for the first time in about 5 years. I was surprised to see how much bloatware were pre installed (Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, etc). It’s crazy what Windows have become.

EugeneOZ 4y ago
Really? Do they preinstall TikTok?
- jaywalk 4y ago
  No. The listed software is not preinstalled by Microsoft. OP must have used an OEM version that includes it.
  - EugeneOZ 4y ago
    Thanks. It would be insane.
  - shaicoleman 4y ago
    TikTok comes as one of the pinned item on a clean Windows 11 Pro install downloaded directly from Microsoft. https://snipboard.io/6VgivQ.jpg https://snipboard.io/6VgivQ.jpg
  - Sakos 4y ago
    I installed W11 from the ISO I downloaded directly from Microsoft a few months back and it had all these apps pinned (though likely not actually installed).
- urbandw311er 4y ago
  I installed Windows 11 for my mum last week and can confirm there was definitely a pinned link to TikTok in the start menu tiles. This was by default after a clean install. (Unclear if app was installed or a link to install, but I just nuked it obvs)
  - EugeneOZ 4y ago
    Well, that’s interesting, considering all these privacy violations...
    - accrual 4y ago
      Privacy violations regarding TikTok? I don't think it's a violation of privacy if one uses the service and therefore agrees to their privacy policy, which clearly states they collect a lot of data. https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en
      - ethbr0 4y ago
        "Privacy concerns"
      - usea 4y ago
        It's still a violation of privacy even if you inform them that you're going to do the violating.
      - gzer0 4y ago
        The collection of data, as stated in the terms of service, does not necessarily absolve the company of potential privacy violations, as it is ultimately governed by the laws of the nation(s) in which it operates. TOS cannot supersede the laws of countries themselves.
    - type0 4y ago
      Windows itself is a privacy violation
  - sdflhasjd 4y ago
    Those kinds of apps aren't actually installed, what you see are shortcuts to install the apps. Not that I'm comfortable with it either way.
  - xist 4y ago
    You're mistaken, it's NOT installed. However a link to install it is included and shown to you. You can prove this by when you try to uninstall it look at the size. This can be considered clutter on your screen but it's not causing any performance degradation.
thebigman433 4y ago
Where exactly did you get the install from? That definitely doesnt sound right.
- PartiallyTyped 4y ago
  I am fairly certain that those get installed as soon as you connect to the web. I have had similar experiences with isos downloaded from M$.
  - schroeding 4y ago
    Yep, you can literally open the start menu, connect a fresh (non-Enterprise / Edu / LTSC etc) install to the internet and watch the install stubs for the crap get added in real time. :D
- bentcorner 4y ago
  I got mine from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 just a week ago and it had a bunch of stuff like this in the start menu (I don't think these pre-installs are anything new). I think they're mostly install shims so they're harmless unless you click on them but still annoying to clean up on a fresh box.
  - ethbr0 4y ago
    I think this is New Microsoft vs Old Microsoft. Everyone bitched that Old Microsoft took too long to roll out new technologies and major versions, because it QA'd the shit out of them, so New Microsoft retooled itself to ship faster. As a consequence, all the bad parts of Microsoft also got the ability to pull request whatever tacky KPI-booster-du-jour was on their pet project list. If MS gave a damn about this, they'd just make a core-only Windows set of packages available at install-time via flags. Because they know perfectly well what's 1st/3rd-party crapware and what's core-Windows.
duxup 4y ago
> Spotify, TikTok, Instagram I have not seen this. Was this just a windows install or some OEM install?
- pram 4y ago
  If you download Windows 11 from microsoft.com it comes with that stuff, also things like Disney+ citation: I installed it 3 weeks ago
  - duxup 4y ago
    Is it installed? The apps.
    - izacus 4y ago
      Yes, they're there and installed on first login. Some will auto install a bit later.
      - duxup 4y ago
        Weird, last windows install I did was like 4 months ago and I didn't get that, DL from Microsoft ... I wonder if it depends on the image.
      - xist 4y ago
        The shortcuts are what you're seeing on a naked windows install, not the applications themselves. This can be proven by when you go into uninstall it look at the space used. It will be tiny. Part of the reason those shortcuts are there are on consumer editions because a) lots of people have no clue how to do anything and need a helping hand b) the vendors pay to have that installed as marketing, which helps lower the cost of the windows license
        pram 4y ago
        I mean thats the same "reason" OEMs do it. Unwanted shitware polluting the start menu is ok because... it doesn't take up megabytes of space?

