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(Solved) Problems with Lenovo bloatware
Lady:
Hello,
I'd like to ask for help with removing bloatware from my brand-new Lenovo laptop. I tried to find info online about whether I could/should remove programs but couldn't find much. So I just did what seemed right :(. Now I find myself with a few problems I don't know how to solve. I thought about re-installation (without using the recovery key!) but maybe you can help me avoid that. :)
My main reason to remove all bloatware is that I don't want ANY connection to some cloud or company online through these programs.
I used Revo Uninstaller but I don't understand why some programs don't appear in Revo. Not only some of the bloatware doesn't show, also programs like 7-zip or Bonjour (can I delete the latter? I have Windows 8.1 on my laptop and don't have Apple products. This goes for the other 2 Apple programs as well, see my screenshots).
I have made several screenshots of various places where programs show. I assume they speak for themselves. Can somebody please tell me which remaining bloatware I can delete and how, in case they don't show in Revo? Like Lenovo Messenger and Veriface.
The only program I'd like to keep are the User Manuals. They might be handy, I suppose. Please feel free to add comments about other programs you see that I don't need. The Van Dale programs are my dictionaries and they're staying. :D
Lenovo Photo Master and SHAREit I uninstalled but still show (why?) but they are empty folders.
There are two Windows Driver Packages from Lenovo that I don't dare remove as drivers are like super-essential parts to me as a lay-woman. :) Can they go too?
A lot of questions. I do hope someone will go through the trouble of telling me what to do.
Thank you for being there! :D
Lady
Shane:
Honestly it will take you longer to uninstall all that crap then it would to do a fresh install lol
Another option you can try, and you can always go back to your install from the recovery if you like. But Windows 10 is due out tomorrow and it is a free upgrade for systems like yours. i already got the rtm and put it on a couple of my customers machines for testing and they all updated and activated just fine.
So it might be worth, so you can at least try it, having the windows 10 upgrade happen, one of the options during the upgrade is to transfer your files OR transfer nothing at all and start fresh, you should do it that way.
As a fall back, say you dont like it, you can restore the system to factory default and start uninstalling everything lol
Shane
Boggin:
The reason why the free version of Revo doesn't see all programs is because it only picks up on 32 bit programs.
A workaround is to use the trial Pro version which does, but I use IOBit Uninstaller which sees the lot. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/iobit_uninstaller.html
Decrapifier is a program that can list what to dump and StartUpLite is a program which can tell you if you have unnecessary programs in your Startup Menu - but don't disable these if you intend to uninstall them as you will be left with orphaned files and the items will remain in your msconfig/Startup list.
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/download
https://www.malwarebytes.org/startuplite/
You should also uninstall Superfish if your computer has it installed as it was supposed to have been removed in newer Lenovo computers.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/09/lenovo-superfish-third-party-apps
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/superfish_uninstall
Lady:
Thanks a lot, guys!! I really appreciate your help. Have to figure out what is best to do..... BTW, Superfish had been detected by MBAM and BullGuard right away.
Is there a possibility to re-install 8.1 without using the recovery key and avoid all the bloatware to re-appear? I have its licence key.
Shane, are you going to post something about the privacy issues with Windows 10? Do you know if it is possible to make a local account again and prevent ANY of my data to be sent ANYWHERE? :D :D :D
Shane:
I have windows 10 installed in vmware, when it asks me to make a microsoft account I just skip it, then it lets me make a local account :-)
Windows 8 should auto pull the key from the system bios, so you should be fine. Heck i think 10 will as well.
Shane
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