Yes, you can debloat Windows 7 with Microsoft's blessing

Geoff Spick
10 March 2009, 10:00 AM


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Microsoft has confirmed that if you want to choose all your own apps, you'll be able to uninstall nearly everything from Windows 7.


Last week, there was a flood of news that Internet Explorer 8 is now removable from the forthcoming Windows 7 operating system. In fact, you can now disable a whole host of Windows features to free up precious resources. The list includes:
  • Windows Games
  • Windows Search
  • Media Playback
  • Printing and Document Services (including fax)
  • Tablet PC components
  • Gadgets (The sidebar)
  • Plus a host of other small features
The removed features will still live on the hard disk, in case they are needed, but won't reside in memory when Windows 7 loads (and while this approach might have been a problem in previous years, disk space is now so cheap that leaving the stuff on the drive makes sense).

The BBC has a story that helps put some perspective on why Microsoft has made that, and other parts of the Windows environment, removable. The whole transfer to a modular concept is, in part, to get the Euro lawyers off the company's back. European Union lawyers have been after Microsoft since 2004 for incorporating programs into the operating system that give it an unfair competitive advantage against the likes of Firefox, Opera, other browser makers, media player developers and a long list of others.

As part of Microsoft's wider image-fix, this latest change fits into the strategy nicely. Microsoft is showing that it is listening to customers, users and business, is taking note of the years of litigation that it has faced and is trying very hard to deliver Windows 7 as a rebound product that will find favour in all market places.

Next up for Microsoft to do some good PR for itself is the Microsoft MIX09 event next week in Las Vegas. There we will get to hear about Microsoft's direction for Windows 7 and its many web technologies including Internet Explorer 8, Silverlight, Azure (the cloud services operating system) and many more.


Silverlight makes Microsoft-powered web sites sexy

One presentation covers the design process of the Windows 7 desktop while another explores the real-world uses of Internet Explorer 8.

A more off the wall session should be "Using the Wii Remote," by Microsoft Applied Sciences Researcher Johnny Lee covering, "several interaction techniques enabled by the Wii remote and how you can develop your own applications." This may point to a further step away from the traditional mouse/keyboard combination presaged by the general rush towards touch and surface technologies.

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Raindog (New user):

The removed features will still live on the hard disk, in case they are needed, Just when I was thinking MS had done something really positive. In case they are needed? I'm never going to need half the garbage, Ice Picks can be incredibly handy but you don't need them kept in the majority of Australian living rooms just in case they may be needed.
How hard can it be to allow selective install/remove?

10 March 2009, 12:01 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (User):

I agree there... Hard disk space may be cheap, but unused space is still far cheaper than buying a new disk cause MS filled that one up.

And the irony of course is that Windows 7 would be great on cheap, low spec netbooks with small SSDs. Doh!

10 March 2009, 12:12 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

TV Bis (New user):

Quoting Raindog:
How hard can it be to allow selective install/remove?

Probably better to have on board to start with so people can delete what they don't won't to use. The option of selection when installing an OS can be very difficult for a lot of people.




10 March 2009, 1:08 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting TV Bis:
Probably better to have on board to start with so people can delete what they don't want to use.

Why not a fast and minimal where users can load what they require, as and when they decide they require it?


Quoting TV Bis:
The option of selection when installing an OS can be very difficult for a lot of people.

Then those people should consider where computers are for them. Why should I be disadvantaged while MS caters for the lowest common denominator?
Has windows evolved into an operating system targeted solely for fools and the incapable?
Why should I have to pay for a lot of add-ons I'll never use?

Others can manage to include expert and drop-kick options in their OS installers, but clearly MS cannot manage it. Either that or MS just aren't listening.

It's not just disk bloat, it's price bloat and resource bloat too.
The hide from view option is an improvement but it fails to address most of the issues with Windows bloat.


10 March 2009, 1:20 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Aubrey (New user):

Quoting Raindog:
Has windows evolved into an operating system targeted solely for fools and the incapable?


:-) I suggest this be the essay topic in APC's next reader competition. Or could that jeopardise the freebies some journos get for recycling MS press releases?

Honestly, after the Vista hype vs. reality disaster you would think we could all wait until at least a RC before reviewing another windows version. We seem to get review after review of promised features or someone's guess about what will or won't be delivered.

But if the purpose of these "articles" is to provide material for Raindog to react to, keep 'em coming!


10 March 2009, 1:41 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Aubrey:
But if the purpose of these "articles" is to provide material for Raindog to react to, keep 'em coming!