EugeneOZ 4y ago

Really? Do they preinstall TikTok?

jaywalk 4y ago
No. The listed software is not preinstalled by Microsoft. OP must have used an OEM version that includes it.
- EugeneOZ 4y ago
  Thanks. It would be insane.
- shaicoleman 4y ago
  TikTok comes as one of the pinned item on a clean Windows 11 Pro install downloaded directly from Microsoft. https://snipboard.io/6VgivQ.jpg https://snipboard.io/6VgivQ.jpg
- Sakos 4y ago
  I installed W11 from the ISO I downloaded directly from Microsoft a few months back and it had all these apps pinned (though likely not actually installed).
urbandw311er 4y ago
I installed Windows 11 for my mum last week and can confirm there was definitely a pinned link to TikTok in the start menu tiles. This was by default after a clean install. (Unclear if app was installed or a link to install, but I just nuked it obvs)
- EugeneOZ 4y ago
  Well, that’s interesting, considering all these privacy violations...
  - accrual 4y ago
    Privacy violations regarding TikTok? I don't think it's a violation of privacy if one uses the service and therefore agrees to their privacy policy, which clearly states they collect a lot of data. https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en
    - ethbr0 4y ago
      "Privacy concerns"
    - usea 4y ago
      It's still a violation of privacy even if you inform them that you're going to do the violating.
    - gzer0 4y ago
      The collection of data, as stated in the terms of service, does not necessarily absolve the company of potential privacy violations, as it is ultimately governed by the laws of the nation(s) in which it operates. TOS cannot supersede the laws of countries themselves.
  - type0 4y ago
    Windows itself is a privacy violation
- sdflhasjd 4y ago
  Those kinds of apps aren't actually installed, what you see are shortcuts to install the apps. Not that I'm comfortable with it either way.
- xist 4y ago
  You're mistaken, it's NOT installed. However a link to install it is included and shown to you. You can prove this by when you try to uninstall it look at the size. This can be considered clutter on your screen but it's not causing any performance degradation.

thebigman433 4y ago

Where exactly did you get the install from? That definitely doesnt sound right.

PartiallyTyped 4y ago
I am fairly certain that those get installed as soon as you connect to the web. I have had similar experiences with isos downloaded from M$.
- schroeding 4y ago
  Yep, you can literally open the start menu, connect a fresh (non-Enterprise / Edu / LTSC etc) install to the internet and watch the install stubs for the crap get added in real time. :D
bentcorner 4y ago
I got mine from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 just a week ago and it had a bunch of stuff like this in the start menu (I don't think these pre-installs are anything new). I think they're mostly install shims so they're harmless unless you click on them but still annoying to clean up on a fresh box.
- ethbr0 4y ago
  I think this is New Microsoft vs Old Microsoft. Everyone bitched that Old Microsoft took too long to roll out new technologies and major versions, because it QA'd the shit out of them, so New Microsoft retooled itself to ship faster. As a consequence, all the bad parts of Microsoft also got the ability to pull request whatever tacky KPI-booster-du-jour was on their pet project list. If MS gave a damn about this, they'd just make a core-only Windows set of packages available at install-time via flags. Because they know perfectly well what's 1st/3rd-party crapware and what's core-Windows.

duxup 4y ago

> Spotify, TikTok, Instagram I have not seen this. Was this just a windows install or some OEM install?

pram 4y ago
If you download Windows 11 from microsoft.com it comes with that stuff, also things like Disney+ citation: I installed it 3 weeks ago
- duxup 4y ago
  Is it installed? The apps.
  - izacus 4y ago
    Yes, they're there and installed on first login. Some will auto install a bit later.
    - duxup 4y ago
      Weird, last windows install I did was like 4 months ago and I didn't get that, DL from Microsoft ... I wonder if it depends on the image.
    - xist 4y ago
      The shortcuts are what you're seeing on a naked windows install, not the applications themselves. This can be proven by when you go into uninstall it look at the space used. It will be tiny. Part of the reason those shortcuts are there are on consumer editions because a) lots of people have no clue how to do anything and need a helping hand b) the vendors pay to have that installed as marketing, which helps lower the cost of the windows license
      - pram 4y ago
        I mean thats the same "reason" OEMs do it. Unwanted shitware polluting the start menu is ok because... it doesn't take up megabytes of space?