UWP Apps figure prominently on today’s modern Windows operating systems, and can indeed accumulate to monstrous proportions. A main rule of thumb I tend to spout quite often is, “if you don’t use it, lose it”. Granted, drive space, even SSD space, is no longer the costly affair it once was. Still, and maybe it’s only me, but keeping a bunch of unused, ungainly software on a drive goes against my grain.
Many of you may feel the same way and this week’s Quick Tips article will show you a very easy way to spot and remove space-hogging, unused Apps and other types of software.
Apps & features To The Rescue
- Use the Windows Key + I to open the Settings App
- In the main screen, choose Apps
- In the window that opens, choose Apps & features
That should bring you to a window that looks similar to this one:
If you scroll down a bit in the right-hand panel, you will see a list of the programs and Apps you have installed on your computer. This list will show you the date the software was installed and also the amount of space it is taking up on your drive. By clicking on any of the programs in the list, it will expand and possibly give you the option of uninstalling it. Not all Apps can be uninstalled in this way as the above image demonstrates– the option is “greyed out” and unavailable for the Alarms & Clock App on my system.
Note: Some programs won’t show the amount of disk space used. To get that information, one way is to use your favorite file manager– you know… the old-fashioned way.
So, to repeat myself, if you don’t use it, lose it. If you don’t plan on using a particular program or App, uninstall it. If you haven’t used one for a considerable length of time, uninstall it.
There’s an old saying about legislation that in some ways may apply here– “For every law passed, 10 should be eliminated beforehand.” That would make them think twice about enacting a new law and it would make the whole legal system much simpler, too. Of course that will never happen since they would then lose a certain amount of control, and we all know how much they love Control.
You, too, should love control where your computer is concerned. I don’t know about you, but any time I can get rid of a bit of cruft, I breath a happy sigh of relief. And just maybe, Windows does, too.
As always, if you have any helpful suggestions, comments or questions, please share them with us,
Richard
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Hi Richard,
To ‘app’ or not to ‘app’ ?…that is the question.
Apps …an applications in reality, a method of performing a task, and becoming my most hated comment in TV advertising, product information, insurance companies, banks, local doctors, power and cooking gas suppliers, gardeners, street sweepers, the local tramway, railway, bus service and more, and more, and more.
How many ‘apps’ do humans need, or even want, really, too much ‘app’ uselessness revolving around humanity has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Whatever happened to using people with a brain, surely they do NOT need a basket-full of ‘applications’ to direct their wants and needs 24/7 ….. although thinking and consideration of choices needs a brain to sort the best from the worst … now not required, an ‘APP’ to solve the problem.
“Don’t Worry, Be ‘Appy”.
.
I o, I o I missed the ‘o’ from ‘solve’.
I corrected the missing “o” and added the missing “to”.
You’re welcome 🙂
In the rare event that someday you may need the app, and considering how inexpensive storage is these days, as long as you don’t load the app at startup I question the harm in just letting it sit there in its lonely old folder? No resources (other than disk space) are taken up so what’s the harm?
What if an app. that I want to delete is necessary for an app. that want, to run?
Hi Barry,
I am not aware of any App-dependent Apps.