Windows 11 Debloat: Remove Telemetry and Bloatware

A fresh Windows 11 install arrives with dozens of preinstalled Store apps you never asked for and a background service called DiagTrack that streams diagnostic data to Microsoft by default. "Debloating" means clawing both back: removing the junk apps and turning down the telemetry. There are three routes to do it — a one-click tool, manual PowerShell, or Group Policy — and two rules that keep any of them safe. Make a restore point first, and remove the provisioned copies of apps so they can't creep back. Here is the whole workflow with copy-paste commands.

Before you touch anything: restore point and definitions

Two words get mixed up. Bloatware is the preinstalled Store apps and promoted content (games, trials, "recommended" tiles). Telemetry is the diagnostic and usage data Windows sends back to Microsoft. Debloating tackles both, but they use different tools.

Whatever route you pick, create a restore point first. Open Terminal (Admin) from the Win+X menu and run:

Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Pre-debloat" -RestorePointType MODIFY_SETTINGS

In my homelab I keep a debloated Windows 11 VM and roll it back to a checkpoint whenever a tweak breaks something — that safety net is the difference between experimenting freely and bricking a machine.

Route 1 — the one-click tool (WinUtil)

The fastest safe path is Chris Titus Tech's WinUtil, an open-source PowerShell utility that runs without installing anything. Launch it from an elevated Terminal:

irm christitus.com/win | iex

It supports Windows 11 23H2, 24H2 and 25H2 across all editions, and it creates its own System Restore Point before applying changes. The Standard tweaks preset disables telemetry, consumer ads, activity history, location and Wi-Fi Sense, and sets non-essential services to manual — the sensible-defaults bundle for most people (Chris Titus Tech).

This is the same principle as any good privacy hygiene routine: use vetted, reversible defaults rather than hand-tuning everything and hoping.

Route 2 — manual PowerShell (bloatware)

If you want to see exactly what's leaving, do it by hand. First list what's installed:

Get-AppxPackage | Select-Object Name, PackageFullName

Remove one app for the current user — here the Feedback Hub:

Get-AppxPackage *WindowsFeedbackHub* | Remove-AppxPackage

That removes it for you, but Windows keeps a provisioned copy that reinstalls the app for any new user profile and often after a feature update. This is the step nearly every guide skips. Remove the provisioned package too:

Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online |
  Where-Object DisplayName -like "*FeedbackHub*" |
  Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online

Do both and the app is gone for good. Which apps are safe to touch?

Safe to remove	Keep — removing breaks things
Feedback Hub, Bing News, Solitaire, Clipchamp	Microsoft.WindowsStore (the Store)
Xbox apps (if you don't game), Copilot	DesktopAppInstaller (winget)
Weather, Maps, To-Do, promoted trials	VCLibs / .NET runtimes, ShellExperienceHost

Route 3 — cut telemetry (service, registry, Group Policy)

Bloatware gone, now the diagnostics. Disable the Diagnostic Tracking Service:

Stop-Service "DiagTrack" -Force
Set-Service "DiagTrack" -StartupType Disabled

Then set the telemetry policy in the registry:

$key = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection"
New-Item -Path $key -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $key -Name "AllowTelemetry" -Type DWord -Value 0

Here is the nuance every "disable telemetry" article gets wrong. AllowTelemetry accepts 0–3 (0 = off, 1 = Required, 2 = Enhanced, 3 = Full), but level 0 is only honoured on Windows 11 Enterprise and Education. On Home and Pro the effective floor is level 1 (Required) — the OS silently ignores 0 and reports the minimum required set (NinjaOne). So on Home or Pro, 1 is the realistic minimum, not 0.

On Pro and up you can set the same thing through Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds > Allow Diagnostic Data. On Home, also flip Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback to turn off optional diagnostic data.

The three routes compared

Each route trades effort for control. Pick by how hands-on you want to be.

Route	Effort	Reversible?	Best for
WinUtil (one-click)	Low	Yes — auto restore point	Most people; fresh installs
Manual PowerShell	Medium	Yes — re-add provisioned pkgs	Control freaks; scripting a fleet
Registry / Group Policy	Medium	Yes	Telemetry on Pro/Enterprise

After debloating: what to re-check

Debloating isn't quite "set and forget," because Microsoft pushes changes back.

1. Reboot and confirm nothing critical broke — open the Store, run Windows Update, and test winget install to be sure package management still works.
2. Re-run your cleanup after every major feature update (24H2 → 25H2 and beyond). Feature updates can re-add apps and re-enable some settings.
3. Keep the restore point until you've used the machine for a few days.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to debloat Windows 11?

Yes, as long as you create a System Restore Point first and avoid removing core packages (the Store, winget, .NET/VCLibs runtimes, the shell experience host). Reputable tools like WinUtil make their own restore point automatically. The risk comes from blind "remove everything" scripts, not from targeted removal.

Does debloating improve Windows 11 performance?

Mostly indirectly. You get fewer background processes, less disk and network chatter, and a tidier Start menu — noticeable on low-RAM or older machines. It is not a magic FPS boost; if your hardware is the bottleneck, removing the Weather app won't fix that. The bigger wins are privacy and a cleaner system.

Can I fully disable telemetry on Windows 11 Home?

No. The AllowTelemetry "off" level (0) is only honoured on Enterprise and Education editions. On Home and Pro the effective floor is level 1, "Required diagnostic data." You can disable the DiagTrack service and turn off optional data, which meaningfully reduces what's sent, but Required-level data can't be policy-disabled on those editions.

Will removed apps come back after a Windows update?

They can, if you only removed the per-user package. Windows keeps a provisioned copy that reinstalls apps for new user profiles and sometimes after a feature update. Remove the provisioned package too (Get-AppxProvisionedPackage / Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage) and the app stays gone.

Is Chris Titus WinUtil safe to use?

It is open-source, widely used, and creates a restore point before making changes, which makes it one of the safer options. As with any script you pipe into PowerShell, you can read the source on GitHub first if you want to verify what it does before running it.

Commands here modify system settings; run them from an elevated PowerShell, create a restore point first, and adjust package names to your needs. Tested on Windows 11 24H2/25H2 — details can change with future feature updates.