When you buy a computer or phone, it usually comes with preinstalled software.
Some are useful, while others are just annoying as they can cause your device to slow down, freeze or crash. They can also drain the processor and battery while taking up some of your precious disk space.
These often unused add-on programs installed on your device’s operating system typically include multimedia, security, Internet, utilities, and productivity tools.
The general technical term for this type of software is malware.
What is bloatware?
Bloat software, also known as malware, malware and shovel software, is a technical term used for software that consumes more than a fair share of system resources and disk space on your computer or phone, which affects its performance and memory size.
These bulky apps usually come in three different sets: software suites installed by the device manufacturer, your network provider, or apps and content pre-installed on your device by third parties.
Sometimes you do not know that they are there, or do not even notice them until they are presented to your attention.
If you find that your device is not working, whether it is running slowly, or running out of battery quickly, one of the best ways to restore it is to remove or disable malware.
In some cases, however, this can be dangerous because malware can create security loopholes that hackers can use to hijack your device or block you completely.
To make matters worse, some types of malware reside on your device all the time and refuse to be disabled or removed.
How to Identify Bloatware on Your Computer
Bloat software comes in many forms, but the most common are trials that are included with your device for free, but run for a specified trial period (30 days to 6 months) until you purchase a license. Adware is another type of malware that is dangerous because it exists to serve you ads through pop-ups or websites that are displayed on your device’s screen.
Other types of malware include system utilities and some useful applications. PC manufacturers usually include their own software on computers in addition to pre-installing full versions of specialized third-party tools.
For example, on a Lenovo computer, you will find Lenovo Solution Center, which is basically a maintenance application that provides software updates and checks your hardware for problems.
In some cases, this software can be uninstalled, but in others it cannot. In addition, they tend to duplicate the functionality of the software already installed on your device.
The main purpose of burdening your device with malware is to increase revenue and provide consumers with additional software that they might want to use.
What is the bloatware threat to your devices?
Bloated software is unwanted software that is poorly designed and developed, and it tends to take up the memory of your device because it is built on poorly structured code.
You may find that your device takes too long to boot up, whether new or used, or it has a slower reaction time when you tap or press something. In most cases, you can assume that something is wrong with your device and try to find a replacement, but it could be malware that is slowing down its performance.
The problem occurs when malware on your device exposes you to multiple cybersecurity risks. Some of these unwanted applications connect to the Internet and can expose your device to malware by injecting other applications known to use your personal information, processing power, and other data.
In 2016, Lenovo came under fire for pre-installing software on its products. By downloading system tools and updates that supposedly improve the performance of computers, the software instead created security vulnerabilities that allowed the downloaded Trojan viruses to infiltrate operating systems.
After months of consumer complaints, articles and cybersecurity analyst reports on the issue, the company finally stopped the practice.
Device manufacturers aren’t the only ones installing malware. Users also do this through their online behavior through the use of cookies in web browsers.
Cookies are small tracking software used to track users online. Some cookies send information back to website owners, but others can be malicious programs that transmit your personal and confidential data to hackers through C&C servers.
Removing malware can exponentially improve the performance of your device and save you money on replacement.
How to Remove Bloatware from Your Device
You can get rid of malware from your device, but not all of them can be removed, removed, or removed entirely.
The first and easiest step is to go through the device and manually uninstall any software that you don’t use, never used, and don’t want to. Just be careful not to uninstall an important program while you are running it.
If it’s a Windows PC, you can use the Update Windows tool to remove applications that were not preinstalled with Windows, such as those installed by your PC manufacturer.
You can also remove malware by using third-party programs that detect and help remove such software. Are these PC Decrapifier or should I uninstall it? The main disadvantage of using these utilities is that they can identify some malware, but not automate their removal, which means you have to go through the normal removal process. If not, buy a malware-free computer, such as a Microsoft Windows Signature Edition PC.
For smartphones and tablets, you may not be able to uninstall the manufacturer’s apps, but you can turn them off in your phone settings.
The only way to truly remove malware-related system apps is by either uninstalling them by your computer manufacturer or by rooting your smartphone, which again jeopardizes its security.