React? I think you mean respond! Get some Cafe linux articles out and they can be responded to in due course too. :>




10 March 2009, 1:46 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jake (New user):

thats why there once was such thing called reccommended install custom install tipical install and protable install

10 March 2009, 4:58 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Jeff (New user):

Quoting TV Bis:
The option of selection when installing an OS can be very difficult for a lot of people.


If a simple option to choose between a recommended install and a custom install is that hard for them (or for that matter a simple selection area) then I doubt they should be doing much with a computer until they get some lessons and should defiantly NOT be doing tasks like installing an OS.

11 March 2009, 2:59 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (New user):

Quoting Raindog:
How hard can it be to allow selective install/remove?

As I understand it, the underlying API's used by all these features are shared thoughout Windows. For example, no web browser work if you uninstall ALL of IE. (I imagine the kernel and Solitaire share 50% of the same code but that's pure conjecture).

10 March 2009, 9:24 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting AndyCee:
As I understand it, the underlying API's used by all these features are shared throughout Windows.

Yes and its clear what needs to be fixed. Nobody ever resolved a stupid decision with another stupid decision. Hiding never used apps from view is not an answer. Burdening a flawed concept with more tacked on apps is not a solution.


10 March 2009, 10:41 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

and while this approach might have been a problem in previous years, disk space is now so cheap that leaving the stuff on the drive makes sense

Yes disk space may be cheap and plentiful, but next time your PC has slowed to a crawl during searches or virus scans of your gigabytes of unneeded crud, you may well be questioning whether the load everything approach was such a cunning plan. Efficiency anyone?


10 March 2009, 12:47 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

telstar (New user):

I agree that you should be able to completely remove any part of windows that your not using. The line from MS that you might need it therefore they're going to leave in on you drive is ridiculous. These programs and utilities are all on the installation DVD are they not so if you want to reinstall them it should just a matter of putting the DVD back in and clicking the check box and having it reinstalled from the DVD. Please MS this isn’t rocket science and would free up not only HD space (especially in small netbooks with limited space) but as Raindog pointed out would speed up searches and disk scans.

10 March 2009, 4:11 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

gankul (User):

A better option would be to ahve the choice, so when removing them, remove from install but leave on disk, or remove completly.

10 March 2009, 4:44 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (User):

Quoting telstar:
Please MS this isn’t rocket science


And even if it was, they already used to do it anyway! Win95 asked which install type you wanted, and it worked fine (for Win95 anyway ;-)

10 March 2009, 9:05 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Martin Gifford (New user):

I can see Apples ad already.

Customer: "I'd like Windows 7 please."
Salesperson: Which one? Starter, Basic, Home, or Business?
Customer: "Just Windows 7."
Salesperson: "Oh, do you mean the whole thing?"
Customer: "Yes..."
Salesperson: "That's Ultimate. That'll be $795. Thank you."
Customer: "Yes, my son wants to use Garageband."
Salesperson: "Ah, that's a Mac. There's only one version. Ultimate if you like."


10 March 2009, 7:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

shrike (New user):

Meh, I can compile my own linux kernel with whatever the hell I want or don't want. Microsoft will never be able to achieve that level of usability while they still bundle their crapware into the OS(ie Internet Explorer)

10 March 2009, 8:11 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

pqxy (New user):

Hmmm....debloating.....isn;t that what Server 2008 already does...and Server 2003........wow....clever, isn't it??...and they finally managed to put it in 7 after 5 years....

11 March 2009, 8:15 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Your Average Joe (User):

LOL !!!
MS will never be able to please this crowd of half a dozen ! .......... But hey ! I guess that was never their intention :-)

And Gee ! That extra half a gig of 'bloat' will send some poor desktop/company broke !

11 March 2009, 10:46 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Your Average Joe:
LOL !!! MS will never be able to please this crowd

Well unlike yourself some of us still believe it is possible.


Quoting Your Average Joe:
I guess that was never their intention

Maybe their intention was 100% satiation of the solar flare user market. Wouldn't be hard.


Quoting Your Average Joe:
That extra half a gig of 'bloat

you've yet to put forward a valid reason why even 1K of bloat could be a good thing.


Quoting Your Average Joe:
will send some poor desktop/company broke

Spooky, now your having hallucinations just like those apple fans.


11 March 2009, 11:42 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Your Average Joe (User):

Quoting Raindog:
Maybe their intention was 100% satiation of the solar flare user market.

Gotta find new material Raindog !




12 March 2009, 3:17 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (New user):

Quoting Your Average Joe:
Gotta find new material Raindog !

I calls them as I sees them! It's the one sector that against the odds sees bloated software as a positive.


12 March 2009, 4:45 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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