By Ed Bott
Publication Date: 2025-12-17 11:46:00
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Windows 11 includes many apps, but some are better than others.
- Some apps receive top billing and will boost your everyday productivity.
- Other apps can be dumped, but delete tools with care.
Every installation of Windows 11 includes a long list of preinstalled apps. Some tools are there because they’re necessary for the operating system to do what it does. Others are there to help Microsoft make more money, because every Windows PC is valuable for its ability to bundle and promote Microsoft’s collection of paid services, including Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Xbox, and Copilot. A handful are actually useful.
Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 in 2025
Want to see the entire collection? On a brand new PC, go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps and scroll through the list. If you’ve already installed a bunch of third-party apps,…
